Violette Hawkins

My path to financial planning started with an eye-opening experience: arriving as a freshman on campus at Notre Dame. I, the youngest of six kids and the first in my family to leave home for college, witnessed firsthand how different my financial experience was vs. most of my peers.  It wasn’t hard to recognize other first-gen students - we were the ones with on-campus jobs, we knew everyone in the financial aid office, and we knew our FAFSA EFC (we had to fill it out ourselves). No one prepared us, and success was dependent on our ability to figure it out. Graduating from college didn’t change my financial circumstances. I graduated with $60k in student loans and no clear idea of what I'm supposed to do with them, and even less, how I'm supposed to "start building wealth." It frustrated me. I turned to the internet and discovered the world of personal finance. For the past decade, I’ve consumed all of the personal finance blogs, books, and podcasts. In 2020, I officially made the career pivot and became a financial planner. After working with high-net-worth clients for a few years, I realized something: this industry overlooks the people who need financial guidance the most. It's focused on helping those who are already wealthy, leaving out first-generation professionals who are building wealth from scratch.  That’s why I founded Canela Wealth - to provide support and guidance to people who don’t have a financial safety net. To give people figuring it out access to knowledge, best practices, and strategies to help them feel secure and always keep their goals within reach. No matter what your financial background looks like, I’m here to create a space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to take the next step.   When I'm not helping clients, I'm chasing my two kiddos, Luca (4) and Camila (1), and dreaming up our next big family trip.

My goal is to provide working professionals with sound financial advice to help them best position themselves and their financial lives for success. While the majority of our clients have medical backgrounds or are business owners, our services are best targeted to those with investable assets and are in the asset accumulation phase of their life. I provide comprehensive financial planning services as well as investment advisory services. PVA Financial LLC is a state-registered RIA firm. We focus our business on providing PRACTICAL, VALUABLE and ALIGNED advice. I found that to be missing when I was looking for an advisor more than two decades ago and have vowed to keep focused on those three tenets. Before founding PVA Financial, I worked as a private equity executive. With over 15 years of financial services experience, I've spent the majority of my career evaluating businesses, investing in them, finding ways to accelerate their growth and improve their operational efficiency. This background has given me unique insight into the importance of building strong foundations and the necessity for clear and effective communication...both of which are incorporated into our relationships with clients. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I also received my MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, with a focus on Finance & Accounting. I also hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, which requires comprehensive knowledge in all areas of financial planning, including insurance planning, risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. On the personal side, I enjoy spending time with my wife, three kids and our goldendoodle Leo. I'm the Cubmaster for my kids Scout group and am heavily involved in a few charitable organizations. I'm an avid Chicago Bears & Bulls fan and enjoy playing tennis, basketball and golf. Additional information can be found at www.pvafinancial.com and I can be reached at naveen@pvafinancial.com

At Wysopal Wealth, we specialize in helping high-income professionals and former athletes manage the complexities of equity compensation and variable income. Our goal is to make sure your money works for you—today and for the future. We focus on creating personalized, values-driven financial plans that allow you to live fully now while planning for what’s next. I’m Brett Wysopal, a proud girl dad of two and a former minor pro hockey player. My experience in sports taught me discipline, focus, and resilience, all of which I apply to financial planning. After spending years navigating the world of equity compensation, I’ve made it my mission to help families simplify their finances, reduce tax burdens, and achieve their life goals. Our approach at Wysopal Wealth is rooted in personalized attention. We keep our client list small, ensuring every client receives the time and care they deserve. We dive deep into your financial situation, understanding your numbers, values, and what matters most to you. This allows us to tailor your financial strategy to your unique goals, whether that’s managing your equity, preparing for retirement, or planning a family legacy. Equity compensation is often the largest part of our clients' wealth, but it comes with complexities—ISOs, RSUs, stock options, and significant tax implications. Many people wait too long to make decisions about their equity, resulting in missed opportunities or unexpected tax bills. At Wysopal Wealth, we take a proactive approach, creating a strategy for when and how to execute your equity plans, minimize tax liability, and diversify your holdings. At Wysopal Wealth, financial happiness is the goal. We believe that money should support the life you want, and we’re here to help you make that happen.

Arun understands the importance of details specific to each client, which includes tax efficiency, a fulfilling retirement, and legacy planning. He also realizes the importance of a client working with a professional on a consistent basis, rather than speaking to a different person each time the client calls an 800 number for support. As some individuals have an affinity for one sport or hobby over another, Arun has a strong affinity for finance. With 9+ years in wealth management, and another several in other industries prior to graduate school, Arun has a strong interest in financial planning and investing. Aside from his practical experience working directly with clients of all ages and backgrounds, Arun has an MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In Madison, he honed his technical skills, and then further developed them by obtaining the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which is considered to be the most rigorous set of exams in the financial industry. Whether looking for a combination of planning and investment management, or just one of those two, Avenue 90 is available to help.

I believe that everyone should have access to a professional advisor who understands their needs and can help them achieve the lifestyle they desire. As a financial advisor, I am dedicated to learning about your personal goals and using them to build a retirement plan tailored to your unique situation. NexJenn Financial Services was founded in response to the demand for financial planning from my tax clients. Often squeezed between spending for their kids’ education, caring for an elderly relative and saving for their own retirement, many were anxious about their financial future. I have enjoyed helping my clients find a balance and focus on building a strong financial future. I am a CPA® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional®, as well as a Retirement Income Certified Professional®. Additionally, I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and the XY Planning Network. In my spare time, my husband and I volunteer at a homeless shelter. I also love to bike and travel and am an aspiring photographer. I have been married for 30 years and together with my awesome husband, we’ve raised three awesome kids.

After graduating from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Finance in 1985, I worked in myriad roles before founding Opus Financial Solutions, including securities compliance, investment analysis, institutional portfolio management, and teaching investments and financial planning topics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Those roles and hard-earned education and financial designations converged to ultimately building a fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm. My objective as an advisor is to help my clients improve and/or be aware of the implications of the financial choices they make. That requires me to listen and truly understand my client's past, present, and anticipated journey before offering strategies and solutions. For some of my clients, that means helping them attain the financial freedom and peace of mind to live as they choose. For others who have accumulated significant wealth, it is helping them with portfolio optimization and management, taxes, distribution planning, and estate matters. In addition to my Finance degree from Illinois, I obtained my MBA in International Business from DePaul’s Graduate School of Business. I later attained my Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations in order to provide the highest level of financial and investment counsel. Along the way, I also developed an expertise in divorce financial planning in order to help people make more informed financial decisions in divorce matters and make the process of divorce less painful and less expensive. I've served as a divorce advisor, financial neutral and mediator for individuals and/or divorcing couples (Refer to “Pre-Divorce Planning” for more detail). I grew up in the Chicago area, now live in Denver, and serve clients across the United States. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time in natural settings hiking, camping, mountain-biking, skiing, playing with my pups, or whatever the weather dictates. I have served in many volunteer roles over the course of my life, mostly relating to educating and mentoring the underprivileged. Thus far, one of my greatest joys has been watching my children—now both young independent adults--evolve into kind, smart, empathetic human beings who I believe will change the world for the better.