Stephen Festa

I was originally born in Toronto, Canada and my family moved to Los Angeles in 2009 during the recession. Within the first year of our move, my parents let my sister and I know that we might have to move back due to financial troubles. Fortunately we were able to make things work, but that sparked my interest in personal finance and I began learning about budgeting and investing. I was able to get my Bachelor's degree from CSUN in 2018 and have been working in the financial services industry for about 7 years. My experience ranges from helping young professionals who are just starting out on their journey to those who have put their work in and are looking to enjoy their retirement. I am a CFP professional as well as a notary public. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, being active and spending time with friends & family. I have always enjoyed playing sports, especially winter sports such as hockey and skiing (Would I be a true Canadian if I didn’t?) Even though I have lived in Los Angeles for over 15 years, my sports loyalty still lies with my teams in Toronto, and I hope to see the Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup in my lifetime the same way I got to watch the Raptors win their first NBA championship back in 2019.

At Bridge The Gap we purposefully choose to work with a small number of clients per advisor, so each client’s situation can be served as a priority. This provides clients with a partnership that goes deeper into your financial planning needs. Our goals is to be the go to for all things financial, and to be your accountability partner in implementation. Many advisors draft clients a plan, but we work to together to live it. We have ongoing planning conversations with our clients around investments, risk management, liquidity analysis, estate planning, tax planning, tax efficiency, and goal fulfillment.

Bill Nugent is the Founder of Convey Wealth Management, a financial services firm uniquely specializing in tax-smart planning for corporate executives, high-achieving entrepreneurs, and their families. Bill's 27-year career began with one of the industry's oldest and most respected wealth management firms. There, he focused on non-profit and public sector clients and drew inspiration from mission-driven professionals who dedicated their careers to caring for others. Having led hundreds of live workshops during his career, Bill is skilled at expressing complex topics in an understandable manner. He believes in customization and focuses on each client's goals to drive the investment management process. Bill is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional as well as an IRS Enrolled Agent. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In addition to providing personalized attention to his clients, he believes strongly professional mentorship and enjoys teaching financial planning at UCLA.

Herlin Meza is a Financial Solutions Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, he works closely with clients to understand their financial priorities and develop strategies tailored to their short-, mid-, and long-term goals. His advisory services cover a wide range of needs including general investing, retirement planning, and preparing for unexpected financial challenges. Herlin holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University and is proficient in both English and Spanish. As part of his approach, Herlin emphasizes building a thorough understanding of each client’s unique situation to provide ongoing advice and guidance aligned with their evolving needs.

Raffi Karageuzian is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he provides customized investment advice and financial services to high and ultra-high net worth clients. He focuses on developing tailored solutions that address clients’ risk tolerance, time horizons, liquidity needs, investment goals, and associated costs. His services include investment management, retirement and estate planning, lending strategies, and life insurance within a comprehensive wealth management framework. Raffi began his financial services career with UBS in 2007, and he joined Merrill Lynch in downtown Los Angeles in 2009 before relocating to the Glendale office in 2011. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Economist with the United Nations Development Program in Lebanon from 1999 to 2005, advising the Lebanese Treasury on international Eurobond issuance, debt, and public finance management. During that time, he also lectured in Financial and Cost Accounting at Haigazian University. Raffi holds a Master's degree in Money and Banking from the American University of Beirut and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Haigazian University. He holds the designations of Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). In addition to his professional responsibilities, Raffi is actively involved in community organizations including Haigazian University Alumni USA, the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, World Vision Armenia, and YMCA Glendale. He speaks Arabic, Armenian, and English. Outside of work, he enjoys basketball, photography, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Kamerie Larsen is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management specializing in retirement planning. She collaborates with clients to develop personalized financial strategies that align with their goals and comfort levels, aiming to simplify the complexities of investing and empower clients to feel confident in their financial decisions. Her practice focuses on a variety of client needs including college education planning, divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, managing new wealth, portfolio management services, women and wealth, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. With more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry, Kamerie joined Merrill Lynch due to its holistic approach to wealth management and banking. This role enables her to access elite money managers and provide clients with a comprehensive range of services, including Bank of America’s deposit and lending products. She holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and is affiliated with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Outside of her professional work, Kamerie is involved with the community organization Zoe International. She spends her personal time with her family, including two dogs named Bailey and Annabelle, and enjoys biking, dancing, music, reading, and traveling to experience new cultures.