Speakers
Austin Ash
Austin Ash is the Director of Advisory & Strategic Partnerships at Ash Brokerage, working primarily with fee-only RIAs & estate planning attorneys to implement insurance strategies for their clients. His focus & expertise are within servicing the (U)HNW space for complex and advanced insurance needs. He co-leads Ash Brokerage’s Chicago office.
Before joining Ash, Austin graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in Economics and Psychology. After graduating, he was an investment banking analyst in Piper Sandler’s Consumer Group, assisting in M&A transactions, financial modeling, valuation, and other transaction related workflows.
Jim Evans CFP, QKA, QPA, ChSNC
Jim Evans has been in the financial services business for 40 years. In October 2006, he co-founded TTG Financial. He has served as a principal for TTG Financial from October 2006 to the present. His broad responsibilities including compliance, accounting, trading and asset allocation modeling. He has four Professional Designations; Qualified Pension Administrator in May 1992 and Qualified 401(k) Administrator in July 2002 issued by the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries and the Certified Financial Planner designation issued by the Board of Certified Financial Planners in October 2005 and the Chartered Special Needs Consultant designation form the American College in 2022. Jim and his wife Jill live in Northeast Ohio. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Jeff Hess
With more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, Jeff provides unique, independent services that raise the bar among insurance professionals. In his role as an RIA Consultant at Palladium Group, Jeff spends most of his time working in the HNW and UHNW space. He partners with RIAs, family offices and other fee-only advisors for consultation, expert analysis, and implementation and management of insurance-based financial solutions. Jeff’s goal is to change the experience of obtaining insurance – to make the process personal and enjoyable for advisors and their clients. Excellence, trust and collaboration are the foundation of his work.
Jeff lives in Carmel, Indiana, with his wife, Lindsey, and their five children. Jeff and his family are actively involved in their church community, where they spend much of their time participating in youth ministry events. In his free time, Jeff coaches baseball and competes in long-distance races and triathlons.
April Ibarra MGS, CSA, Aging Life Care Professional
With over 35 years of experience in senior care, I bring a unique blend of gerontological expertise, wellness-based coaching, and heartfelt commitment to supporting individuals on the aging journey. I hold a Master’s in Gerontology from Miami University, am a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®️, Aging Life Care Professional®️, and hold the Foundation for Wellness Certificate through the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA).
My approach is rooted in the belief that how we live—and how we think—profoundly shapes how we age. I help older adults and family caregivers create intentional, proactive aging roadmaps that reflect their values, enhance quality of life, and foster resilience.
Whether I'm coaching families through care transitions or guiding individuals to age with purpose and peace of mind, I believe aging isn’t something to fear, it’s something to celebrate.
Michael Reynolds, CFP®️, CSRIC®️, AIF®️, CFT™️
Michael is a Financial Advisor and Principal at Elevation Financial LLC.
He’s a former digital marketing agency owner and career changer. After running his marketing agency for 23 years, he sold his business and launched his RIA three months later. He’s now loving his career as an advisor and enjoys using his marketing and tech chops to build his RIA.
He is also host of Wealth Redefined®️, a weekly podcast on finance and wealth-building.