Founders (pre-exit)
Founder and early-employee planning in the pre-exit window: QSBS eligibility, 83(b) strategy, secondary-market decisions, founders-equity concentration, estate tools (GRATs, QSBS stacking), and the cash-flow model before and after a liquidity event. Advisors in this specialty work with a small number of founder households at a time and understand the fiduciary, legal, and tax coordination involved.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 1,440 fee-only financial advisors focused on founders (pre-exit) at 426 firms, most in Houston, Atlanta and Austin. 42% hold the CFP certification. Of the 1438 with fees on file, 95% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 1,440
- Firms
- 426
- Cities
- 367
- Hold the CFP
- 42%
- Other credentials: CFA 11% · CPA 1% · EA 1%
- How they charge (of 1438 with fees on file): percentage of assets 95% · fixed fees 58% · hourly 45% · ongoing planning fee 9%
Source: Wellspent public graph, data as of . Shares are of advisors listed here; an advisor can hold several credentials or fee types. Methodology
Advisors with depth in founders (pre-exit)
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Webb | BentOak Capital | Katy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sasha Childers | Three Arch Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Seth Corkin | May Hill Capital | Brookline | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Shana Ballard | Mission Creek Capital Partners | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shane Riley | Pittenger & Anderson | Lincoln | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Shawn Hudspeth | Tilia Fiduciary Partners | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Srdjan Nastasic | Augustus Wealth | Long Beach | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Stephen Hofmann | Ridgeline Private Wealth | Rockford | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Lind | Navigate Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Sunni Allen | Three Arch Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Terin Rundus | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Favor | Tilia Fiduciary Partners | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Thomas Riley | Alpha Capital Family Office | Greenwood Village | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyler Batts | Riverbend Wealth Management | Myrtle Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| William Bowen | Persium Group | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Jobes | Live Oak Wealth Advisory Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Snider | ONE Advisory Partners | Highlands Ranch | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Terwedo | TFS Advisors | Edmonds | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Abigail Demirovic | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Corrie | Capstone Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Cress | Capstone Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alberto Crespo | Crespo Capital | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aleksandar Kelly | Life UnLocked Partners | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Alex D'Attilio | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Amundson | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alexander Hoover | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Yaftali | Monograph Wealth | Manhattan Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Allen Carr | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Allen LeMay | Strong Tower Wealth | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Allen Tyndall | Seaside Wealth Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alyson Shaw | Alliance Private Wealth | North Reading | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amanda Farrar | PMG Family Office | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andre Baldanza | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Knachel | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Sedora | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ann Nowell | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Arijeet Singh | Willow Grove Advisors | Brier | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Asa Graves | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Ashley Owens | 11 Financial | Gretna | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Owens | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Beth Wilson | Poulos Advisors | South Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blake Eiermann | The Financial Resource Center | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Braeden Mischke | Strong Tower Wealth | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Oliver | Oliver Wealth Management | St. Louis | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Brett Grossman | Factor Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Beckman | Hermosa Wealth Management | Torrance | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Cheatham | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Fraser | Canyon Creek Investment Advisors | Fruita | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Heath | Conviction Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brian Woods | Woods Financial Services | Towson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
Guides
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Financial advisor for selling a business
The right advisor starts years before the sale: deal structure and tax, gifts to family while values are low, and a plan for the money after. On $5 million of proceeds, 1% is $50,000 a year; a one-time plan has a median of $2,000.
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Selling a business in Canada: the lifetime capital gains exemption
In 2026 the lifetime capital gains exemption shelters up to C$1,275,000 of gain on qualifying small business shares, but only if the company passes tests that run for two years before the sale. A one-time plan from a Canadian fee-only planner costs a median C$1,900.
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Family office vs wealth manager: what's the difference?
A single family office works for one family and is exempt from SEC adviser registration; the ones in UBS's 2025 survey managed an average of $1.1 billion. A multi-family office is a registered wealth manager with more household services. Fee-only wealth managers charge a median 1% of assets.