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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Cooney | Paradigm Wealth Management | Westlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin McCluskey | Castle Island Wealth | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Murdock | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Weingarden | Wittenberg Investments | Troy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kurt Lofters | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Larry Freie | Bellwether Wealth | Lincoln | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Bellomo | Castle Island Wealth | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Spradling | Fischer Investment Strategies | Westlake Village | Not listed | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Lucas Roberson | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mallen Bruggeman | Auctus Advisors | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Fleming | Gryphon Financial Partners | Columbus | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Gilligan | MG Financial | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mason Ning | BirdRock Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Granizo | Talisman Wealth Advisors | Mountainside | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Raines | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Samson | ILS Financial | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Meredith Fennebresque | Beatrice Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Haines | Essential Investment Partners | Englewood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Pearson | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Thomas | MG Financial | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mindy Prow | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Natalie Gallo | Regent Peak Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nelson Moen | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicole Vong | Pasadena Private Wealth | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Parker Taylor | Paradigm Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patricia Kavanagh | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paula Verity | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Philip Devries | RBS Wealth Management | Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Riley Gessner | Regent Peak Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Armour | Zeches Wealth Management | Mesa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Burns | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert McDonald | Fairway Capital Advisors | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Scharar | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Halleran | GenSphere Private Wealth | Sammamish | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Scharar | FCA | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Stephen | RBS Wealth Management | Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sally Eisenberg | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Samuel Lees | Lees Monsour Group | Shreveport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Koch | Monograph Wealth | Truckee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott McCartney | Ascent Wealth Partners | New Hartford | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Shlecter | Pasadena Private Wealth | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shaun Mutch | Fairway Capital Advisors | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Simon Reeves | Pasadena Private Wealth | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Solomon Cohen | Regent Peak Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephanie Boeke | BirdRock Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Levy | BirdRock Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Crawford | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Sansom | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Koch | Hall Capital Management | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Ballard | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.