Recapping the 2026 LaSalle St. Growth Summit

The 2026 LaSalle St. Growth Summit is a wrap.

Every other year, we invite all current and prospective LaSalle St. advisors to join us in Chicago for our Growth Summit. Advisors consistently tell us the Growth Summit is one of the most valuable days of their entire year.

The LaSalle St. Growth Summit provides an opportunity for LaSalle St. advisors to connect in-person with our home office team, our key sponsors and guest speakers, and also their fellow advisors stationed across the country. New strategies are learned, great ideas are shared, and strong connections are made that lead to succession and growth opportunities. But, perhaps most importantly: The Growth Summit gives everybody in attendance a chance to step back from the day-to-day and think seriously about where this industry is headed and how to position themselves to thrive in it.

This year’s event was focused on the three big tides that are reshaping the future of wealth management: The Great Wealth Transfer, Artificial Intelligence, and revolutionary marketing tools/tactics advisors can leverage as they seek to differentiate themselves.

Here’s how the day unfolded.

A Reminder of our Strong Community and the Power of True Partnerships

Nothing is more apparent at The LaSalle St. Growth Summit than the strong sense of togetherness that exists amongst our advisors, our staff, and our ownership team. When we all get together, we are reminded that LaSalle St. is not just an RIA platform helping advisors run their own independent businesses — we are a community (and a pack) that genuinely enjoys being together and helping one another thrive.

The morning of May 21st opened with LaSalle St. Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Contey, outlining the focus and goals for the event and providing an update on the firm’s growth trajectory and strategic direction. We then dug deeper into the “Three Tides” where we challenged all to find a few new ideas to take back to implement within their individual practices.

Michael Kitces: AI, Fees, the Next Generation, and Succession

One of the most anticipated sessions of the day was a virtual keynote from Michael Kitces — one of the most respected voices in financial planning and the founder of Kitces.com.

Kitces covered a few of the most pressing topics facing advisors today. We recorded the session, so reach out if you missed it and want to watch on your own time.

CIO Update — 2026 Market Outlook + Introduction of LaSalle St. Capital Management

LaSalle St. Chief Investment Officer Mike Drozd took the stage to walk advisors through the firm’s 2026 market outlook — putting recent events impacting financial markets into context and outlining LaSalle St.’s specific positioning for what he described as a new era of opportunity for investors. Drawing on long-term historical cycles and today’s rapidly shifting macroeconomic landscape, Mike helped advisors frame the conversations their clients are having right now and gave them a clear, confident perspective to bring back to their practices.

Mike also introduced an exciting new development exclusive to LaSalle St. advisors: LaSalle St. Capital Management (LCAP). LCAP is an outsourced investment management solution featuring a suite of model portfolios — each built so that advisors can match the appropriate model to a given client’s goals and risk tolerance, delivering exceptional ongoing asset allocation without the time burden of managing it themselves. Advisors leveraging LCAP can reclaim at least 8 hours a week while gaining access to Mike and his investment team as a direct extension of their practice. As Mike put it best:

“We understand that significant growth for an independent advisor comes from strengthening existing client relationships and spending time identifying and building new relationships. So I ask you: what could you do with an extra 8 hours of free time added back into your work week?”

— Mike Drozd, Chief Investment Officer, LaSalle St.

Artificial Intelligence: Popular Tools for Advisors and How to Use Them

A dedicated AI and Technology Consultant from Fidelity Investments helped our advisors explore AI tools and walk through how they can work seamlessly in conjunction with the current technology platforms LaSalle St. advisors already have access to.

Among the topics discussed during the session and throughout the day were:

• Will AI supplant or supplement the role of an advisor?
• How can advisors leverage AI to further strengthen relationships, account for more details and show deeper expertise to satisfy clients?
• How can advisors use AI to prospect and grow?
• How is the LaSalle St. Home Office leveraging AI?
• How to ensure compliance and security of client data across a growing landscape of AI tools
• Which AI platform/agent is best for which use-case and why?

Next-Gen CFP Panel: Building Future Proof Advisory Businesses

Some of the most engaging and actionable conversations of the Growth Summit came during our advisor panel session, which this year featured three young, next-generation CFPs, each leading their own independent businesses.

Courtney Baxter, CFP

Founder, Cottonwood Wealth Advisors | Joined LaSalle St. from Commonwealth in 2026

Ben Feltes, CFP

EVP, COO, Financial Advisor — Heartland Investment Associates | Partnered with LaSalle St. since 2015

Nelson Cover III, CFP

Financial Planner, Chell Financial | Partnered with LaSalle St. since 2017

Each of these Next-Gen Advisors has a unique perspective and shared with the group how they are navigating the three tides. Each advisor also explained how they are positioning their respective independent businesses as we all look towards the future of this industry. The Next-Gen Advisor panel sparked an inspiring conversation between advisors of all ages who attended the Growth Summit. Our takeaway? The future looks bright!

Phillip Koontz — Don’t Ring the Bell

The 2026 LaSalle St. Growth Summit saved one of its most memorable sessions for last.

Former Navy SEAL and professional speaker Phillip Koontz took the stage and delivered an emotional, provocative, and inspiring lecture that had nothing to do with markets or technology and everything to do with the mindset required to succeed in the face of adversity.

Phillip has overcome adversity in his life by adhering to a mindset guided by a simple framework he calls the Five P’s. If you are not familiar with Phillip’s story, his book, or his presentations — we highly recommend you visit his website at: philkoontz.com

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The 2026 LaSalle St. Growth Summit would not be possible without the overwhelming support of our sponsors — who networked with our advisors and delivered intriguing presentations.

Thank you to Fidelity Investments, Allianz, Franklin Templeton, Voya, Sammons Retirement Solutions, Midland Retirement Distributions, and Simplicity Group.

Until Next Time

The 2026 LaSalle St. Growth Summit was a reminder of what our True Lifetime Partnership model actually looks and feels like. LaSalle St. is simply a community of like-minded financial professionals who enjoy supporting one another. Our team and our independent advisors take great pride in the firm we’ve built together and what it represents in today’s wealth management industry.