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THE Alphastar Difference
Imagine an organization designed around the client. One that anticipates their needs, supports their operations and helps fuel their growth.
Welcome to Alphastar, an RIA created from the ground up to put the advisor at the center of everything we do. Discover the difference at Alphastar – where we are redefining the RIA model.
Brian Williams
Brian is the Managing Partner of Alphastar and is responsible for the overall performance, growth, and operations of the firm, focusing on the big picture and long-term vision for Alphastar’s future. Alongside the ownership team, he formed the RIA in 2011 with a clear vision to build a world class organization.
Brian is also the Chief Operating Officer of Financial Independence Group (FIG), an industry leading financial and insurance marketing organization. After a decade of public service, Brian entered the private sector by joining FIG in 2007 as the Chief Operating Officer. Two years later he was FirstNamed partner of Financial Independence Group. In his role, he is responsible for the overall business operations of the company. He works with his colleagues on the executive team to develop global strategies and direction for FIG with a goal of providing opportunities for advisors while progressively integrating internal efficiencies for greater effectiveness. He also oversees all areas of IT as well as Compliance for FIG.
Brian received his MBA from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He also holds a Bachelor of Technology in Business Technology as well as an AAS in Aviation. He began his career in the public sector where he implemented and led a nationally recognized economic development initiative that was born out of the State of North Carolina legislature.
Brian is also a partner in Barnabas Capital, a wholesale broker dealer focused on IVA’s and VA’s, as well as a partner in Life Innovators, a product development company. Brian has served on various industry committees and advisory boards such as the Board of Directors for the National Association for Fixed Annuities. He also honorably serves on the Leadership Counsel for Great American Insurance Group.
Managing Partner
TONY PARISH, CFA®, CQF
Tony brings a wealth of experience to the Alphastar team, most recently having worked with Sage Advisory Services in Austin, TX as the Director of Quantitative Strategies; helping manage multiple objective-based investment strategies and serving on the firm’s Investment Committee, providing input on ~$12.5 billion of AUM. Previously, Tony worked in product development and analytics with Deutsche Asset Management, Credit Suisse, and OppenheimerFunds in New York City. He is passionate about working on financial data science projects (yes, really), and he specializes in quantitative modeling of multi-asset portfolios. Before moving to portfolio management, Tony began his career as a financial journalist, leading an editorial team for Investor Relations Magazine.
Tony is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and holds a Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF). He earned his MBA, with a concentration in Finance, from Fordham University in New York, a Certificate in Data Science from the University of Washington, and a BFA from Concordia University in Montreal.
His favorite activities include movie-watching with his wife Bethany and son Robert, as well as recording buttery R&B bass tracks with his Rickenbacker bass.
Chief Investment Officer
LAURA FURNER
Laura previously led a distinguished technology team for one of the largest Insurance Marketing Organizations (IMO/FMO) in the country, Financial Independence Group. While there, she utilized cutting-edge technology to bridge the gap between insurance and investments, with a true focus on holistic financial planning.
Laura brings vision to Alphastar through her passion and tenacity. She understands the profound impact technology has and will continue to have, on the independent financial advisor. She takes that drive and utilizes her skills to create next-level technological solutions to market, all while working hand-in-hand with advisors and the Alphastar team to tweak and refine. Laura’s passion lays in learning new workflows and finding ways to make all processes as efficient as possible both with and without the use of technology.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Dan, and two baby girls, Olivia and Natalie.
Chief Operating Officer
Sean Whelan
Sean serves as the Chief Sales Officer for Alphastar Capital Management where he heads both the sales and marketing divisions. Sean has over 15 years of financial services experience across multiple focuses from sales, marketing, leadership development, wholesaling, and beginning his career as a financial advisor.
Sean brings to Alphastar a real passion for our business and for helping others. His roles have uniquely positioned him to acquire the knowledge and skills to make an impact while serving our advisors and teams. His previous roles of creating and facilitating development opportunities, virtually and in-person programs, to help grow assets and clients will be the main influence on the practice management and coaching program being developed for ACM. His diverse work experiences with large life insurance companies, insurance based broker-dealers, and asset managers serve him well as he continues to promote and encourage the Alphastar Capital Management value proposition to the clients and advisors that we serve.
Sean and his wife Giedre live in Waxhaw with their daughter and son. As a family, they love to travel and be active outdoors anywhere, especially in the mountains. Sean is a competitive athlete who has raced in and completed several Ironman 70.3 races, as well as plays in a Master’s league for men’s lacrosse. He enjoys coaching youth lacrosse and give back to the sport when he can.
Chief Sales Officer
Armin Sarabi
Armin is the Chief Compliance Officer & General Counsel of Alphastar. He oversees Alphastar’s regulatory compliance program and provides legal advice and counsel to the company in a variety of legal and business matters.
Armin earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in Denver, CO. He also holds a Bachelor of Art in Psychology and one in Philosophy from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD.
Armin enjoys cooking, travel, and unique experiences. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys camping, backpacking, kayaking, hiking and has climbed several 14ers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Chief Compliance Officer
Christi Johnson-Kees
JONATHAN BLEVINS, CFP®, ChFC®
Jonathan is a member of Alphastar’s Sales, Support, and Marketing Team, serving as Vice President of Advisor Consulting. He works as a dedicated partner and coach to licensed investment advisors to ensure that they can efficiently and properly build a productive advisory business.
Jonathan attended Radford University obtaining a B.B.A. in Finance with minors in both Economics and Psychology, and he brings 16+ years of sales, financial planning, and wealth management experience to the Alphastar team. Jonathan also holds his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification as well as the Charter Financial Consultant™ certification.
On a personal note, Jonathan resides in Huntersville with his wife Michelle and two children. During his free time, he enjoys fishing and volunteering as a local youth sports coach in the North Charlotte area.
VP – Advisor Consulting
JAREN KISER, CFP®
Jaren joined Alphastar as Vice President of Advisor Consulting in June 2021. In this role, he serves as coach, coordinator and cheerleader to our advisors, helping them to build thriving advisory practices and to make the most of their relationship with Alphastar. Jaren has a passion for holistic financial planning and for the impact it can have in the businesses of our advisors as well as in the lives of their clients.
Jaren holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification as well as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. His diverse history of sales, financial planning and business ownership lends a wealth of experience and expertise to Alphastar and our advisor teams.
Outside of his professional life, Jaren enjoys spending time with his family and his church. He is also an avid reader and fitness enthusiast who enjoys running, working out and being active.
VP – Advisor Consulting
JESSICA ABRAHAM
Jessica is dedicated to servicing a team of advisors. Her top priority is engaging with their advisors and ensuring their operational responsibility to the client has minimal impact on their daily business practice as she acts as the liaison to our multiple custodians. She is also responsible for onboarding new advisors joining the Alphastar team to fully train and transition their book of business onto the Alphastar platform.
Jessica earned her BSBA with a concentration in Corporate Finance from Western Carolina University. She spent the early part of her career with UBS Financial on a Client Services Team assisting clients by providing product education and operational support. After spending 5 years with UBS, Jessica moved on to an inside sales and client management role with Performance Friction Corporation. At PFC she worked closely with her team to deliver an exceptional client experience and help grow sales along with the customer relationship.
Onboarding Specialist
AARON KINGREY
As Alphastar’s Head Trader, Aaron is responsible for leading and overseeing the Trade team in their execution of general trading operations, along with serving as a knowledgeable resource regarding advisor directed trading strategies. He also acts as a consultant on internal process enhancement efforts between the Investment and Operations teams, to help identify opportunities for new methods, and build new processes and procedures, to help streamline efficiency.
Prior to coming onboard with Alphastar, Aaron began his career at a proprietary trading firm in Raleigh, NC which dealt primarily in the trading of options and futures contracts. He went on to establish his own private investment management firm, which catered to a select high-net-worth clientele and focused on the implementation of strategies in the options and futures markets.
In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing disc golf and poker, hiking, spending time on the golf course, and cheering for his alma mater watching Gamecock football.
Education
Bachelor of Economics – University of South Carolina
Licenses
Series 3 – National Commodities Futures Exam
Head Trader
GINA SALEMI
Gina’s role at Alphastar as a Trader directly supports the Investment team, which provides a variety of curated investment solutions for all client demographics. She is responsible for assisting with general trading operations, including firm level portfolio model updates and rebalancing, and cash management functions.
Before joining Alphastar, Gina worked in the investments department at Vanguard helping clients place trades and oversee their cash management, along with troubleshooting accounts with trade restrictions and other issues. Gina’s organization and keen attention to detail allows her to achieve results with timely and accurate execution.
Originally from Michigan, Gina was a Division l athlete and collegiate lacrosse player at La Salle University, in Philadelphia, PA, where she earned her degrees. Outside of the office, Gina continues to enjoy playing lacrosse, finding new coffee shops, and spending time on the lake.
Education
Bachelor of Economics – La Salle University
MBA in Finance and Business Systems and Analytics – La Salle University
Licenses
Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
Trader
BRIAN MORISSETTE
As an Associate Trader at Alphastar, Brian’s role assists in carrying out the daily operations of the Trade team, which include firm level portfolio model updates and rebalancing, and cash management functions. He is goal-oriented and enthusiastic about adding value to the team and ultimately the advisors we serve.
In his previous role as a Production Coordinator for Finance of America Mortgage, Brian utilized technology tools to review and communicate data to internal teams. He was able to drive revenue for his channel through the suggestion of applicable offerings for current clients and insight to help facilitate new client relationships.
Brian is continuing to define his skillset by pursuing an MBA in Business Analytics from Eastern University. Outside of the office Brian enjoys golfing, fly fishing, camping, and many other outdoor activities.
Education
Bachelor of Finance – University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Associate Trader
AMANDA HOGAN
In her role at Alphastar as an Advisor Development Consultant, Amanda is responsible for supporting advisors in reaching their goals necessary for success. She oversees Alphastar’s learning management system (LMS) and is directly involved in creating and executing initiatives that foster growth. Amanda’s product and industry knowledge lends a huge helping hand in her dedication to providing elevated service.
Amanda has over 8 years of experience in the financial industry, providing white-glove client service, client retention and development solutions, and assisting in sales and marketing. Having worked in many different financial arenas with multiple advisors is beneficial to her role with Alphastar.
While she has spent the last 15 years living in Charlotte, Amanda is originally from Charleston, WV and enjoys spending time with her family and friends who still reside there. When she’s not working, anything outdoors is her go-to.
Education
Bachelor of Psychology – Marshall University
Advisor Development Consultant
COLE BLACKBURN
As an Advisor Services Manager, Cole is part of Alphastar’s Operations team and is responsible for supporting ease of doing business for advisors and their back-office teams as their primary point of contact. He is service-focused and is dedicated to making processes like opening new accounts, submitting paperwork, and working to resolve any issues simple and efficient.
Prior to joining Alphastar, Cole worked as a Retirement Distribution Consultant at Wells Fargo and a Financial Counselor at Principal Financial Group, where worked directly with clients to educate them and consult on different options that would best suite their retirement goals. Cole continues to lean on his industry knowledge and experience to facilitate best practices and time-saved for our advisors at Alphastar.
Cole is originally from Southport, NC, and when he isn’t working he enjoys spending his time staying active; from playing a pick-up game of basketball, to hiking and racing go-karts, he lives for it all. Cole is also a Duke basketball fan.
Education
Bachelor of Finance – The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Licenses
Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
Insurance Licenses
Life
Advisor Services Manager
CARRIE SHERRILL
As an Advisor Services Manager, Carrie is part of Alphastar’s Operations team and is responsible for managing the account opening process by working directly with the custodian and acting as the primary point of contact for the advisor and their back-office team. She acts a resource to review paperwork, resolve any issues that may arise, and ensuring business get processed correctly. Carrie also works with the custodian to perform account updates or account maintenance requests. She is diligent and thorough in her work, and passionate about making processes streamlined and simple for our advisors.
Before coming onboard with Alphastar, Carrie began her career in the financial services industry as an Administrative Assistant for a Lincoln Financial Group satellite office. She later transitioned to a Client Relationship Manager with MassMutual, where she spent 5 years assisting advisors in daily operational tasks and addressing all client needs.
Both in and outside of the office, Carrie is an avid UNC sports fan. On weekends during the fall, you can find her at all the home football games, and in the winter, attending as many basketball games as she can. Carrie also has 3 dogs (2 French Bulldogs and 1 English Bulldog) that she loves to play with and spoil.
Education
Bachelor of Communication Studies – University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Licenses
Series 6 – Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
Insurance Licenses
Life, Health
Advisor Services Manager
TAYLOR ALEXANDER
Taylor came onboard with Alphastar as an Advisor Services Manager in July 2022. In her role, she offers back-office support for our advisor partners by opening new accounts, providing operational support, and working directly with the custodian on account updates.
Growing up in Rhode Island, Taylor moved to North Carolina for college and received her B.A. in Psychology from East Carolina University. Additionally, she received her Masters Degree in Sport Psychology from the University of Tennessee. Before joining Alphastar, Taylor worked as Client Program Coordinator where she worked closely with clients to ensure their needs were met and to pinpoint opportunities for improvement within their program.
Taylor is very detail oriented and prides herself on her relationship building skills—she believes a high level of communication is key. In her spare time, she coaches youth lacrosse and loves spending time outdoors, especially with her German Shepard, Vince.
Advisor Services Manager
TAYLOR TINHAM
Taylor joined the Alphastar team in March of 2022 as a Finance Associate. In her role, she assists with billing and the accounting processes. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus in Accounting from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI in 2020.
Taylor grew up in Michigan and began her career there working for an electric manufacturing company in their Accounting Department, doing payables and receivables. After many years of cold winters, she decided it was time to start a new chapter–somewhere warmer.
Outside of her professional life, Taylor has a passion for working out. She was previously a spin instructor back in MI. She also loves spending time outside whether its by the pool, lake or just going on a walk, and is the most happy surrounded by friends and family.
Finance Associate
LEJEANA LOVE
As the Senior Compliance Associate at Alphastar, Lejeana serves as delegate to the Chief Compliance Officer. She is responsible for running point on project-related tasks that impact our current structures and performing due diligence to ensure we are making the adjustments needed to maintain our compliance culture. She is detail oriented and outcome-focused with her work and enjoys helping others navigate complex situations.
Lejeana brings a great deal of relevant experience to Alphastar’s compliance program. She has worked in many different facets of the financial industry, including banking, trading, operations, insurance, Financial Planning, and compliance. Lejeana has steadily challenged herself as a continuous student, holding multiple licenses, and held her own registered investment advisory firm before coming onboard with Alphastar.
Outside of the office, Lejeana enjoys thrifting, watching movies, and spending quality time with her family. She is a Queen City native, born and raised in Charlotte, NC, where she currently resides with her husband, Leonard, and her two daughters, Lyla and Lexi. They are the family of “L’s.”
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration – North Carolina State University
Licenses
Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam
Series 65 – Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
Series 66 – Uniform Combined State Law Exam
Senior Compliance Associate
WHITNEY PULVER
As a Compliance Associate at Alphastar, Whitney is responsible for processing new compliance-related requests, conducting electronic communication surveillance, and assisting with the onboarding of new IARs. She has over 15 years of historical knowledge and experience working within the Family of Companies with Financial Independence Group (FIG) and Alphastar.
Whitney began her career as a Contracting Specialist at FIG to help onboard Insurance Agents with different carriers. She has a natural ability for problem-solving and attention to detail, making the process simple and efficient. She was promoted to the Senior Contracting Specialist before transitioning to the Compliance team at Alphastar.
While Whitney and her husband were born and raised in Northern, CA (they were high school sweethearts), they made their way to North Carolina after college and have stayed put in the Lake Norman area with their now son and 2 dogs.
Education
Associate of General Business – College of the Redwoods
Bachelor of Fraud & Financial Crime Investigation – Utica University
Compliance Associate
WILLIAM HANDY
William joined Alphastar in June of 2021 as a Compliance Associate. His role is to assist with reviews and audits, test compliance procedures, and develop compliance training information, along with any other compliance issue brought to the attention of the team.
William earned his Eagle Scout Award in 2009, a distinction also held by his father and brother. He graduated from Wingate University with a B.A. in English in 2015, then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Elon University School of Law in 2017. He has most recently spent time as an insurance broker, holding a SC license.
On a personal note, William enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and their cat, Mango. His hobbies include reading, watching films, and PC gaming with his friends.
Compliance Associate
NICOLE FAMULARO
Joining the Alphastar team in the Operations Department, Nicole provides administrative support to the Ops team. Prior to joining Alphastar, she formerly worked as a Sr. Financial Service Representative at State Employees Credit Union.
Nicole is originally from Long Island, New York and left when she married her husband, who is a U.S. Marine. They spent 3 ½ years living in Okinawa, Japan, where she worked for the Marine Corps as an Administrative Assistant to the Camp Commander.
Nicole now resides in Mooresville, North Carolina with her husband, three children, and their two Newfoundland’s. Her hobbies include reading, enjoying the beautiful NC weather, and making sure her kids live their best lives.
Operations Support Specialist
KATELYN WATKINS
Katelyn’s role at Alphastar as a Marketing Coordinator works collaboratively with all departments to maintain social media platforms, digital communications, design and create deliverable pieces, and with event planning. Most commonly, she is a resource to assist Alphastar’s Sales and Advisor Development teams.
Before coming onboard at Alphastar, Katelyn spent the last 3 1/2 years in Winston Salem, NC leading a sales team at Belk Department Store and J.McLaughlin. Her experience with leading people and building brands in the retail industry has contributed to her passion for thinking of creative solutions to achieving results and identifying ways to connect with people.
In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys staying up-to-date on fashion, home decor, and design trends, attending concerts and sporting events, and exploring all the new places around Charlotte.
Education
Bachelor of Marketing – Western Carolina University
Marketing Coordinator
