With more than 25 years in the financial services industry, Chris Prado serves as a Senior Vice President of Ellsworth Advisors. In this capacity, Chris is responsible for developing and servicing client relationships for individuals, families and corporate retirement clients. Chris also takes an active role in financial planning for existing clients and prospective clients. Additionally, Chris has experience assisting business owners with business valuations, growth strategies, value maximization, succession planning and both buy- and sell-side transactions. Chris is focused on developing deep, personal relationships with clients, which allow him to deliver the appropriate financial guidance.
Prior to joining Ellsworth Advisors, Chris was the Director of Business Development at Wentz Financial Group since 2019, where he served in several different roles along with managing individual and corporate clients. Prior to his time at Wentz Financial Group, he spent 22 years at Federated Securities Inc., where he was responsible for managing more than $1 billion in assets covering Northeast Ohio and Columbus (2005 – 2019). He served in the same capacity in previous roles at Federated, including coverage of the Chicago market (2003 – 2005) and New York (1999 – 2003).
Chris is a graduate of John Carroll University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a major in Management.
In 1996, Chris and his lifelong friend, Tom Pirosko, founded the TC Open Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting military children. Chris and his wife, Ashley, live in Hudson, Ohio. They are the proud parents of Wyatt, Quin, Blake and Brody.
Liz Lewis serves as an Administrative Associate of Ellsworth Advisors. Her responsibilities include managing communications between clients and the investment team, onboarding new clients, processing account changes and overseeing asset transfers and wires. Liz is a dedicated administrative professional with a strong background in talent acquisition and client account management. Her career began at Swagelok, where she excelled as a Talent Acquisition Coordinator, skillfully managing travel arrangements and interview schedules for candidates across multiple locations. Liz’s commitment to efficiency led her to participate in Continuous Improvement Projects, where she played a key role in implementing new scheduling software, enhancing organizational productivity.
Transitioning to Ellsworth Advisors, Liz now supports the administrative team, leveraging her expertise to ensure seamless management of client accounts. Her academic foundation in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University, coupled with her leadership experience as captain of her high school volleyball team, underscores her ability to lead and educate.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Liz is a passionate supporter of the American Heart Association, inspired by her late grandfather’s legacy. Her personal interests include painting, reading, theater and caring for her beloved dogs.
Dave Jakubowski serves as a Senior Vice President of Ellsworth Advisors. Possessing more than 30 years of portfolio management experience, Dave takes a lead role in the execution of client trades, asset allocation modeling and research on fixed income and equity investments. He is also responsible for providing wealth management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals and families.
Dave is a graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. Dave holds the Series 65 Uniform investment Advisor securities license and possesses over 30 years of experience with Prudential Securities, McDonald & Company Investments, Robert W. Baird and Morgan Stanley.
As a community involved individual, Dave is a member of the Parma Amateur Athletic Federation, Boy Scouts of America and several committee memberships for St. Charles Borromeo. He lives in Parma, Ohio with his wife and is the father of four adult children. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, hiking and high school, college and professional football as well as major league baseball.
Timothy Banks Clepper is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kaulig Companies Limited, the Single Member Family Office for Matt Kaulig, and his direct family. Tim also is the managing partner of Ellsworth Advisors, Inc. a fee only Registered Investment Advisor. In 1997, Tim started his professional investment management career with McDonald & Company Investments, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Tim continued his career with two other premier firms, Robert W. Baird & Company, and Morgan Stanley.
For nearly three decades, Tim’s professional career has been in the areas of asset management, investment banking, and private equity. He holds the Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser securities license and has been responsible for the management of significant financial assets and transactions for individuals and businesses. Tim has been credited for completing many successful mid-market private equity and real estate transactions throughout his career.
In 2008, at the age of 33, Tim was named Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager in Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management Group. He then left the firm in 2015 to begin the Kaulig Companies Limited with Matt Kaulig.
Tim is a board member or board advisor to many businesses and 501(c)(3) organizations including Gridiron Capital’s Board of Business Executives™, The Kaulig Foundation, The LeBron Advisory Board (LAB) for the I Promise School, PitCCh In Foundation, Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation, Santa PICsU 501(c)3, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and is also trustee.
In 2013, Tim co-founded Santa PICsU, a 501(c)(3) organization, with the intent to bring the “healing power of giving” to children and families in traumatic situations. Santa PICsU focuses on the wellness of children and families in Northeast Ohio Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs).
Tim graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Kent State University in 1997. Tim and his wife Amy have three teenage children and reside in Hudson Ohio.
Kelly Kuennen serves as President of Ellsworth Advisors. He possesses more than 30 years of wealth management experience. In 2000, Kelly earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. As the President and co-founder of Ellsworth Advisors, Kelly is involved in overall firm management, strategy and business development. In addition, he serves as Ellsworth Advisors’ Chief Investment Officer. In this capacity, he is responsible for portfolio oversight, which includes the development and management of the firm’s five primary equity strategies as well as its alternative investments, commodities investments and the firm’s fixed income portfolios. Kelly also takes an active role in financial planning for existing clients and prospective clients. He is also licensed to underwrite and consult on life insurance.
Prior to Ellsworth Advisors, Kelly served as a Vice President with Morgan Stanley’s Global Wealth Management business. As a Financial Advisor, he counseled clients on their financial affairs while also managing their investment assets on a discretionary basis. Upon his departure from Morgan Stanley, he held the title of Senior Portfolio Manager.
Kelly began working with clients in an advisory capacity while serving as a Vice President at Robert W. Baird. In addition to working with individuals and families, he assisted business owners in establishing and managing their qualified retirement plans.
Kelly started his career at American Express Financial Advisors with a focus on financial planning, mutual funds and insurance.
Kelly is a graduate of Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. Kelly attended Miami as an Evans Scholar. He continues to be an active supporter of the Evans Scholar Foundation. Kelly resides in Middleburg Heights, Ohio with his wife, Cathy, and is the father of two adult daughters. He is an avid golfer and enjoys travel and movies.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
With more than 25 years of professional experience, Cameron Miele serves as a Managing Director of Ellsworth Advisors. As a Managing Director, Cameron assists with all operational areas of the firm, with a primary focus on business development and client relationships. He also serves as Ellsworth Advisors’ primary contact for the origination, review, funding and management of the firm’s private equity and private real estate investments. In addition, Cameron assists business owner clients with business valuations, growth strategies, value maximization, succession planning and both buy- and sell-side transactions.
Prior to joining Ellsworth Advisors, Cameron served as a Director & Principal of Weinberg Capital Group (WCG), a middle-market private equity firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. WCG acquires private companies located throughout North America with a primary focus on businesses involved in manufacturing, business services, logistics, and value-added distribution. Prior to joining WCG, he was a Director & Principal with the investment bank of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL). At BGL, Cameron focused on mergers and acquisitions, capital raises and financial restructurings for companies with enterprise values under $1 billion.
Cameron began his career at McDonald & Company Investments as an Analyst in the Energy Investment Banking Group. Throughout a 25-year finance career, Cameron has participated in more than 70 mergers, acquisitions and capital-raising transactions with a total value of approximately $7 billion. Cameron is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. While at the University of Virginia, he was a three-year letterman for the men’s varsity track and field team.
Cameron is also involved with several charitable organizations. He is an Emeritus member of the Advisory Board for the Northern Ohio Chapter of A Kid Again, an Ohio-based charity that provides support for families raising children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and developmental disorders. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving local military personnel and their families.
In 2015, Cameron and his wife, Katie, founded the Cameron & Katie Miele Foundation. The family foundation is a private foundation dedicated to helping families raising children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and developmental disorders, organizations benefiting our military and their families and higher education. Cameron and Katie live in Hudson, Ohio with their three daughters.
Max Schindler serves as a Managing Director of Ellsworth Advisors. Max started his wealth management career in 2005 as an 18-year-old intern. Over the past 15 years, he has developed substantial expertise managing corporate retirement plans such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, profit sharing plans, cash balance plans, simple IRAs and ESOPs. As a result of his experience, Max oversees Ellsworth Advisors’ retirement plan consulting practice. In addition to his work with corporate retirement plans, he also provides comprehensive wealth management and financial planning to individuals and families. As a founding partner of Ellsworth Advisors, he is actively engaged in overall firm management, strategy and business development.
Max started his career after graduating from high school, working as an intern at Robert W. Baird. He transferred from The University of Dayton to John Carroll University to work full time while obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Accountancy. Upon graduation, Max joined the team full time at Morgan Stanley in 2009 and became fully licensed in 2010. Alongside Tim Clepper and Kelly Kuennen, Max established Ellsworth Advisors in 2015.
Max is involved with several charitable organizations including the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation – Northern Ohio Chapter, Santa PICsU, and serves as an Ambassador for Akron Children’s Hospital. In his spare time, Max enjoys golfing, watching Cleveland sports and spending time with friends and family. He lives in Brunswick, Ohio with his wife Amanda, and daughters Lennon and Murphy.
Patrick Justice serves as a Director of Ellsworth Advisors. Patrick began his career in wealth management in 2010. In 2014, he earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Patrick provides comprehensive financial planning to both existing clients and prospective clients. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, he specializes in complex situations, including executive compensation, company stock, succession planning, estate planning, multi-generational planning, trusts and dissolution of marriages. As a former Chief Compliance Officer, Patrick possesses substantial regulatory experience and serves in a compliance support role.
Prior to joining Ellsworth Advisors, Patrick wore many hats during a 10-year career at Demming Financial Services Corp. His main role was to provide financial planning services to clients. During this time, he developed a true specialization in working with high-net-worth clients and executive compensation plans. Patrick also spent time serving as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operations Officer.
Patrick is a graduate of the University of Akron. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Planning.
Patrick resides in Green, Ohio with his wife Heather. They welcomed twins, Olivia & Cillian, in April 2020.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Karen Kaminski serves as a Compliance Associate for Ellsworth Advisor. As a Compliance Associate, Karen assists the Chief Compliance Office in creating and reviewing the records for Ellsworth Advisors according to the firm’s policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Karen is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. Prior to joining Ellsworth Advisors, she worked in Compliance and Quality Control. She most recently worked in the toy and home goods industry ensuring that products were designed to protect the safety of children and meet the regulatory requirements of the respective legislative bodies.
Karen enjoys spending time with her family and friends and reading, theater, and Ohio State football. Karen lives in Hudson, Ohio with her husband and loving labrador retriever and is the mother of three adult children.
Michelle Schwab serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of Ellsworth Advisors. Her primary responsibilities include overseeing and managing regulatory compliance issues, designing and implementing internal controls and creating policies and procedures for the firm. Michelle has spent her entire 23-year career as a securities compliance professional. She has received designations as a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI); Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance (AIRC); and Associate, Customer Service (ACS).
Michelle is a graduate of the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama where she received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining Ellsworth Advisors, she served as an Associate, Compliance Director for Western International Securities, a full-service independent dually registered firm headquartered in Pasadena, California.
Michelle is an active volunteer with the Hudson Library and Historical Society through the Friends of the Hudson Library Bookstore. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. Michelle lives in Hudson, Ohio with her son and rescued shepherd mix.