Carter Amundson and Brittany Brown named finalists for the 2026 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Awards due to community impact and financial services success
NEW YORK—August 24, 2026—North Star Resource Group financial advisors Carter Amundson and Brittany Brown were announced today as finalists for the 2026 Luminaries Awards from ThinkAdvisor.
The Luminaries awards highlight visionary financial advisors who are driving innovation and making a transformative impact on the financial services profession. Amundson and Brown were named finalists for the Luminaries With Heart and Next-Gen Rising Stars categories, respectively.
“Seeing two of our brightest emerging financial advisors at North Star receive such prestigious recognition from ThinkAdvisor is truly wonderful,” said North Star CEO Ed Deutschlander, CLU®, CLF®. “They’re both equally committed to serving their clients and upholding our firm’s purpose. Together, they are responsible for touching the lives of many and making a mark on the financial services profession.”
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Amundson has served as a financial advisor out of North Star’s Milwaukee office since 2021. He largely works with people of color and small business owners as they strive for financial independence and improved wealth outcomes.
Driven by his mission to empower and uplift the many diverse communities that comprise Greater Milwaukee, Amundson founded the Black and Brown Run Around (BBRA) 5K event in 2023. Sponsored by North Star, this event brings together individuals, families and businesses to celebrate these communities while serving as a platform for connection, economic inclusion and opportunity.
Since its founding, the annual event has attracted appearances on media outlets such as CBS, Fox News and Good Karma Brands, with more than 850 cumulative participants coming together to raise more than $28,000 to benefit Lead2Change, an organization that empowers young people with the skills, mentorship and resources for success. In 2025 alone, more than 300 walkers and runners united to raise more than $8,000 for Lead2Change.
In 2026, the BBRA celebrated a major milestone by becoming an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This marks a pivotal step in ensuring the event’s long-term sustainability and scalability for years to come.
“I’m honored and humbled by this recognition from ThinkAdvisor,” commented Amundson. “Uplifting my community is the reason I became an advisor. I’ve developed an immense passion for helping Milwaukee’s Black & Brown communities pursue generational wealth, and this award is representative of that commitment. I sincerely appreciate everyone who supports me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Brown has served as a financial advisor in North Star’s Minneapolis headquarters since 2023, under the mentorship of her father-in-law, Senior Partner Thomas Brown, CFP®. Her background in business development has helped her grow her financial practice, which focuses on helping professionals identify and achieve their financial goals.
Alongside her work as an advisor, Brown has also served as a member of the planning committee for North Star’s annual Women Inspiring and Supporting Excellence (WISE) event. This professional development conference provides networking opportunities for women financial professionals across the nation and features guest speakers, growth exercises and other sessions designed to help them grow. Her experience as a woman in financial services influences her contributions to the event, ensuring it remains applicable and approachable to today and tomorrow’s women financial advisors.
Brown has also worked closely with BestPrep, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that provides educational and mentorship opportunities to students across the Twin Cities. With BestPrep, she has worked one-on-one with students via the eMentors program, which pairs mentors at participating companies with high school students for a series of email exchanges and an in-person meet-and-greet event.
Finally, Brown has past involvement with the Jeremiah Program, which helps disrupt the cycle of poverty among single mothers and their children nationwide. She has conducted financial wellness seminars with the mothers of the local Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter, and has also participated in one-on-one coaching sessions with these individuals to help position them for future financial growth and prosperity.
“Being named a finalist in this category by ThinkAdvisor is such an honor,” stated Brown. “It’s a meaningful milestone for me, my team, and our practice, and I’m incredibly grateful to the clients who have trusted us along the way. I feel very fortunate to do work that I genuinely love and to have the opportunity to help families make confident decisions and work toward financial independence.”
Amundson and Brown will receive recognition alongside the other award finalists at the 2026 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Award Ceremony on December 3, 2026, in New York.
To learn more about the Luminaries Awards, visit www.events.thinkadvisor.com/luminaries-awards.com
About ThinkAdvisor
ThinkAdvisor provides financial advisors, registered investment advisors and wealth managers with comprehensive coverage of the products, services and information they need to guide their clients in making critical wealth, health and life decisions. They also showcase advisors adapting and succeeding in new ways, translating the impact of industry regulation, dealmaking and technology into shareable content. To learn more about ThinkAdvisor, visit www.thinkadvisor.com.
About North Star Resource Group
North Star Resource Group is a Minneapolis-based financial services firm that provides both individuals and businesses with the resources to help create, preserve and protect their wealth. North Star has more than 200 full-time advisors and over 218 employees. In a network of 43 offices in over 17 states, they have contributed to the financial security and well-being of over 150,000 individuals and small businesses.* To learn more about North Star Resource Group, visit www.northstarfinancial.com.
*Data as of 12/2025
###
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Ian Rich at 612.617.6076 or email him at ian.rich@northstarfinancial.com.
ThinkAdvisor Luminaries candidates are nominated in one or more award categories across the financial services industry – Diversity & Inclusion, Thought Leadership & Education, Executive Leadership, and Deal Making. Winners are selected based on the quantitative and qualitative impact of the innovative way the nominee contributed to the industry by a distinguished and diverse panel of judges from across the advice industry and the ThinkAdvisor editorial team. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.
Please note: The charitable entities and/or fundraising opportunities described herein are not endorsed by, or affiliated with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC or its affiliates. Our philanthropic interests are personal to us and are not reviewed, sponsored, or approved by Cetera Wealth Services, LLC.
Registered representatives offering securities through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.