Zeller Kern Business Advisors

Zeller Kern Business Advisors

Andrew Kern and David Zeller founded Zeller Kern Business Advisors in 2008, serving business owners and high-net-worth families from their Mequon, Wisconsin headquarters. The firm operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA) and positions itself as a wealth management and business advisory firm — combining financial planning, investment management, and tax strategy for closely-held business owners and corporate executives. Zeller Kern deploys capital across public equities, fixed income, alternative investments, and insurance-based structures, with a focus on tax-aware strategies. Its client base includes business owners preparing for liquidity events, multi-generational families, and corporate executives. The firm structures its allocations around long-term growth, income generation, and risk mitigation — with an emphasis on estate and tax planning integration. Notable portfolio exposures include low-cost index funds, municipal bonds, and direct private placements, though specific holdings are not publicly disclosed. The firm's team includes several Certified Financial Planners (CFPs), Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), and Chartered Financial Consultants (ChFCs), though the total headcount is not publicly stated. Zeller Kern maintains no additional offices outside of Wisconsin. The firm does not operate a formal philanthropic foundation or adjacent investment vehicles, though it advises clients on charitable giving strategies through donor-advised funds and private foundations. Zeller Kern's structural differentiator is its integration of wealth management and business advisory under a single RIA, serving as both financial planner and corporate strategist for business-owner clients. This dual mandate allows the firm to advise on exit planning, succession, and corporate structuring alongside personal wealth management — a model that collapses the typical divide between personal and business financial advice for closely-held entities.