Making the move

Hi there, I work in corporate finance for a large publicly traded company. I have always been interested in investing - I manage my own IRA, etc... I really want to get into the advisor space, but I don't want to start at an Edward Jones or other company (it would probably be a large sacrifice in salary and I don't like the current state of how investments are managed at these companies). Would becoming an RIA enable me to start my own firm? Are there any legal conflicts with working at a public company while starting my own advisor firm? What exactly is an RIA and what are the required licenses? I really appreciate your help.