David Adelman, J.D.

Former Ambassador to Singapore & Managing Director and General Counsel, KraneShares

Ambassador (Ret.) David Adelman is a Managing Director and the General Counsel of KraneShares. He previously was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and partner in two global law firms practicing law in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. David was the 15th United States Ambassador to Singapore, concluding his service in 2013. David was an appointed member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Capital Markets Committee and served on the Executive Board of the Hong Kong Treasury Markets Association. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. David is a Trustee of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Advisory Board of the Israel-Asia Center. He is an Adjunct Professor at New York University, where he teaches international relations of the Asia-Pacific region at the graduate level. David received his J.D. from Emory University where he is a recipient of the Emory Medal. He earned an M.P.A from Georgia State University and B.A. from the University of Georgia. David and his wife Caroline reside in New York City and have three adult children.

Brendan Ahern

Chief Investment Officer, KraneShares

Brendan Ahern is the Chief Investment Officer at KraneShares. Brendan joined KraneShares in 2013. Brendan leads the firm’s research and education efforts and actively works with investors on a variety of subjects ranging from asset allocation to trading to articulating the growing influence that index providers hold in the asset management industry. Prior experience includes over ten years with Barclays Global Investors (subsequently BlackRock’s iShares), which he joined in 2001 during the rollout of their ETF business. His career has spanned a period of tremendous growth for ETFs, which has contributed to his profound knowledge of the ETF landscape. Brendan is considered a preeminent expert in global financial markets with a particular focus on China. He is a frequent visitor to China and actively maintains daily contact with a deep local research network comprised of investment banks, brokers, and regional and boutique research firms. He produces a daily update called China Last Night (www.chinalastnight.com), which also appears as a column on Forbes.com. He is often sought after by leading business and financial outlets and regularly appears on CNBC and Bloomberg to discuss China’s capital markets. He is a frequent guest of Bloomberg Radio’s Daybreak Asia, and he is quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily. Brendan graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and has a MS in Financial Analysis from the University of San Francisco.

Andrew Bates, CFA, CAIA

Senior Product Strategy & Development Manager, Capital Group

Andrew Bates, CFA, CAIA is a senior product strategy & development manager at Capital Group. He has 17 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for seven years. Earlier in his career at Capital, he was a client solutions strategist. Prior to joining Capital, Andrew was a vice president and portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management. Before that, he was a senior analyst in the treasury investments and strategy group at Qualcomm, Inc.

He holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst® designations. Andrew is based in Los Angeles.

Nik Bhatia, CFA, CMT

Founder, The Bitcoin Layer

Nik Bhatia is the founder of The Bitcoin Layer, a research provider analyzing bitcoin through a global macroeconomic lens. He is an Adjunct Professor of Finance at USC Marshall School of Business, where he teaches separate courses on fixed income and bitcoin. He is author of the #1 bestseller Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies. Previously, Nik worked at a large institutional asset manager trading US Treasuries. He has a BA in Social Sciences from University of Southern California, a Master in Finance from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, and is both a CFA and CMT charterholder.

Solomon Bier

Partner & Portfolio Manager, Etna Capital

Solomon Bier is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Etna Capital. He brings extensive experience in the AI industry, having been a founding member of Cruise Automation from 2015 to 2020. During his tenure, he was awarded seven patents in machine learning, AI, and computer vision technologies. Solomon has served on Etna’s Investment Committee since its inception.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California.

Tobin Burgdorf

Senior Research Analyst & Client Portfolio Manager, First Trust Capital Management

Toby Burgdorf is a Senior Research Analyst and a Client Portfolio Manager on the alternative investment research team at First Trust Capital Management. As a research analyst, Toby is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and overseeing high-quality operators across private equity, private credit, real estate, and hedge fund strategies. Additionally, as a Client Portfolio Manager, Toby works closely with clients to help them understand how alternative investments can enhance and diversify their portfolios, as well as provide insights on how the private markets landscape is evolving.

Toby holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Providence College and a Master’s in Financial Analysis from Rutgers University.

Austin Campbell

Founder & Managing Partner, Zero Knowledge Group

Austin Campbell is the founder and managing partner of Zero Knowledge Group, a blockchain and fintech advisory boutique and publisher of the Zero In newsletter, and an adjunct professor at NYU Stern. Austin is a frequent media commentator and podcast guest and has held multiple roles in the financial world, including trading and building profoundly weird products across JP Morgan, Citi, and Stone Ridge/NYDIG over the course of decades.

He was also an executive at Paxos, running some of the largest stablecoins in the world.

Rick Caruso

Founder and Executive Chairman, Caruso®

A renowned business innovator, dedicated civic leader and actively-involved philanthropist, Rick J. Caruso is the founder and Executive Chairman of Caruso®, one of the largest and most admired privately held real estate companies in the United States. Under Caruso’s leadership, the company has achieved a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 20% since its inception. Its world-class portfolio continues to expand and includes the most internationally renowned and award-winning retail, residential, mixed-use properties and his newest addition, a Forbes 5 Star resort hotel destination, Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California. As cited by Green Street Advisors, Caruso properties consistently outperform traditional shopping destinations based on productivity and sales per square foot, with results three times higher than the industry average. Its flagship property, The Grove was ranked #2 on Fortune’s list of the 10 highest sales- generating shopping centers in the country. Caruso started his career as a real-estate lawyer in the corporate finance department of one of the nation’s largest law firms. Thereafter, he transitioned from law to pursue his lifelong passion for development, establishing Caruso Affiliated Holdings in 1987. Ignoring the traditional “shopping mall” approach to retail, he adopted a fresh, new strategy for development and revolutionized the industry with imaginative retail and mixed-use destinations that serve as timeless and beloved centers of town. Caruso served as the Chair of the Board of Loyola High School, and is on the Boards for St. John’s Hospital, and the Ronald Regan Presidential Library Foundation. In April of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caruso became part of both a federal and state level task force, providing expertise on reopening the economy safely. In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in early 2025, he and Tina gave a $5 million lead gift to raise $20 million for critical resources for Los Angeles Fire Department. This $20 million goal was met in 6 days. Following this, Caruso founded and launched Steadfast LA, a civic nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the rebuilding of Los Angeles.

Kristin Ceva, Ph.D, CFA

Managing Director, Payden & Rygel

Kristin Ceva is a Managing Director at Payden & Rygel. Kristin is a member of the firm's Investment Policy Committee and is a Senior Portfolio Manager directing the firm's emerging market debt strategies. She also is a frequent speaker at industry forums and in the media, focusing on topics related to international investing and emerging markets.

Prior to joining Payden & Rygel, Kristin worked as a consultant for Deloitte & Touche, and with a number of international policy institutes including: the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies and the North America Forum at Stanford University.

Kristin serves on the boards of EMpower (a non-profit organization founded by emerging markets financial professionals to support at-risk youth), California Community Foundation and Polytechnic School, and is on the California Committee of Human Rights Watch. Kristin earned a PhD from Stanford University in Political Science with an emphasis on international political economy. She was a Fulbright Scholar based in Mexico City. Kristin has completed extensive economic and political research on emerging markets and is fluent in Spanish. She received a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University.

Andrew Citron, CFA

Director of Americas Client Business, BlackRock

Andrew Citron, CFA, works within BlackRock’s Americas Institutional Business primarily focused on developing and maintaining relationships with institutional investors. His strategic leadership and innovation include pioneering cryptocurrency/digital asset initiatives and co-hosting the 2024 Americas Institutional Sales Conference. Previously, Andrew launched Aristotle Capital with consultants globally. Prior to joining Aristotle, Andrew worked for Nuveen Investments with global allocators and consultants in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and Africa.

Prior to his time in asset management, Andrew was an editor and contributing writer for a lifestyle publication and also spent 10 years in the music industry. His band, The Good Luck Joes, performed concerts across the United States and wrote 5 albums of original music. He co-founded Third Ward Records in 2006. Legacy distribution and licensing deals remain in place throughout the Americas and Europe.

Jeffrey Cleveland

Director & Chief Economist, Payden & Rygel

Jeffrey Cleveland is a Director and the Chief Economist at Payden & Rygel. He is responsible for developing views on the US and global economy. His research areas include macroeconomics, central banks, money markets, money supply, credit cycles, housing, state and local governments, and regional economics. Jeffrey is a frequent speaker at industry forums and is often quoted in the financial media on the economy and investing topics. In addition, he frequently appears on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business News, Bloomberg Radio, and National Public Radio to discuss financial markets and the economy.

Before joining Payden & Rygel, Jeffrey was a Senior Associate at David Taussig & Associates in Newport Beach, California. He helped manage the firm’s fiscal and economic impact studies and consulting services. Jeffrey is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE).

Jeffrey earned a MA in International Political Economy with an emphasis in international money and finance from Claremont Graduate University and a BA in Economics/Global Political Economy from Whittier College through the Whittier Scholars Program. As an avid open-water swimmer, Jeffrey swam across the English Channel in September 2008, across the Catalina Channel in 2009, and around Manhattan in 2010. In doing so, Cleveland became the 36th swimmer in history to complete the “triple crown” of open water swimming.

Moira Conlon

Founder & CEO, Financial Profiles

Moira Conlon is the founder and CEO of Financial Profiles, a national strategic communications firm. Over her 30-year career, Moira has provided communications strategy and counsel to management leaders, boards, and communication teams of hundreds of public and private companies across industry sectors including financial services and fin-tech firms. Her expertise includes investor relations, transactions, media and public relations, crisis communication, and corporate governance.

Moira has been honored as one of the NACD Directorship 100, which recognizes the most influential leaders in corporate governance, and by Business Insider as one of the top PR professionals for companies seeking to go public. She is a frequent contributor to publications such as Forbes, CFO Magazine, and IR Magazine, and a panelist at industry events sponsored by the National Investor Relations Institute, National Association of Corporate Directors, The New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and CFA Society, among others.

Paul DiGiacomo, CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager (Overseas Equity Team), Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Paul DiGiacomo, CFA is a senior portfolio manager on the Overseas Equity team for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. He joined Columbia Threadneedle in 2006. Previously, Paul worked at Putnam Investments as an analyst. Prior to that, he worked for Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream as a manufacturing supervisor and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Paul has been a member of the investment community since 2001. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Brown University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. In addition, Paul holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Jeff Dorman, CFA

Chief Investment Officer & Co-Founder, Arca

Jeff Dorman is the Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Arca, where he has been instrumental in building one of the longest-standing investment management firms dedicated to digital assets and blockchain. Under his leadership, Arca has grown to more than $300M in assets under management and established an institutional-grade infrastructure grounded in the highest operational, risk, legal, regulatory, and security standards.

At Arca, Jeff leads the investment committee and is responsible for portfolio sizing and risk management. He brings more than 17 years of trading and asset management experience at leading firms, including Merrill Lynch and Citadel, where he oversaw trading of over $100 million in proprietary capital. He also served as COO of Harvest Exchange, a FinTech company that is widely used by asset managers and investors. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

Aakash Doshi

Global Head of Gold (SPDR ETF), State Street Investment Management

Aakash is Global Head of Gold for the SPDR ETF business. He manages strategists in North America and APAC and is responsible for the investment outlook, thematic research, and go-to-market product strategy for the State Street Investment Management gold ETF suite. He interacts daily with clients, sales leadership, distribution channels, marketing, and fund sponsors. In addition, he collaborates extensively across the State Street Investment Management franchise in the macro, commodities, and alternatives space to provide thought leadership, client insights, and market updates.

Prior to joining State Street Investment Management, Aakash spent over 13 years in the institutional sell-side fixed income research division at Citigroup as a cross-asset strategist and most recently as Head of Commodities Strategy for the Americas. He previously worked in credit derivatives trading at UBS Investment Bank, Asset Management Sales at Alliance-Bernstein, and began his career on the Short-Term Interest Rates Trading desk at GMAC. Aakash holds a Masters in Energy Economics, with distinction, from Columbia University.

 Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA

Managing General Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.)

Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA, is the Founder and Managing General Partner of Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.) and Chief Investment Officer of the A.R.I. Senior Secured Growth Credit Fund, which provides customized financing solutions to North America's premier innovators. Zack’s distinguished career spans roles at five publicly traded financial firms, including three with over $1 trillion in assets. He has worked at some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including Scotia Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Sun Life Financial, where he excelled as a media and technology investment banker, corporate bond trader, and portfolio manager. A recognized thought leader in funding innovation, Zack writes monthly columns for Venture Capital Journal and Built In, where he shares insights on investing in innovation, financial strategies, and maximizing risk-adjusted returns. He also hosts The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, a podcast featuring conversations with top wealth managers, focused on timeless investment principles and the future of investing.

Zack holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MS in Risk Management from NYU Stern School of Business and will complete his Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Florida in 2025. Beyond his professional achievements, Zack is deeply committed to mentorship and giving back. Inspired by his single mother, whose resilience and determination shaped his values, Zack has mentored students and young professionals through organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. From excelling at top financial institutions to building a leading investment firm from the ground up, Zack’s journey exemplifies creativity, strategic thinking, and a passion for helping entrepreneurs overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.

 Bryan Fujita, CFA

Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions (LAFPP)

Bryan Fujita is the Chief Investment Officer at the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions (LAFPP), a $33 billion pension plan providing retirement benefits to the public safety members of the City of Los Angeles. He leads all aspects of LAFPP’s investment program including policy formulation, investment strategy development and implementation, and risk management. Prior to joining LAFPP, Bryan was the Chief Operating Officer at the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) where he directed the daily investment activities of LACERS’ multibillion-dollar investment portfolio. He has also held positions at The Walt Disney Company, where he managed pension investments and financial risk, and at Wedbush Securities, where he was a founding member of the Managed Assets Program and served as an asset allocation specialist for institutional and high-net-worth clients. Bryan has a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance from UCLA. Additionally, he has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.

 Anisha Goodly

Co-Head of Fixed Income Portfolio Specialist team, TCW

Ms. Goodly co-heads TCW’s Fixed Income Portfolio Specialist team, whose core activities include client engagement and commercial growth strategies for TCW’s $170bn global fixed income platform. Prior to joining TCW in 2013, Ms. Goodly spent eleven years at Morgan Stanley, in various roles spanning Fixed Income Strategy, Leveraged Finance and Emerging Markets Institutional Sales.

Ms. Goodly is the co-chair of the Impact Committee for Women in Institutional Investments Network (WIIIN) and was shortlisted for “Ally of the Year” for the Women in Asset Management Awards. Ms. Goodly graduated with a BA in Economics from Stanford University.

 Jonathan Grabel

Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)

Jonathan Grabel is the CIO for the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA). Mr. Grabel manages a $82 billion defined benefit pension fund on behalf of LACERA's 194,000 active and retired members. He also oversees the investments for the LACERA-administered $5 billion healthcare benefits program. Prior to LACERA, Mr. Grabel was the CIO for New Mexico PERA, where he oversaw the investments for the agency’s $15 billion defined benefit fund and the associated PERA SmartSave deferred compensation plan. Previously, he was a general partner at a private equity firm focused on growth-stage investments in technology, networking industries, and digital communications. Earlier in his career, Mr. Grabel was an investment banker. Mr. Grabel received his BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a CPA (inactive).

 Brian Haskin

Managing Director & Head of Institutional Sales, Cyber Hornet ETFs

Brian Haskin joined Cyber Hornet ETFs in 2025 and focuses on developing the firm’s relationships across the Institutional, RIA, and Family Office channels. In this role, he brings over 20 years of industry experience specializing in sales, marketing, product development, and investment strategy. Previously, Brian served as a Managing Director at Seaport Global Asset Management and as Head of North American Distribution at Spouting Rock Asset Management. He also held senior management positions at Barclays Global Investors (now part of BlackRock), Wilshire Associates, Deutsche Asset Management, Analytic Investors, and Poplar Forest Capital. Early in his career, Brian worked as a Certified Public Accountant with EY and as a senior financial analyst at The Walt Disney Company.

Brian earned his MBA with honors from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Bridges Education Group, a Los Angeles-based organization that provides specialized educational services for gifted students with learning disabilities.

 Scott Helfstein, Ph.D

Former Director of Research, West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center & SVP, Head of Investment Strategy, Global X

Scott joined Global X in 2022. He is responsible for delivering actionable insights and innovative investment strategies to clients, researching trends at the intersection of accelerating technological, demographic, and environmental change. Previously, Scott was responsible for building out the ProShares line-up of thematic ETFs. Prior to that, he served as Head of Thematic Portfolios and Co-Head of Market Research and Strategy at Morgan Stanley, launching the firm’s thematic research and portfolios, while managing a team that developed global multi-asset investment advice. Scott also held prior roles at BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse First Boston, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. His work has appeared in numerous media outlets including Barron’s, Bloomberg, and Foreign Affairs.

Scott is the co-chair of the Business and Security Roundtable at Fordham University’s Center for National Security and is a Fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at Auburn University. He served as an Assistant Professor of Social Science at the U.S. Military Academy and the Director of Research at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center, working across 60 government offices. He is also a member of the Economic Club of New York and was a Term/Corporate Member in the Council on Foreign Relations. Scott holds a Joint Doctorate in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Michigan, an MA in War Studies from King’s College (London), and a BBA in Finance from The George Washington University.

 Chris Hetherington

Owner & Chief Executive Officer, Fathead

Chris Hetherington’s diverse background includes earning a B.S. in Psychology from Yale University, playing in the National Football League for 11 years, attending the Business Management and Entrepreneurship Programs at Harvard Business School & Wharton School of Business, and achieving success as an experienced Executive (3x CEO), Board Member, Entrepreneur, Consultant, Investor, and Mentor. Mr. Hetherington is an inspirational leader, who is motivated by internal standards of excellence to overachieve expectations and exceed all set goals, stemming from his experience as a professional athlete.

After retiring from the NFL in 2007, Chris was a Managing Director at Evolution Financial Group for 11 years, where he held numerous senior leadership positions. Chris is currently an Owner and CEO of Fathead. For the past 18 years, Fathead has been the undisputed leader in licensed and personalized custom surface decals, bringing fans closer to what they love. With licenses representing the world’s most valuable, prominent IP, as well as innovative custom products, including Big Heads and Standouts, Fathead has been bringing joy to fans for almost 2 decades.

 Jay Jacobs, CFA

U.S. Head of Equity ETFs, BlackRock

Jay Jacobs is the U.S. Head of Equity ETFs at BlackRock. In this role, Jay oversees the overall product strategy, thought leadership, and client engagement for the firm's index and active equity ETF business.

Previously, Jay founded and led Global X ETF's Research and Strategy team. Prior to joining Global X, Jay was a business analyst at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) where he helped launch hundreds of ETFs on the NYSE Arca trading platform.

Jay is frequently cited as an expert in the media across print, online and broadcast media including CNBC, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. He holds a BA from Emory University in International Studies and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is a CFA charterholder. Jay is a member of the executive advisory board of Columbia Business School’s Program for Financial Studies. He resides in the New York area and is an avid explorer, spending his spare time in the outdoors hiking, skiing, kayaking, and mountain biking.

Jason Keller

Head of Residential Investments, Oaktree Capital Management

Mr. Keller has lived in Pacific Palisades with his family for over 20 years. He is the Head of Residential Investments at Oaktree Capital Management, where he oversees homebuilder acquisitions, land development, homebuilding, homebuilder lending, land banking and other similar investments. Prior to joining Oaktree in 2007, Mr. Keller held various roles at DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, Salomon Brothers, CIBC Oppenheimer and D-Street Investments.

He holds a B.A. degree in finance from Utah State University and an M.B.A. in finance and real estate from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Keller previously served on the Board of Taylor Morrison Home Corp (TMHC) and currently serves as the Chairman of Thomas James Homes, and on the boards of SteadfastLA, Make-A-Wish of Greater Los Angeles, the Park Century School, and the Utah State University Foundation.  

Brian Kennedy

Portfolio Manager, Loomis, Sayles & Co

Brian Kennedy is a Portfolio Manager on the Full Discretion Team at Loomis, Sayles & Company. He has 35 years of investment industry experience.

Brian joined Loomis Sayles in 1994 as a Securitized and Government Bond Trader. He transitioned to the high yield trading desk in 2001, where he initiated the firm’s trading of bank loans, while also trading high yield, convertibles, derivatives and equities. Brian joined the Full Discretion Team as Product Manager in 2009 and was promoted to Co-Portfolio Manager of the investment grade bond product suite in 2013. In 2016, he began co-managing the entire multisector suite of products. Brian began his investment industry career as a fund accountant at the Boston Company. He earned a BS from Providence College and an MBA from Babson College.

Brian is actively involved in the Loomis Sayles Undergraduate Women’s Investment Network (UWIN) and Undergraduate Summer Internship Development (USID) Program, as well as mentorship programs at Loomis Sayles and with external industry groups, including WOMEN Unlimited.  

Suehyun Kim

Senior Vice President & Portfolio Manager, Wilshire

Suehyun Kim is a Senior Vice President and portfolio manager at Wilshire. She has more than 25 years of industry experience and is responsible for creating multi-asset class, multi-manager investment solutions for financial intermediary clients. Ms. Kim is a member of the Wilshire Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Wilshire, Ms. Kim was an investment director at Cetera Financial Group and head of manager research for Cetera Investment Management. Previously, she worked as an investment analyst at Morgan Stanley Asset Management and Millgate Capital.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a major in economics from Columbia College, Columbia University, and holds an MBA with a dual specialization in financial instruments and entertainment/media/technology from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts, 100 Women in Finance, WIIIN, the CFA Society of Los Angeles, and the Junior League of Los Angeles.

Y. Allen Kim, CFA

Director of Investment Strategy Group, Bel Air Investment Advisors

Allen Kim is the Director, Investment Strategy Group at Bel Air Investment Advisors and is a voting member of the Investment Committee. He oversees the investment manager platform at Bel Air and provides asset class research. Allen’s responsibilities also include setting manager research guidelines and providing advisor education and research communications.

Allen has over two decades of experience in the investment management industry. Before joining Bel Air in 2022, Allen was Director of Manager Research and Investment Solutions and a member of the Investment Committee at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, where he oversaw the investment platform for the Wealth Advisory division. He has also worked in numerous roles at Savos Investments (formerly Genworth Financial Asset Management) and Cetera Financial Group (formerly ING).

Allen earned a BA from The George Washington University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a CFA charterholder and chairs the Alternative Investments Advisory Council for CFA Society Los Angeles. 

 Jennifer Kozicki

Partner & Head of Global Liquid Credit, Ares Credit Group

Ms. Kozicki is a Partner in the Ares Credit Group and Head of Global Liquid Credit. She additionally serves on the Ares Operating Committee and as a member of the Ares Credit Group's U.S. Liquid Credit Investment Committee. Ms. Kozicki began her career at Ares as a member of the Private Equity Group.

Prior to joining Ares in 1999, she was a member of the European Leveraged Finance Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. in London. Previously, Ms. Kozicki worked in the Global Leveraged Finance Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, where she focused on the origination and structuring of high yield bond and mezzanine financing transactions across a number of industries. Ms. Kozicki holds a B.S. from the New York University Stern School of Business in Finance and International Business.

 Jan Liphardt

Founder & CEO, OpenMind

Jan Liphardt is the founder & CEO of OpenMind, a San Francisco startup building OM1, the open-source, AI-native operating system for robots. A Stanford bioengineering professor, Jan has spent decades at the intersection of data, machines, and decision-making. His work has been supported by the NIH, NCI, and the Department of Energy, and he's received honors including the Sloan Research Fellowship and Mohr Davidow Ventures Innovator's Award.

Jan's belief is simple: if we're going to live with machines, we should know how they think - and we should help them think better.

 Mary Machado-Schammel

Global Strategic Consultant, Coalition Greenwich

Mary Machado-Schammel has been in the Financial Services Industry for over 35 years in various roles as a Chairman of an M&A Advisory Firm/Investment Banker to the Lower Middle Market, Global Investment and Corporate Banker to Fortune 100 in the Emerging Markets, and Strategic Consultant to the C-Suite of Fortune 500 firms, including Chief Investment Officers, and the Buy-Side. Mary works with Global Strategic Consultant Coalition Greenwich, formerly Greenwich Associates, a division of Indian-based CRISIL- an S&P Global Company. She is also Co-Founder and Chairman of M&A Advisory Firm Venture Advisors Business Sales and Acquisitions. The firm, which is industry agnostic, specializes in working with founder/owner businesses in the lower end of the middle market to prepare and sell them to strategic buyers, including private equity firms. Mary’s prior professional experiences include being Head/SVP of Standard Chartered Bank, West, where she led the Bank’s initiative to build its investment and corporate banking business with Fortune 100 corporations through global teams in emerging markets. At Merchant Bank First Interstate Bank Limited, Mary managed portfolios of sovereigns, multinationals, and banks in developed and developing countries with specialties in distressed debt and aircraft finance.

Mary is exceptionally committed to community involvement, serving as the American Women for International Understanding Liaison to the U.S. Department of State for the International Women of Courage Program, board member of Georgetown University Board of Governors, CFA Los Angeles Board of Governors, The Ann Peppers Foundation, Co-Founder and Chair of Georgetown’s Wall Street Alliance West, Ambassador to Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, Ambassador to the National Association of Corporate Directors Pacific Southwest, and former Senior Advisor to UCSD's Center for Commerce and Diplomacy. She is the former Chair of Pasadena's Code Commission and a 2011 Pasadena Redistricting Task Force member. Mary has a B.A. from Georgetown University International Studies and Economics and a Global MBA from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business/School of Foreign Service and ESADE University.

 Dave Mays

CEO & Co-Founder, Breakbeat Media

Dave Mays is a visionary entrepreneur who was among the first to see the potential of Hip-Hop music and culture to endure beyond a fad. As a 19-year-old Harvard sophomore, Mays founded The Source magazine as a single-page newsletter. Mays built The Source into the #1 selling music magazine on newsstands globally, outselling Rolling Stone and reaching a total audience of nine million readers each month. During his nearly 20 years leading The Source, it became a Hip-Hop institution, helping to empower and influence a culture that today is ubiquitous worldwide.

Currently, Mays is the co-founder and CEO of Breakbeat, a content, technology and lifestyle platform designed to authentically serve the interests and perspectives of the massive global Hip-Hop audience. Breakbeat has built the first hip-hop focused podcast network, which showcases some of the culture’s most authentic voices and stories while providing content that reflects the unique perspective of the multicultural hip-hop community. Breakbeat’s YouTube channel has over 750,000 subscribers and has generated over 100 million views of its podcast content. Breakbeat's mission is to empower and uplift the human community by tapping into the extraordinary influence, authenticity and unifying spirit of Hip-Hop.

 Taylor McKenna, CFA

Analyst, Kopernik Global Investors

Taylor McKenna is an analyst covering materials and real estate sectors at Kopernik. He has been in the investment industry since 2007 and with Kopernik since 2013. Earlier in his career, he held positions at QB Asset Management and Bank of America Investments.

Taylor has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Skidmore College. He has received the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

 Mayanka Melville, CFA

Head of Data, Generate Capital

Mayanka Melville, CFA is the Head of Data at Generate Capital, the leading sustainable infrastructure investment and operating platform. She previously spent two decades at Capital Group, a $2.6 T public equity, fixed income and multi asset investment manager.

Mayanka holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and a BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. She serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Peace Over Violence, and as a member of the Board of Directors for Chrysalis. Mayanka holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is based on Los Angeles.

 Toller Miller, CIMA

Director and Alternatives Product Specialist, Alliance Bernstein

Toller is a Director and Alternatives Product Specialist within AB’s US Retail Private Markets team, where he is responsible for the growth and distribution of the Private Markets platform. Prior to joining AB in 2024, he worked as a principal of Private Wealth Partnerships at Ares Management, a vice president and national sales director at 361 Capital, and a vice president and senior advisor consultant at Oppenheimer Funds. He holds a BS from Kansas State University and the Certified Investment Management Analyst® certification.

 Mark Perry

Managing Director, Wilshire

Mark Perry serves as Managing Director at Wilshire and oversees sourcing, due diligence, and investment monitoring for private markets sectors in the United States and Canada. As Chair of the Private Markets Manager Research and Investment Committees and portfolio manager for the Wilshire Private Assets Fund, Mr. Perry provides strategic guidance and leadership. Since joining Wilshire in 2012, his expertise has been instrumental in advancing the firm's capabilities in private market investments.

Before his tenure at Wilshire, he held the position of Vice President at Centinela Capital Partners, where he gained extensive experience in investment strategies. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance from the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

 Sophia Platt

Founding Partner & Head of LP Relations, Bridge Funding Global

Sophia is the Founding Partner and Head of LP Relations at Bridge Funding Global, where she cultivates relationships with a distinguished network of family offices and institutional investors worldwide. She also co-founded LINA (Legacy and Impact for Next Gen Allocators), the first international community for women in family offices, dedicated to empowering female allocators and fostering intergenerational impact. At Bridge, Sophia translates allocator priorities into program design, ensuring participants gain direct insight into how LPs evaluate and partner with emerging managers.

Beyond Bridge and LINA, Sophia mentors with Forster Nation, a nonprofit supporting youth from foster care, and is an active investor across private credit, venture, and real estate. Earlier in her career, she worked in consulting for social enterprises, advising mission-driven organizations on growth and sustainability. A former competitive tennis player, she brings a global perspective and a deep commitment to long-term capital stewardship.

 Anthony Polemis

Senior Vice President & Head of Architect Business Development, iCapital

Anthony Polemis is a Senior Vice President and the Head of Architect Business Development at iCapital. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing iCapital’s portfolio analytics business and expanding the reach of the company’s portfolio construction tool, Architect. Previously, Anthony served as Director of Portfolio Analytics at SIMON Markets LLC, a financial technology company acquired by iCapital, Inc in August 2022.

Prior to SIMON, Anthony spent 11 years at BlackRock, managing relationships and new business development efforts for Aladdin, the firm’s risk management platform. Anthony earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Boston University. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations.

 Rob Price, CFA

Founder & CIO, Sound Money Capital

Rob Price, CFA is the founder and CIO at Sound Money Capital - an actively managed crypto fund. Sound Money provides HNWs and Family Offices with professional asset management services, acting as the bridge between traditional finance and crypto.

Prior to Sound Money, Rob was head of asset allocation for South Africa's largest pension fund and Mercer's African partner, Alexander Forbes Investments.

Price is committed to growing sound money adoption through professional asset management and quality research, creating a bridge between traditional finance and crypto.

 Brian Resnick, CFA

Director and Senior Investment Strategist—Alternatives, AllianceBernstein

Brian Resnick is a Director and Senior Investment Strategist for Alternatives. Prior to joining AB, he was a vice president and account manager at PIMCO, where he worked closely with financial intermediaries serving the private wealth marketplace. Previously, he was a director of institutional services at Lord Abbett, working with institutional investment consultants, foundations and sub-advised funds-of-funds. He has been an investment professional since 2004.

Brian holds a BS in economics from Carnegie Mellon University and an MS in financial engineering from Baruch College, and is a CFA charterholder.

 Deepika (Dee) Sharma, CFA

Head of Multi-Asset Custom Solutions, Northern Trust Asset Management

Deepika (Dee) Sharma, CFA is the Head of Multi-Asset Custom Solutions at Northern Trust Asset Management, a leading provider of wealth and asset management solutions with over $1.3 trillion in AUM. Dee has almost two decades of experience in multi-asset investing, with expertise spanning portfolio management, manager selection, alternatives, and quantitative research. She has co-authored several publications featured in the Journal of Investing, ACM AI in Finance, and the Journal of Beta Investment Strategies.

Most recently, she was the Global Head of Manager Selection at BlackRock, with a focus on selecting external strategies across public and private markets. She grew the team to manage $250 bn in multi-manager portfolios leveraging over150 managers for institutional Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO), model portfolios, and wealth mandates globally. Prior to joining BlackRock, she served as Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of Investments at Knight Capital Group (which later became Astor Investment Management), where she earned the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Award for outstanding performance in a global macro hedge fund she built and managed. Earlier in her career, Dee held trading and research roles at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Roubini Global Economics, Old Hill Partners (Private Credit), and Nomura. She began her career as an analyst on the Structured Credit desk at Lehman Brothers in London. Dee has previously served as the Chair of the Board of Directors at CFA Society New York. She has been recognized by the Bloomberg New Voices Program and the Milken Institute Young Leaders’ Circle. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for various industry groups including the AIMA Alternative Credit Council and Bretton Woods Committee. She is also a member of the Economic Club of New York. Dee holds a Masters in International Finance from Columbia University, where she was a teaching assistant for former Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida.

 Priyanka Shukla, CFA, CAIA, CIPM

Board Director, CFA Society Orange County

Priyanka Shukla currently serves on the Board of CFA Society Orange County and has previously contributed to the CFA Society Los Angles Board. Priyanka’s career spans a range of roles in investments and financial services, including her positions as a portfolio manager at Orange County, senior analyst at TCW, and roles in investment compliance at the Oregon State Treasury. She enjoys mentoring students and has taught investments and finance to university students.

She earned her MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and holds the CFA Charter, CAIA Charter and CIPM designation.

 Wendy Starland

Discovered & Developed Lady Gaga, Co-Founder & President of MusicSoul

Wendy Starland discovered and developed 14-time Grammy, Oscar, and two-time Golden Globe winning icon Lady Gaga. Starland developed Lady Gaga's career during the recording of Lady Gaga’s debut album The Fame , which received Billboard 's most prestigious 'Album of the Decade' – having logged 62 of its record-setting 108 total weeks at No. 1 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart this decade. Forbes writes: Starland was honored by the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame, Grammy nominated on Moby’s album Last Night, and was awarded ‘VH1’s Best Emerging Artist.’

Wendy Starland has written and licensed hundreds of songs and has performed and/or recorded with: Lady Gaga, Moby, Snoop Dogg, Wu Tang Clan, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Black Eyed Peas, Steve Aoki, Sheryl Crow, the Foo Fighters, Jack White, MTV, VH1, NBC, ABC, E!, CBS, FOX. Starland was inducted into the United Nations Council of Global Change. She is the Co-Founder & President of MusicSoul: A one-stop streaming platform that uses AI to cross promote brands with artists - allowing them to retain 70% of streaming and advertising revenues.

 Hristo Stefanov, CFA, CAIA, CIPM

Director of Research, Cetera Investment Management

Hristo Stefanov is primarily responsible for managing Cetera Investment Management’s Manager Research Group, which is focused on delivering specific investment strategy recommendations. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the three-member Manager Research Team to deliver actionable and timely recommendations across a variety of asset categories, which can be used as ideas in portfolio implementation. Investment recommendations made by the team are represented in Cetera Investment Management's Research Select List, and form the basis of other investment programs offered by the firm. A major part of the team's duties also involves maintaining ongoing monitoring of current recommendations.

Hristo has more than 20 years of experience in investment oversight, manager selection, and monitoring. Prior to his current role he was responsible for overseeing Cetera Investment Management's Portfolio Strategy Group, where he was responsible for market insight and portfolio construction guidance. In this role he generated ideas to be used in Cetera Investment Management's strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies and incorporated the Research team's overall market outlook into portfolio construction and risk mitigation.

Hristo earned his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of California, Riverside. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst®, Chartered Alternative Investment AnalystSM, and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement™ designations, as well as the Series 7 securities registration.

 Peter Stutz, CFA

Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, Northern Trust

Peter H. Stutz is a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager in Northern Trust’s Foundation and Institutional Advisory Services team where he leads the design, implementation, and oversight of client portfolios. This includes assisting clients in determining their investment policy and strategic asset allocation, selecting suitable investment vehicles, implementing investment strategies, and on-going communication with both board members and professional staff. Pete joined Northern Trust in 2025 with over 30 years of institutional investment industry experience, serving as an analyst, trader, and portfolio manager. His most recent role was as Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Gideon Strategic Partners, an independent RIA, where he created personalized strategic solutions for individuals and families. Prior to that he was a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Guggenheim Partners in Santa Monica. There, he managed various insurance company portfolios and was a member of the firm’s Portfolio Construction Group, creating model portfolios for core fixed income, multi-credit, and multi-asset strategies. Prior to Guggenheim, Pete was a Portfolio Manager at Western Asset Management in Pasadena, specializing in global interest rate and derivative strategies, and overseeing U.S. inflation-linked bond portfolios. Pete holds a BS in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He became a CFA charter holder in 1996 and is a past president of the CFA Society of Los Angeles.

 Jeff Topor

Portfolio Manager, Cliffwater, LLC.

Jeff is a portfolio manager for the Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund and leads private debt manager research. In this role, he leads a team that conducts investment due diligence, market research, ongoing investment monitoring, and the building and maintaining of Cliffwater’s proprietary private debt manager database.

Prior to joining Cliffwater in 2013, Jeff was part of a team of consultants at a business process and strategy consulting firm where he worked with large enterprises on initiatives to drive revenue and profitability growth.

Jeff earned his BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California with majors in Finance and International Business.

 Michael Underhill

Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Capital Innovations

Over three decades of professional investment experience. A long-tenured investor and a leader in infrastructure investing, successfully deploying capital across the entire landscape through economic cycles. He founded Capital Innovations to enable investors to benefit from the transition to a resource-constrained economy. Michael Underhill is the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and Co-Founder of Capital Innovations, a leading global alternative asset manager specializing in the Public and Private Infrastructure and Real Asset markets. Mr. Underhill is responsible for the general oversight of Capital Innovations and leading the Executive Committee. Mr. Underhill Co-Chairs Capital Innovations’ Investment Committee, which convenes weekly to rigorously evaluate investment opportunities, asset allocation, and risk management. Capital Innovations’ trusted reputation, built over 18+ years, results from our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results in both the Private Infrastructure Markets (Primary, secondary & Co-Investments spanning the continuum of equity & debt) and the Public Infrastructure Markets.

Prior experience: AllianceBernstein; INVESCO; Janus Henderson; Federated Hermes; Shearson Lehman. BS, Pennsylvania State University; Pepperdine University; Especialización En Comercio Internacional, Universidad del Salvador Argentina; Stanford Law School. Chairman Emeritus of the United Nations Infrastructure Workstream. Editor and Author of The Handbook of Infrastructure Investing. (Wiley: 2010 Best Selling Book).

Multiple board positions held for non-profit and corporate firms with multiple exits. Mr. Underhill has demonstrated a strong commitment to philanthropy in cancer research, financial literacy and college sports. Mr. Underhill is married with two children that are Division 1 Student Athletes.

 Steven Wang, CFA

President, CFA Society Los Angeles

Steven Wang, CFA is a seasoned fixed income specialist with 19+ years of experience on both buy-side and sell-side of the finance industry. Recently Steven spent more time advising startups and working with venture capital investors. In the past two years, Steven was a Director at Turbine Finance, a liquidity platform providing credit facilities to venture investors. Prior to Turbine, Steven was a senior quantitative analyst at DoubleLine Capital. Prior to DoubleLine, he was a Research Analyst at Harvard Business School. Previous to that, Steven was the Director of Quantitative Fixed Income Investment Strategies for CYS Investments, a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust. Prior to CYS, he was a Trading Desk Strategist for fixed income products at Morgan Stanley. Steven started his career as an MBS structurer at JP Morgan in New York City. Steven holds an MEng in Operations Research from Cornell University and he is a CFA® charterholder.

 Karyn Williams, Ph.D

Regional Chief Investment Officer, Zurich North America

Dr. Karyn Williams is the Regional Investment Manager (CIO), North America, Zurich Global Investment Management (ZGIM), responsible for all the invested assets and investment-related business initiatives, and a member of ZGIM and North America Finance leadership teams. Dr. Williams developed her expertise as investor, educator, trustee, independent public company director, treasurer, advisor, educator, and entrepreneur. Throughout her career, she has worked with nearly all types of investors, improving investment outcomes through education, governance, risk management, team building, and the application of advance analytics and financial technology. Her vision for change, education, and collaboration are hallmarks of her effectiveness as a leader in the field of investment management, where she continues to contribute through published articles and research, teaching and mentoring, trusteeship, and other industry leadership positions.

 Jeremy Wolfson

Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Jeremy Wolfson, Chief Investment Officer, currently manages the Investment Section of the $22 billion dollar Los Angeles Water and Power Employees' Retirement Plan. He is responsible for all pension plan asset classes including broad equity, fixed-income, real estate, private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real return and cash. He currently serves on the advisory boards of various private market funds. The Department of Water and Power, established over 100 years ago, currently employs over 12,000 people and is the largest municipal utility in the nation. Prior to joining DWP, Mr. Wolfson worked for the Los Angeles City Treasurer for two years where he was responsible for actively managing the City's $8 billion dollar fixed-income portfolio and was promoted to Chief Investment Officer. Before joining the City, Mr. Wolfson worked for Bank of America (approximately 11 years) as well as First Tennessee Bank (2 years) as a Vice President and managing Principal in their institutional fixed-income groups.

In February 2010, Mr. Wolfson was recognized as one of Institutional Investor News' 2010 Rising Stars of Public Fund Investing at the 9th Annual Public Pension Fund Awards Ceremony. In 2014, Mr. Wolfson was nominated by CIO Magazine as a finalist for innovative Plan of the year. In 2016, Mr. Wolfson was recognized as one of the Top 30 Pension Fund Chief Investment Officers in the United States by The Trusted Insight, and was nominated for Investor Intelligence Award: Fixed Income by Institutional Investor. In 2017, Mr. Wolfson was honored and recognized for his contributions to the investment community over his career by the Neighborhood Youth Association at the Investors in Education Banquet. In late 2021 he was nominated as a finalist for CIO of the year by Chief Investment Officer Magazine and in September 2021, he was elected by the employees of the Department of Water & Power to represent the department on the Board of the Los Angeles Deferred Compensation Plan. In 2024 he was awarded CIO of the year for Strategy by Markets Group. Mr. Wolfson obtained his Bachelor's of Science degree in Finance from California State University, Northridge, his MBA from Pepperdine University, and various executive education programs including the Wharton School of Business, and Harvard Business School. He is a member of the CFA Institute and is on the CFALA Strategic Advisory Council.