All Things Fundraising

In this episode of The Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin, Founder and CEO of Dakota, sits down with Allen Gray, Managing Director at Silvercrest Asset Management Group. With decades of experience in institutional sales and marketing, Allen shares insights into his career, leadership philosophy, and the evolving landscape of institutional investing.

Allen begins by discussing his career journey, which started at Kidder, Peabody & Company despite having no formal business education. He quickly adapted, completing accounting courses and participating in a management training program. After the firm's acquisition by General Electric, he sought partnership opportunities and co-founded Radnor Capital Management, growing assets from $10 million to $1.6 billion in six years before selling to U.S. Trust Company. Later, at Osprey Partners, he helped expand assets from $800 million to $4.2 billion in just two and a half years.

At Silvercrest, Allen was tasked with building an institutional business from the ground up. When he joined in 2008, the firm had $6.5 billion in ultra-high-net-worth assets but only $100 million in institutional assets. Through strategic acquisitions and disciplined growth, Silvercrest now manages $10 billion in institutional assets, with top clients averaging over $400 million each. The firm has expanded investment capabilities, adding growth and international strategies.

Allen’s sales strategy emphasizes process over volume. His teams are structured into small, specialized silos with dedicated investment, client service, and business development professionals. He stresses relationship-building over transactional sales, ensuring long-term partnerships. Silvercrest also leverages subadvisory relationships, allowing distribution through larger platforms without engaging in retail sales.

Communication and transparency are essential to Allen’s leadership. Silvercrest tracks an "actionable pipeline", focusing on opportunities likely to close within six months. His trust-based leadership allows experienced professionals the freedom to execute their responsibilities while maintaining accountability. He prioritizes hiring skilled individuals, providing them with the right tools, and minimizing bureaucracy.

For young professionals entering the fundraising business, Allen advises deep investment knowledge beyond sales materials. Understanding market dynamics, analyzing performance data, and maintaining transparency in tough times are key to success. He highlights industry challenges, including increased competition from consulting firms offering multi-manager funds, making direct institutional outreach more crucial.

The Dakota Research Podcast explores key private fund trends. The episode begins with private equity news, covering earnings, fundraising highlights, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio company updates, and industry job changes. The deep dive segment focuses on infrastructure, analyzing investment trends and market shifts. The final segment provides insights and action items, including upcoming events, recent industry notes, and a Q&A session to address audience questions. The discussion highlights major M&A activity and portfolio company developments, offering valuable takeaways for professionals in the private fund and allocator space.

Master sales with four game-changing principles: Focus on what matters, target the right people, craft the perfect pitch, and follow up like a pro. Packed with actionable tips, this guide helps you turn meetings into deals—fast! 💼🔥

In this episode of the Dakota Fundraising News Podcast, Pat and Konch cover key job changes, including Nick Brandt joining Fifth Third Bank, Katherine Fackler moving to CALSTRs, and Leor Solomon joining Partners Federal Credit Union. In RIA/FA M&A, Rockefeller Capital Management adds Meyer DeMartini Wealth Partners, UBS recruits an $880M Denver team from Cresset, and LPL Financial secures a $900M team from Raymond James. Institutional updates include private credit searches from Miami Beach Fire & Police and Chicago Firemen’s Fund, while Washington State Investment Board commits $220M to Centerbridge Special Credit Partners V. Fundraising highlights feature Schroders Capital’s £500M UK Innovation LTAF, Bonfire Ventures’ $245M flagship fund, and Cherryrock Capital closing its debut $172M VC fund. 

Tune in for the latest in institutional and intermediary fundraising!

In this episode of The Dakota Research Podcast, the team reviews key private equity news, including earnings reports, major fundraising efforts, and notable corporate moves. The discussion centers on evergreen funds, exploring their perpetual structure, liquidity advantages, and growing adoption among institutional and retail investors. The episode highlights different types of evergreen funds, including business development companies (BDCs), interval funds, and tender offer funds, and examines their role in private credit, real estate, and alternative investments. Closing with market trends and upcoming events, the episode provides valuable insights into this evolving investment structure.

In this episode of The Dakota Research Podcast, the team covers the latest private equity news, including key earnings reports, fundraising activity, and notable deals. The main discussion focuses on healthcare investment opportunities within private markets, highlighting key sub-sectors such as healthcare services, biotech, medical devices, and health tech. The episode explores major private equity and venture capital players in healthcare, investment trends, and technological disruptions shaping the sector. Additionally, the team examines M&A activity, regulatory impacts, and the future outlook for healthcare investments. Closing with upcoming events, the episode offers actionable insights for investors.

In this episode of The Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin sits down with Todd Cassler, Chief Growth Officer and Partner at Cerity Partners, to explore the strategies and mindset that have fueled Todd’s success in financial services. With over 25 years of industry experience spanning roles at Mariner Wealth Advisors, John Hancock Investments, and Manulife Investment Management, Todd shares his journey from an unexpected start in insurance to leading growth initiatives at a firm managing $130 billion in assets.

Todd discusses the nuances between institutional, wealth management, and retail channels, highlighting the key differences in decision-making processes. While institutional markets rely on professional buyers and defined frameworks, the wealth management space offers more flexibility to influence decisions at the point of sale. Todd emphasizes the importance of focusing on channels where firms have the highest probability of success, rather than chasing large mandates with low chances of conversion.

The conversation delves into leadership and growth strategies. Todd stresses starting with clear goals, the “big rocks”, and having an honest reflection on an organization’s capabilities. He advocates for focusing on high-impact areas rather than spreading resources too thin. On leadership, Todd champions empowerment, accountability, and adaptability. He believes in hiring talent for the future, fostering transparent communication, and delivering both positive feedback and constructive criticism to drive growth.

Todd also touches on the critical role of technology, particularly CRM systems, in enhancing productivity, managing risk, and supporting data-driven decisions. For small teams skeptical of CRM adoption, he underscores its value not just as a sales tool but as an essential part of client retention and business continuity.

Wrapping up, Todd offers advice to young professionals: show up, listen more than you speak, ask insightful questions to establish expertise, and invest in personal development. His insights provide actionable takeaways for fundraisers, sales leaders, and anyone looking to excel in financial services.

Episode 28 of the Emerging Manager Growth Show dives deep into how RIAs, banks, and broker-dealers are shaping the landscape in 2024. This episode shatters common myths—you don’t need $500M AUM or a three-year track record to get noticed! Learn how strategic outreach, hybrid meetings, and face-to-face relationship-building can unlock game-changing opportunities.

Discover insider tips on securing allocations, leveraging consultant partnerships (think Mercer, Wilshire, and Callan), and maximizing exposure through targeted city scheduling and webinars. Whether you're an emerging manager looking to scale or an industry pro seeking fresh insights, this episode delivers a power-packed blueprint for success in today’s competitive investment space.

The Dakota Research Podcast, with Pat Tighe and Chris LeRoy, covers key trends in the private fund space. The episode starts with private equity news, including earnings, fundraising highlights, major deals, and industry job changes. The deep dive segment focuses on the growth of secondaries. Discussion includes market cap reporting from Blackstone, KKR, and Apollo, as well as real estate and infrastructure growth. Notable deals include consumer brands like Spindrift, Boston Beer, and Pete’s Coffee. The episode concludes with insights on industry movements and upcoming webinars and networking events, followed by a Q&A session addressing listener questions and market updates.

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin interviews Eric Green, Chief Investment Officer at Penn Capital, about the firm’s innovative approach to small-cap investing. With over 25 years of experience, Eric explains Penn Capital’s Complete Capital Structure Analysis™, a strategy that examines a company’s entire capital structure, from secured debt to equity, to uncover value and manage risk. This approach enables Penn Capital to identify market inefficiencies and outperform traditional small-cap managers.

Eric discusses the firm’s focus on leveraged small-cap companies, which historically deliver strong long-term performance. He also highlights key macroeconomic factors positioning small-caps for a rebound, including deregulation, M&A activity, and interest rate cuts. Sectors like natural gas, gaming, and restaurants are identified as areas of opportunity.

Concluding with advice on diversification, Eric explains how Penn Capital’s strategies complement defensive managers, providing actionable insights for investors navigating the small-cap market.