Educational Alpha

In this episode, Bill catches up with Randy Cohen, a seasoned educator who has taught investments and alts at Harvard Business School for 25 years. Randy dives into the current state of education and how the pace of technological change is disrupting the job market, leading to stress on educational institutions to keep up with new demands. He also explores the use of AI technology in education and recommends a book that predicted the invention of the iPad - Amazon Unbound by Jeff Bezos. This insightful discussion easily shifts to his thoughts on entrepreneurship and how private equity can add value to public markets. Listen in!

Links:

CAIA - Educational Alpha - https://caia.org/content/educational-alpha-podcast

HBS - Alternative Investments course - https://online.hbs.edu/courses/alternative-investments/

Dangerous Vision Podcast - https://www.mabvi.org/resources/dangerous-vision/

Field X course - https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/6333.html

In this episode, Bill catches up with Stacy Havener, founder and CEO of Havener Capital. They discuss the importance of storytelling in the asset management industry and how it can shift the focus from asset gathering to creating value for clients while also diving into how the biases, norms, and outdated ways of thinking  can be the antagonist in a story and how it's crucial to understand the client's hopes and dreams. Listen in!

In this episode, Bill catches up with industry titan, Stuart MacDonald, Chairman of Aaro Capital. Stuart’s wealth of experience from over 30 years across top-tier global investment companies; his deep expertise in capital raising across alternative investment management and bankable technologies; his service on varied non-profit boards, and hosting the award-winning alternative investment radio show, The Naked Short Club, makes for an insightful and fascinating conversation. Listen in!

In this episode, Bill talks with Fiona Frick, founder of Circe Invest and expert on investment allocation and sustainability issues. With over 30 years of experience in asset management, including 12 years as a CEO, Fiona is recognized by the financial industry as one of the most influential women in European finance. Dedicated to creating bridges between the finance industry, sustainability, and academia, she is a respected speaker on economics, financial markets, investment allocation, and the growth of sustainable finance. Listen in!

In this episode, Bill sits down with colleague Hossein Kazemi, Professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts and Senior Advisor to CAIA Association and the Financial Data Professional Institute, to understand the new chatbot from OpenAI that is inspiring awe, fear, and stunts – ChatGPT. Hossein defines what the “G”, the “P”, and the “T” stand for, and the power and limitations of the tool that is even more advanced than we think.  Listen in!

In this episode, Bill catches up with David Lee Kuo Chuen,  professor of social sciences at Singapore University whose professional career could be described as a “diverse portfolio”. From his early days as a hedge fund manager, to researching bitcoin, crypto, and blockchain technology, to an educator of fintech and social impact, David’s career spans decades of continuous movement toward the forefront of investment and technology. Listen in!

In this episode, Bill talks with Mario Therrien, Head of Investment Funds and External Management at CDPQ, a global investment group based in Montréal. The conversation spans from Mario’s insight on how working with a pension fund provides him with a deeper sense of the impact of generating alpha. Mario expresses how he strives to leave the industry in a better place than when he started. Listen in!

In this episode, Bill catches up with two guests from the digital assets space, Jennifer Murphy, Founder & CEO of Runa Digital Assets and Alex Botte, Head of Client & Portfolio Solutions at Runa. It’s no secret that the evolution of the “Web” has transformed our world. Its first phase, Web 1, opened the unprecedented availability of information, and Web 2’s interactive social and mobile applications created some of the world’s most powerful networks and most valuable companies. Listen in to hear how Jennifer and Alex believe digital assets to be the start of Web3.

In this episode, Bill hears from Stefania Di Bartolomeo, Founder of Physis Investment and self-described “Quant Humanist”. Early on, Stefania became the youngest impact investing fund manager in Europe. Since then, she has worked to fill the need for a “different” level of transparency to answer the next “big question” – How do we measure the impact of money on the planet? Listen in!

In this episode, Bill chats with one of his professional mentors, Dale Favors, Managing Partner for Adaptive Growth Leadership. The two discuss everything from developing leaders who build diverse teams, to the effect of culture and leadership on business growth. Listen in to learn more on how education comes with experience, exposure, and most importantly, access.