Fund Fanatics

Fund Fanatics hosts Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier sit down with Sean Clifford, Managing Partner of Clifford Capital and NFL quarterback, to explore the mindset connecting elite athletics to the entrepreneurship value of venture capital.

Sean shares lessons from competing alongside Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco, the role preparation has played throughout his football career and how his experience as an athlete shapes Clifford Capital's approach to evaluating founders and investment opportunities.

The conversation also covers the rise of athletes as investors, Sean's access to emerging sports technology, the evolving NIL landscape and the importance of building a meaningful identity beyond the game.

In this Fund Fanatics fireside, host Jeff Maier sits down with Steve Petersen, Co-Founder of Stavtar, to explore how more than two decades inside the alternative asset management industry inspired him to build the technology he once needed as a CFO.

Steve shares the story behind Stavtar’s flagship platform, StavPay, and explains how it helps asset managers automate business spend, navigate complex expense allocations and strengthen reporting and audit trails. He also discusses Stavtar’s approach to AI, the company’s unconventional brand-building strategy and why pairing technology with human expertise remains essential.

Beyond fintech, Steve reflects on his work with The River Fund New York and the principles that guide his leadership, career and life.

For our first-ever Fund Fanatics Fireside, Scott Aleali sits down with Kellen Mond, Founder of Original Visuals and former NFL quarterback. They discuss how NIL is reshaping college sports, why more athletes are building their brands on LinkedIn, leadership lessons from the NFL and Kellen's journey from professional football to launching a career in the art world.

Hosts Jeff Maier and Scott Aleali sit down with John Carroll, Managing Partner at Sportsology Capital Partners, to discuss investing in sports franchises, Sportsology's Texas Rangers deal, the growth of sports private equity and opportunities in emerging leagues like SailGP. Plus, lessons from building a career in private capital and sports.

This month on Fund Fanatics, hosts Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier sit down with Jason Wright, Managing Partner of Project Level at Ariel Investments, for a deep dive into one of the fastest-growing opportunities in sports: women’s sports investing.

Jason shares insights from his unique journey — from NFL running back to McKinsey partner to becoming the first Black team president in NFL history with the Washington Commanders — and now leading private equity investments in the future of sports.

Topics covered:
• Why women’s sports are entering a breakout era
• The investment case and valuation gap in leagues like the WNBA
• How private equity can drive value creation in sports franchises
• Media rights, fan evolution, and digital engagement trends
• Lessons in leadership, resilience, and building high-performance teams

From macro trends to on-the-ground execution, this conversation is packed with perspective on where sports — and capital — are heading next.

What does it take to leave a stable CFO job and build one of the fastest-growing fund admins in the market?

Pete Haskopoulos, Co-Founder of Petra Funds Group, joins Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier on Fund Fanatics to talk about scaling to 1,200+ funds, leveraging AI as a competitive edge, and why fund admin is evolving faster than ever.

We cover:

• Breaking the “addiction to direct deposit”
• Why AI + prompt engineering is the future
• How to choose the right fund admin partner
• Lessons from underestimating early demand
• Building a culture where top talent thrives

Creating. Building. Selling. Maintaining.

In Part 2 of Fund Fanatics' Builders & Fund Administration series, Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier sit down with Ben Jamron, Head of Fund Administration for IQEQ, to unpack his entrepreneurial journey — from leaving a comfortable GP role to founding JGM Fund Services in 2014 and scaling it to $25B+ in AUA before its sale to IQEQ in 2022.

Ben shares hard-earned lessons on complacency, entrepreneurship, scaling mistakes, integration after a sale and how to protect culture and client experience in a growing firm. Plus, reflections on leadership, evolution and making up for lost time after the grind.

What if the most powerful stage in private markets isn’t a conference… but your LinkedIn feed?

Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier flip the script on Brandon Sedloff — Chief Real Estate Officer at Juniper Square and host of The Distribution Podcast — to talk AI (bubble or durable shift?), the evolution of fund administration, industry consolidation and why executives are sleeping on the massive opportunity to build their voice online.

“Click post” might be the highest-ROI move you make all year.

Fund Fanatics is back—and we’re kicking off the year with a powerhouse conversation.

This episode, Scott Aleali and Jeff Maier sit down with Brendan Coughlin, President of Citizens Financial Group, to unpack what it really takes to build and lead at the highest level in financial services. From launching Citizens Private Bank in the aftermath of the 2023 banking shakeup to scaling a service-led culture with over $13B in deposits, Brendan shares what he’s learned by winning by losing.

We dive into reimagining the future of banking, the massive generational wealth transfer reshaping the industry, how AI is changing the operating model and why trust, advice and people matter more than ever. Brendan also opens up about balancing ambition with family life, building side hustles inside big organizations and taking smart career risks without waiting for permission.

In this episode of Fund Fanatics, Jeff Maier and Scott Aleali team up with Matt Allard, Founder and Managing Partner of Case Study Capital Partners, for a lively dive into launching a new independent sponsor platform, the meaning behind the Case Study name and what he’s hearing from nearly 90 LP conversations in today’s unpredictable fundraising world.

Matt shares why the lower middle market is buzzing, how servant leadership shaped his boardroom style and what it’s really like to build a firm when you’re simultaneously the cook, cleaner and waiter. And of course, Michigan pride is on full display as Matt dishes on his family’s maize-and-blue legacy and offers up a must-hit Ann Arbor experience. Go blue!