This week, Jack Sharry talks with Kellan Brown, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer at 100 Women in Finance. With an impressive resume that includes leadership roles at Income Lab, PrimeCo, and Finance of America’s Retirement Strategies Division, Kellan has also earned accolades like the Disruptor Award and Ascension Award from WealthManagement.com and was named one of InvestmentNews’ Women to Watch.

In their conversation, Kellan shares the remarkable story of her career journey—from her early days in sports marketing and commercial construction to discovering her passion for championing women in finance. She offers insight into how 100 Women in Finance supports women at every stage of their careers and why mentorship is essential to changing the face of finance, fintech, and investment leadership.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:53) - The mission and impact of 100 Women in Finance

(04:32) - Kellan's career journey

(07:34) - How the organization’s mentorship program is making a difference

(10:39) - Kellan's keynote at SEI

(13:28) - Programs and initiatives empowering women in finance

(19:25) - Advancing women in the finance industry

(23:30) - The transformative power of mentorship for women

(24:55) - Kellan's interests outside of work

Quotes

"I was awarded the Disruptor Award for a very clear reason. I believe in all of the work that we're doing, and we are not breaking any laws. Our partners are so committed to us, and we are not alienating anyone." ~ Kellan Brown 

"Women elevate every single level of any organization when there's equality." ~ Kellan Brown

"In a male-dominated industry, we have to find someone that's going to break that barrier down, give us access, and have allyship." ~ Kellan Brown

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Kellan Brown on LinkedIn

100 Women in Finance

Finance of America

Income Lab

Michael Lane

Allie Carey

SEI

Sneha Shah

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Allie Carey, Chief Strategy Officer, SEI Private Banking and Wealth Management. Allie focuses on strategic planning, global wealth management industry assessment, global go-to-market strategies, channel partnerships, and M&A opportunities.

Jack and Allie talk about the role of bank trusts and private banks in wealth management. Allie shares how banks can harness their vast client base to drive organic growth, the opportunities in private banking, and how technology and data transform how banks serve their clients. 

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:51) - Allie's role at SEI

(03:10) - The need for evolving skill sets in the industry

(04:19) - How SEI serves clients

(08:03) - Opportunities for wealth management in the bank channel

(13:00) - SEI's growth strategies

(16:45) - Allie's thoughts on UMH

(18:14) - The future of private banks

(24:25) - Allie's key takeaways

(25:08) - Allie's interests outside of work

Quotes

"Banks have a massive client base across their different business lines. A wealth management business inside a bank can work with its commercial colleagues. They can work with their retail colleagues and their lending colleagues." ~ Allie Carey

"We're getting to the point where we could have some real advice across the lifecycle of someone delivered via technology, where humans are curating that, not creating it." ~ Allie Carey 

"Banks are well-positioned to win in wealth management. They have that near-end client base. They have the breadth of services to really serve the whole client." ~ Allie Carey

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Allie Carey on LinkedIn

SEI

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Justin Singer, Partner at EY. Justin provides strategy and management consulting services to many top wealth management, asset management, insurance, and retirement firms to drive growth and retention, improve their offerings, and achieve stronger operating margins through strategic and tactical projects.

Jack and Justin discuss why WaaS (Wealth as a Service) is the future of financial services. Justin explores how financial institutions can use this integrated, cost-effective, scalable solution to drive efficiency and growth. He also dives into the key drivers behind this shift, the players involved, the exciting opportunities it presents, and the broader industry implications.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:23) - Wealth as a Service defined

(05:23) - Service providers in the wealth management space

(08:56) - The expected consolidation of broker-dealers and RIAs

(11:14) - Challenges for firms in operating wealth management businesses

(16:20) - How WaaS improves client outcomes and advisor efficiency

(18:51) - The industry's reaction to EY's Wealth as a Service research

(21:59) - Justin's key takeaways

(23:52) - Justin's interests outside of work

Quotes

"Wealth as a Service (WaaS) is an integrated, cost-effective, and scalable solution for financial institutions to deliver wealth management in a more turnkey way." ~ Justin Singer

"The assets we've built are really positioning financial institutions to be able to drive toward the outcomes that many of them are looking to achieve, which are growth, improved operating efficiency, and scale." ~ Justin Singer

"If we end up in a world where there's less broker-dealers, less RIAs, less trust companies, and a few providers that are supporting those entities that are left, I truly believe it's going to drive down costs and allow many firms to be able to go more down market to the mass affluent segment with a more scalable offering." ~ Justin Singer

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Justin Singer on LinkedIn

EY

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Alternative investments are surging in popularity, but how do distributors, asset managers, and advisors adapt? While the appetite for alternatives continues to rise, education remains one of the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption. Managing alternatives requires more than just a basic understanding. It demands deep, specialized expertise. Despite significant investments in training and educational initiatives, the need for deeper expertise remains critical.

In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Neil Bathon, Managing Partner at FUSE Research Network, about the latest trends in alternative investments. Neil shares insights from FUSE's recent study on alternative distribution, diving into key findings on education gaps, sales strategies, and the importance of partnerships in alts adoption.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:47) - About FUSE Research Network

(04:54) - FUSE's alts distribution research findings

(06:09) - The importance of education in alts adoption

(07:38) - Neil's advice for firms entering the alts market

(09:04) - Why partnerships are critical

(11:33) - How alts can be incorporated into asset allocation

(12:58) - Managing client expectations

(16:48) - Neil's recommendations for investing in alts

(19:18) - How alternative assets benefit distributors, advisors, and asset managers

(20:00) - Neil's key takeaways

(21:13) - Neil's interests outside of work

Quotes

"Distributors are making clear that despite many educational initiatives for years, some of these traditional firms have big institutes or universities specifically to help bring advisors along, but there's still an enormous need for additional education." ~ Neil Bathon

"Some of these alternatives can get very complicated. You need to make a significant investment in educating your sales team and your marketing team. You really have to back them up with specialists who can go this third, fourth, or fifth level deep." ~ Neil Bathon

"Partnership of some form is the way to go for most firms if they're not already firmly in the alternative business." ~ Neil Bathon

Links 

Neil Bathon on LinkedIn

FUSE Research Network

Apollo Global Management

KKR

Ares Management

Blackstone

Franklin Templeton

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Arnulf Hsu, CEO of GReminders. Arnulf is a serial entrepreneur and has been leading and running B2B enterprise software companies for the last 20+ years as CEO, CTO, Product Leader, and Board Member. He has a strong background in technology and business development, focusing on building successful ventures and growing companies from the ground up.

Jack and Arnulf talk about why GReminders is one of the leading scheduling and meeting management platforms for professionals. They discuss how GReminders integrates with existing CRM systems to manage everything from scheduling and reminders to AI-generated meeting summaries and follow-ups. Jack and Arnulf also share the importance of deeply understanding customer needs and how AI can enhance personalization and efficiency in client relationships.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:59) - What GReminders is and how it works

(04:57) - The origin story of GReminders

(05:59) - Why Arnulf chose to focus on wealth management

(09:25) - Feedback from advisors and clients

(12:49) - How GReminders compares to Arnulf’s past ventures

(15:06) - Learning through listening

(17:57) - How AI empowers GReminders

(19:56) - What's next for GReminders

(21:50) - Arnulf's key takeaways

(23:34) - Arnulf's interests outside of work

Quotes

"In this area (wealth management), there were scheduling products that were installed in our customers that, to some degree, they were using, but they weren't very good." ~ Arnulf Hsu

"If you have a bunch of data islands everywhere, it's not going to do anybody any good. If you ever want to use AI and analytics on top of this stuff, you better have systems that talk to each other, and data must flow between them." ~ Arnulf Hsu

 "Wealth managers aren't IT experts. And so, we believed pretty strongly in a smaller technology stack that has fewer moving parts. It's inherently a better system because you have less complexity." ~ Arnulf Hsu

Links 

Arnulf Hsu on LinkedIn

GReminders

Redtail Technology

Wealthbox

Salesforce

Smarsh

PreciseFP

Zapier

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Mike Capelle, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Modern Wealth Management. From his decades-long career in wealth management, Mike has experience building advisor-client platforms that drive continuous growth. He was part of the team that co-founded, scaled, and sold United Capital, a $25 billion RIA with 90 locations, to Goldman Sachs for $750 million.

Jack and Mike discuss how Modern Wealth Management provides a full-service wealth management platform, including tax planning, estate planning, and insurance. They address the challenges and opportunities of integrating legacy systems and the importance of creating a replicable model for national expansion.

In this episode:

Quotes

"We saw the need in the market and the opportunity because we felt there was a shift from going to investment to planning, where there was much more alignment between the advisors and the client." ~ Mike Capelle

"It's a great opportunity to really impact people's lives. They don't have all the resources to do everything they want. You have to help them understand what they want their future to look like, what things are important, and what trade-offs make sense to them." ~ Mike Capelle

"We certainly recognize the opportunity with the industry, and not only do you have an underserved market of people across the country who are developing wealth, but needing help in how they manage it and how they use it as the engine to get to the outcome they want to." ~ Mike Capelle

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Randy Lambert, EVP and Head of RIA Solutions at Intention.ly. Randy shares how his experience scaling Orion informs his work helping FinTech and RIA firms streamline operations, align marketing, and enhance client engagement. He highlights the importance of eliminating silos, implementing intelligent automation, and transforming operations from a cost center to a strategic growth engine.

In this episode:

Quotes

"One of the weakest links in the technology chain is the advisor using the technology." ~ Randy Lambert

"The better that an advisory team is able to systematize its operations, the better chance they have of being successful in scaling up." ~ Randy Lambert

"When a firm's data is clean, structured, and fully integrated, technology stops being a barrier. It starts to become an enabler." ~ Randy Lambert

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In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Ryan VanGorder, CEO at Opto Investments, about revolutionizing private markets for wealth managers. Ryan highlights how Opto’s technology simplifies complex private market strategies, helping advisors deliver tailored, scalable solutions to their clients. They discuss the shift from institutional to retail access in private investments and the importance of guided intelligence, customization, and automation. Ryan also shares his passion for adventure racing, drawing parallels between endurance sports and business, emphasizing discipline, adaptability, and teamwork as core values shaping Opto’s culture and approach to client success.

In this episode:

Quotes

"At Opto, we're engineering the future of private markets with a focus on client outcomes and driving capital to the best ideas." ~ Ryan VanGorder

"Opto is built and backed by operators who understand the potential in the private markets, not by AUM-focused mega funds or product pushers." ~ Ryan VanGorder

"The winners in our space, particularly our market, will heavily invest in technology-based solutions and solving for transparency, scale efficiency, and flexibility. And you're going to do all that while delivering on your client's demands." ~ Ryan VanGorder

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This week, Jack Sharry is joined by Ryan Eisenman, Co-Founder and CEO of Arch—a platform built to streamline and standardize private investment operations. With a strong background in private markets, Ryan shares how Arch is leveraging technology to make alternative investing more secure, efficient, and accessible. Ryan breaks down the key trends fueling mainstream adoption and explains how Arch is helping family offices, RIAs, and institutional investors overcome the operational hurdles that come with managing alts. He also shares his perspective on where the market is headed—and how platforms like Arch are unlocking access to a broader range of investors

In this episode:

Quotes

"We want to unlock the ability to make, manage, and track alternative investments without the pain people are used to when they do make those investments." ~ Ryan Eisenman

"To work at Arch, you have to love clients and love learning. We want to be doing this for decades, and the way you do this for decades is you invest in customers because customers can be the best advocates for you." ~ Ryan Eisenman

"We're continuing to build the operations management automation tools that help people scale their alts businesses. And we're doing it increasingly in partnership with larger firms to support their offerings." ~ Ryan Eisenman

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Brooke Elliott, Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Brooke leads the college in developing a compelling, strategic vision while continuing to build upon its distinctive brand and identity.

They discuss how the college empowers future leaders through transformative education, research, and innovation. Brooke shares how their purpose-driven approach is embedded in the curriculum, the impact of technology and AI in shaping this mission, and how experiential learning bridges the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world opportunities.

In this episode:

Quotes

"We want to create amazing leaders who move into business and really have an impact on their community, their state, and their nation." ~ Brooke Elliott

"We really believe in expanding access to high-quality education. We serve individuals from all types of different backgrounds. And so, it's diversity in its very broadest sense." ~ Brooke Elliott

"Our online programs were intentionally designed to be online. We did not take an existing program and move it to a remote environment. We started a new one and knew that we were going to offer these programs online and serve learners all around the world. And so, every single design choice was made with intention." ~ Brooke Elliott 

"Education is still the greatest investment an individual can make in themselves and an organization can make in their employee." ~ Brooke Elliott

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