All times are listed in Eastern Time Zone

3:00pm - 3:05pm | Welcome & Opening Remarks, Housekeeping

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm - 3:50pm | Experienced Investor, New Entrepreneur: The Realities of Entrepreneurship

You have decided to launch your own firm, leveraging the experiences and networks you have built over a long and successful career. You know everything necessary to do this, right? This common misconception will be addressed in great detail in a session that also covers the journey from managing deals to managing people, establishing a culture, managing logistical and human resources issues, and more. Learn what to expect and how to transition to entrepreneurship as smoothly as possible. 

Speaker: Robert L. Greene, President & CEO, NAIC

• Thinking like an entrepreneur versus an employee
• Pre-survey Insights: Understanding what you know and don't know about the journey ahead
• Important considerations when building a firm (culture, governance and collaboration)
• Responsibilities of the Founder & Managing Partner: A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur 

3:50pm – 3:55pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction

Picking Your Partners: Talent, Values and Skills

Picking your partners requires an intricate set of complex considerations. Having a shared vision and grounded understanding of the journey, a strong track record, and the right combination of skills and experiences are all crucial characteristics that LPs evaluate throughout the due diligence process. Additionally, ensuring that your partnership is undergirded by a thoughtful and thorough partnership agreement that positions your firm to weather its full life cycle is critical. Learn key principles that will position you and your partners for success on this journey.

3:55pm – 4:15pm | Picking Your Partners: Key Traits of a Successful Partnership

When launching an institutional-grade private equity fund, selecting the right partners is a critical early step. Relationship dynamics, compatible skillsets, a strong collective track record, and a common vision must all be considered when shaping a team that can elicit high conviction in LPs. In this session, attendees will hear from industry experts about strategies for selecting partners and best practices for team compatibility as well as pitfalls to avoid.

Speaker: Francois Auzerais, Senior Client Partner, North America, Korn Ferry

4:15pm – 4:35pm | Picking Your Partners: Partnership Agreements

This session will provide a thorough overview of important legal terms and language that should be included in any partnership agreement to ensure the firm and partners’ ability to navigate the opportunities and challenges it will likely encounter. Topics that will be covered include:

• The Founding Partnership
• Advisory Board
• Operating Partners

Speaker: O’Kelly E. McWilliams III, Attorney, Mintz

4:35pm – 4:50pm | Picking Your Partners: Panel Session

This panel will bring both speakers together for a deeper discussion into the topics covered and will also provide symposium attendees an opportunity to ask questions.

Moderator:  Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

Panelists:

 Francois Auzerais, Senior Client Partner, North America, Korn Ferry

O’Kelly E. McWilliams III, Attorney, Mintz

4:50pm – 5:00pm | Audience Q&A

5:00pm – 5:05pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

5:05pm | Session #1 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 4:00pm | Team Formation: Beyond the Partnership

In this session, you will learn the critical roles and skills required to round out a team for consideration of an institutional investment. You will hear directly from a leading allocator who will cover what positions within your team will be critical to your success, the team members you should have in place, and key advisory roles that you should fill as well as the range of third-party services available as you construct a solid offering. This session will cover:

• Investment team composition
• Advisors, operating partners, and co-investors
• Constructing a back office team

Speaker: Mina Nazemi, Managing Director, Private Equity, Barings

4:00pm – 4:05pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction

4:05pm – 4:20pm | Establishing Your Track Record: An Overview

One of the most important considerations for LPs evaluating GPs for allocation is the team’s track record. This session will provide detailed insight into the institutional investors’ perspective as well as ways to address when you are unable to port your track record, either individually or as a team.

Speakers: 

Derek Jones, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor

Jason Howard, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor

4:20pm – 4:55pm | Establishing Your Track Record: Panel Discussion

This session brings to bear the perspectives of some of the leading fund of fund investors in the industry for an in-depth dialogue and audience Q&A.

Moderator: Jason Howard, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor

Panelists:

• Suzanne Gauron, Global Head of Private Equity Strategies, ACMS, and Global Head, Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs
• Irwin Loud III, Managing Director, Muller & Monroe Asset Management
• Dr. Kola Olofinboba, Managing Partner, Fairview Capital Partners

4:55pm – 5:05pm | Audience Q&A

5:05pm – 5:10pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

5:10pm | Session #2 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Financing Your Private Equity Firm: Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 3:20pm | Financing Your Private Equity Firm: Wealth Management

Are you financially prepared to navigate the firm-building and fundraising journey ahead? In this session, you will hear from experts how to ensure that you are ready to comfortably manage through the 24 to 48 months it can take (and typically does) to raise your first institutional fund.

Speaker: James Tieng, Managing Partner, Lumos Capital Partners

3:20pm – 3:35pm | Financing Your Private Equity Firm: Seeding

An important consideration as you build your firm is whether a seeding partner that provides operating capital in addition to an LP allocation is a viable option. In this session, you will learn the ins and outs of a productive seeding partnership as well as various options for seeding structures.

Speaker: Liz Stiverson, Managing Director, Global Head of ESG, TPG

3:35pm – 3:50pm | Financing Your Private Equity Firm: Panel Discussion

Moderator: Phil Ames, Vice President, Private Wealth, Goldman Sachs

Panelists:

• James Tieng, Managing Partner, Lumos Capital Partners
• Liz Stiverson, Managing Director, Global Head of ESG, TPG

3:50pm – 4:00pm | Audience Q&A 

4:00pm – 4:05pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction (2 min)

Managing Your Firm’s Financial Assets

The topics covered in this session are some of the most underestimated – both quantitatively and qualitatively. Hear from industry-leading experts how best to prepare for the journey ahead and how to evaluate critically important strategic options to manage your firm’s and your personal financial assets most effectively.

4:05pm – 4:30pm | Managing Your Firm’s Financial Assets: First Year P&L Statements

In this session you will learn the realities of managing your firm’s P&L in its first year. You will hear about the realities of the costs and challenges as well as ways to better prepare for unexpected circumstances that may arise.

Moderator:  Ian Taylor, Partner, Ernst & Young

Panelists:

• Joe Benavides, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Ocean Sound Partners
• Daniella Kranjac, Managing Director, Dynamk Capital

4:30pm – 4:50pm | Managing Your Firm’s Financial Assets: Management Fees & Waterfalls

You will hear from one of the industry’s leading legal experts on the dynamics and considerations of the waterfall options and the pros and cons of each as well as insights into how to negotiate with LPs with respect this crucial topic that will impact your bottom line.

Speaker: Nicole Washington, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis

4:50pm – 5:00pm | Audience Q&A

5:00pm – 5:05pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

5:05pm | Session #3 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 3:40pm | Developing Your Brand & Attracting Capital: Your Pitch

In the crowded and competitive field of fundraising, it is critical to hone your messaging, define your brand and clearly articulate your competitive advantage. In this session, you will hear from leading experts on how to effectively differentiate your strategy and learn how to attract potential LPs' attention. You will also discover how to pitch to different investor types and how to most effectively tell your story to investors who hear pitches all day, every day.

• What is your “edge”?
• Key Differentiators
• Building Your Story: Team, Market Opportunity, Investment Strategy, and Track Record
• The Role of Friends & Family
• Engaging your Initial Limited Partners

Speaker: Hussein Khalifa, Partner, MVision Private Equity Advisers

3:40pm – 4:15pm | Developing Your Marketing Materials

When launching a new firm, it is crucial that your marketing materials pass institutional muster. With one chance to make a first impression, your messaging must be concise, consistent and appropriate for your target LPs. Your design and materials should also look professional. Participants will hear from an industry expert on how to ensure consistency in messaging and design across your marketing materials.

• Firm and Fund Marketing Materials: Pitch Book, Fact Sheet and Website

Speaker: Susan Kirshner, Founder, Words Plus Numbers, LLC

4:15pm – 4:20pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction

4:20pm – 5:00pm | In Their Own Words: Perspectives from Founders who Have Successfully Launched New Firms

Lessons learned the hard way, including the real cost of launching and operating an institutional-grade firm, how long it will actually take to raise the capital, the realities of no longer being a part of a much larger entity (with all of the resources and infrastructure it afforded you) are all covered in this session. NAIC member firms will share some of the harsh realities of being an entrepreneur and raising a fund in the ever-increasingly competitive universe of alternative investments.

Moderator: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

Speakers:

• David Perez, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Avance Investment Management
• Ryan Russell, Co-Founder & Partner, Avenue Growth Partners
• Courtney McCrea, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Recast Capital

5:00pm – 5:05pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC 

5:05pm | Session #4 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 4:00pm | Capital Allocators’ Insights: Overview

In this session, you will hear directly from one of the top capital allocators in alternative investments. Topics covered in this informative session include the intricacies of the due diligence process, how decisions are made, the do’s and don’ts of interacting with potential LPs and what the competitive landscape looks like for diverse and emerging managers.

Speakers:

• Stephen Cammock, Executive Director, Private Equity Investments, GCM Grosvenor
• Atara Charnoff, Principal, Private Equity Investments, GCM Grosvenor

4:00pm – 4:05pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction

4:05pm – 4:45pm | Capital Allocators’ Insights: Panel Discussion

Moderator: Atara Charnoff, Principal, Private Equity Investments, GCM Grosvenor

Panelists:

• Eneasz Kadziela, CFA, CAIA, Head of Private Equity, Office of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Bureau of Asset Management
• Jesús Argüelles, Managing Director of Investments, James Irvine Foundation
• Mel Lindsey, Managing Partner, Nile Capital Group

4:45pm – 4:55pm | Audience Q&A

4:55pm – 5:00pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC  

5:00pm | Session #5 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 3:55pm | Risk Mitigation

The asset management world is rife with risks and uncertainties. In this discussion, global leaders in risk management will instruct how best to protect your firm, partners, and deals from common risks. You will also learn about a few innovative new products in the market that can increase the value of a deal or strongly position your firm in competitive deal situations. 

• Key fund level insurances
• Key employee level insurances/risk management
• Cyber liability insurance and risk management for fund and portfolio companies
• IP valuation and price modeling
• Due diligence (Human Capital, Property Insurance and Cyber Security) for acquisitions
• Transactional insurance (Reps & Warranties insurance, tax liability insurance, litigation insurance

Speakers:

• Sherman Edwards, Producer, Lockton
• Paul Damon, Senior Vice President - Client Advocate, Lockton Companies
• Matthew Heinz, Partner & Co-Practice Leader, Transaction Liability at Lockton Companies
• Gaurav Sud, Partner & Co-Practice Leader, Transaction Liability at Lockton Companies
   

3:55pm – 4:00pm | Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction

4:00pm – 4:50pm | Portfolio Reporting Software Essentials

General partners require robust data management systems to optimize all aspects of their fund investment cycles. These systems allow managers to organize, prioritize, protect, and properly analyze the large quantities of data that managers of alternative assets evaluate, so they may focus their efforts on deals, strategies, and relationships. Learn about some of the technologies available for general partners to manage and monitor alternative investment portfolios, elevate investor relationship management, and automate difficult and often error-prone tasks. Hear how managers can increase productivity, improve investor satisfaction, and gain greater insights into operations and investment performance via industry-leading solutions.

• Moderator: Nia Gandy White, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Arc Capital Advisors and NAIC Advisor

4:00pm – 4:15pm | Altvia

Hear about best practices and trends to establish your firm’s technological infrastructure to raise your inaugural fund.

https://altvia.com/

4:15pm – 4:20pm | Audience Q&A

Speaker: Kjael Skaalerud, Chief Revenue Officer, Altvia

4:20pm – 4:35pm | DealCloud

Learn about investment and portfolio management tools and how to enhance your investment team’s investing and monitoring capabilities.

https://www.dealcloud.com/

4:35pm – 4:40pm | Audience Q&A

Speaker: Amit Lalwani, VP, Financial Services, DealCloud, an Intapp company

4:40pm – 4:55pm | eFront, Investment Café

Hear about best practices and trends to generate high-quality investor reporting.

https://www.efront.com/

4:55pm – 5:00pm | Audience Q&A

Speaker: Alan Guo, VP, Solutions Engineer, eFront

5:00pm – 5:05pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

5:05pm | Session #6 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

3:05pm – 4:00pm | Building Your Back Office

Compliance and regulatory requirements, institutional investor reporting standards, cash and treasury management are all areas that are often underestimated by new managers – both in their importance and complexity – with potentially dire consequences if not properly managed. This session will take you through these key areas, what you need to do to make sure you are well-covered as you build and grow your firm. This discussion will cover:

• Private equity (PE) administration and investor services - operating model overview.
• Regulatory & compliance essentials
• Private equity: management company accounting, tax and reporting considerations, and startup tax considerations for PE managers
• Private equity: valuation considerations

Speakers:

• Christopher Smyth, Partner, Americas PE Leader, Ernst & Young
• Jennifer Jansen, Senior Manager, Business Consulting,  Ernst & Young
• Shake Culzac, Senior Manager, Co-leader of Americas Alternative Asset Management Solutions, Ernst & Young
• Jonathan Tomback, Partner, Financial Services Organization, Ernst & Young
• Chintan Muchhala, Partner,  Private Equity and Wealth & Asset Management, Ernst & Young
• Gerald Whelan, Partner, Private Equity Tax Technical Leader

4:00pm – 4:05pm | Virtual Break (5 min)

4:05pm – 5:00pm | Building Your Back Office (continued)

5:00pm – 5:05pm | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

5:05pm | Session #7 Ends

3:00pm – 3:05pm | Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Robert L. Greene, President & CEO, NAIC

3:05pm – 4:00pm | Fund Formation Legal Considerations (Part I)

From the impact of securities laws on marketing, to fund and sponsor structuring, to the intricacies of fund documentation and closings, you will learn the critical components of how best to structurally set up your firm for success from one of the world’s top law firms. Topics that will be covered include:

• Fund structuring
• Fund documentation
• Marketing considerations
• The closing process

Speaker: Alexandria Glispie, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis

4:00pm – 4:05pm | Virtual Break (5 min)

4:05pm – 4:50pm | Fund Formation Legal Considerations (Continued)

4:50pm – 5:00pm | Session #8 Closing Remarks

Speaker: Robert L. Greene, President & CEO, NAIC

5:00pm | Session #8 Ends

Alternative Asset Classes: Real Estate, Venture, and SBIC

3:00pm – 3:20 | General Session & NextGen Closing Remarks and Resources

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, Chief Operating Officer, NAIC

We will be wrapping up the 9-week series and sharing valuable resources that NAIC has to offer.

While many of the strategies and structural considerations are similar across alternative asset classes, there are nuances within each. These concurrent sessions will take a deep dive into the specific considerations required across Real Estate, Venture and SBIC.

Alternative Asset Classes: Real Estate

While many of the strategies and structural considerations are similar across alternative asset classes, there are nuances within each. This concurrent session will take a deep dive into the specific considerations required in Real Estate. The format for this module will be interactive.

3:25pm – 4:00pm | Overview of Real Estate

Speaker: Peter Braffman, Managing Director, Real Estate Investments, GCM Grosvenor

4:00pm – 4:45pm | Panel Discussion

Panelists:

• Donna Sims Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Kah Capital Management
• Ryan Williams, CEO, Cadre
• Shoham Amin, Founder & Principal, Excel Group

4:45pm – 5:00pm | Audience Q&A

Alternative Asset Classes: SBIC

While many of the strategies and structural considerations are similar across alternative asset classes, there are nuances within each. This concurrent session will take a deep dive into the specific considerations required in SBIC. The format for this module will be interactive.

3:25pm – 4:45pm | SBIC Panel Discussion

Moderator: Ivelisse Simon, Managing Partner, Avante Capital Partners

Speakers:

• Bailey DeVries, Associate Administrator (Head), Office of Investment & Innovation U.S. Small Business Administration
• Carl Jenkins, Managing Director and Head of Community Investments, BMO Harris Bank N.A.
• Sengal Selassie, CEO and Founder, Brightwood

4:45pm – 5:00pm | Audience Q&A