Fund Flow

The best returns come from businesses that mix purpose and profit and don’t compromise on either.

In this episode of Fund Flow, host Jon Finger speaks with Jake Capps, the co-founder and managing partner of Meaningful Partners, a value-based investment company focused on purposeful businesses. With over two decades of experience investing in private equity, Jake shares how he eventually came to start his own firm, what it takes to b...

After working as a consultant during the global financial crisis and holding various positions at investment management firms, Heather Fernstrom Border and her partner, Jennifer Stevens, launched Alliance Global Advisors. Alliance is a women-owned consulting firm focused on developing strategic solutions for real asset investment managers. Alliance provides an informed, independent perspective, plus continued education and an innov...

On this episode of Fund Flow, host Jon Finger talks with Elizabeth Weindruch (Liz), managing director at Barings, about building lasting relationships with the emerging manager community. When looking for GP partners, Liz seeks those with experience, value alignment and an element of differentiation in their investment strategy.

“You can no longer buy low, sell high, or buy a business and slap a few terms of debt on it and sell in a...

On this episode of Fund Flow, McGuireWoods’ Jon Finger sits down with Chad Summe, founder and managing partner at eGateway Capital, to discuss the changes brought by digitization and artificial intelligence, as well as how to build solid relationships with investment partners. 

“We all come from a lot of different experiences and backgrounds that contribute to the impact that we can make on our companies,” says Chad of his team...

On this episode of Fund Flow, McGuireWoods’ Jon Finger sits down with Andy Lee, founder and chief investment officer of Parallaxes Capital, the first firm to focus exclusively on monetizing tax receivable agreements as an investment strategy. Andy wanted to establish a firm that wasn’t afraid to think differently and take a long-term view on investments.

“We're not going to capture your run-of-the-mill investor. We're very focused o...

On this episode of Fund Flow from McGuireWoods, host Jon Finger sits down with William [Billy] Prather, founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of Cypress Creek Partners, to discuss market opportunities for emerging managers, what makes the Cypress Creek team successful, and building bridges with LPs. 

Billy had his first taste of the emerging market space at Blackrock and UTIMCO. These early experiences shaped his vision...

Is there a world where investors can incorporate climate data in their investment mandates? Owen Woolcock and Rajeev Ranade, the co-founders of Climate Core Capital certainly think so. 

Combining traditional climate risk factors including flood, heat, fire, hurricane, and storm with unconventional readiness indicators to find low-risk and high-readiness markets shapes Climate Core Capital’s investment strategy. 

By thinking...

According to Neil Keegan, co-founder and CEO of disruptive technology fund Marlinspike, it was his background in the Navy that shaped the mission-driven ethos of his firm. The fund focuses on innovative companies that are solving challenges around national security while also exploring creative commercial applications. 

Finding a company that is making the world a better place is what gets Neil and his partners really excited. ...

For Sara Zulkosky, diversity is key to the strategy when it comes to investing in emerging managers. When she and her partner Courtney McCrea founded their LP, Recast Capital, they knew they wanted to center diverse emerging managers to give both LPs and diverse GPs better access to that market.

Recast Capital is not just an LP; its enablement program teaches emerging managers about fundraising, allowing Recast to support more of th...

On this episode of Fund Flow, host Jon Finger sits down with Brom Rector, founder of Empath Ventures, to break down misconceptions about psychedelic medicine and first-time management. 

Brom worked in venture capital as a quantitative researcher and portfolio manager for several years until he realized something was missing. As he describes it, “I didn’t like this idea of just reducing everything down to pure numbers. It kind o...

Starting a fund is a challenging task on its own, but the pandemic added another layer of difficulty for emerging managers looking for limited partners. Having lost the ability to network and fundraise in person, many LPs played it safe and stayed with the funds they already had relationships with, leading to an upward trend in “re-ups.”

“LPs in 2020 and 2021 — you could kind of hear the anguish in their voice. They wanted so b...

On this episode of Fund Flow, Sheryl Mejia, Managing Partner at Steward Asset Management, joins host Jon Finger to discuss what spurred the creation of her own firm, how to establish differentiation, and why maintaining empathy for founders is key. 

Sheryl built a depth of knowledge working in asset management for large and small private funds before launching Steward Asset Management and fulfilling her desire to create a wider...

On this episode of Fund Flow, host Jon Finger is joined by Casey Peters, a managing partner at boutique placement agency Pacenote Capital. They discuss the mandates that formed Pacenote and how maintaining a high touch and selective lens has shaped the company.  

Casey founded Pacenote Capital in response to market feedback that there was a desire for value-added through high-performing, young, and hungry sponsors. This wa...

The pandemic era has not been an easy time for any industry, including private equity. In today’s volatile market, funds are facing increased competition while continuing to adapt to the challenges of remote deal-making.

Now imagine being an emerging manager in the lower-to-middle-market investing space — and building your firm in the middle of the pandemic. That’s the situation Suzanne Yoon found herself in, having started Kin...

The blockchain sector is perhaps one of the riskiest to invest in today. Not only is it a new and constantly evolving space, but it’s also often riddled with scams. Many large investors remain skeptical, but it’s likely that the future lies in blockchain and crypto.

So how can funds do it safer and smarter, especially as emerging managers? We bring in leading tech entrepreneur and blockchain investor Aly Madhavji to tell us how. Rec...

There’s a lot to consider when starting a venture firm: timing, experience with other firms that can support your journey, and a mission that differentiates you from other investment firms.

These are all factors that Kate Beardsley and her partner Jessica Peltz-Zatulove had to consider when they made plans to kickstart their venture fund, Hannah Grey. But being women in a male-dominated industry and beginning their emerging manager ...

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Mary Hunt says it was because of the help of her mentors and managers’ support that she was able to succeed in the private equity investing world.

Her current role as Principal at RCP Advisors and the director of RCP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Funds Investment Strategy is her way of helping open the door to other underrepresented people who “don't naturally have that networ...

On this premiere episode of Fund Flow, a new show from McGuireWoods for emerging managers, host Jon Finger sits down with John Huhn, founder and managing partner of Compass Group Equity Partners, to discuss independent sponsorships, committed funds, and overall business practices. 

John began his professional life as an engineer, but he’s more than made up for his lack of financial degree with his entrepreneurial spirit, willin...

Fund Flow is a podcast for Emerging Managers offering insights into the journey of new and aspiring fund managers seeking to have success in a crowded market. Tune in as McGuireWoods partner and host, Jon Finger, is joined by guests ranging from first-time fund managers to proven emerging managers, experienced LPs poised to back emerging managers, and other key participants in the emerging manager ecosystem. Hear their real-world p...