The term alternative investments refers to investment opportunities that the financial regulators want to preserve for financial elites and protect from the average “retail investor” like you and me. They’re investments like venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. They’re too sophisticated for individuals who are not “accredited”. These potentially high-yielding investments must be fenced off from broad accessibility. Too risky for the plebes.
But, despite the regulators, financial markets are evolving to make alternative investments more accessible, liquid, and tailored to individual investors. How do you design products that combine institutional sophistication with retail access—without compromising on structure, performance, or trust? Through customer-centric design: knowing customers well and giving them access to products that meet their needs and give them new choices.
In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings talks with Kim Flynn, President of XA Investments, a pioneer in private market innovation and product design. Kim shares how her firm is breaking down barriers in the investment landscape, from new fund structures to investor education and cutting-edge indexes.
Key insights include:
• Why the term “alternatives” is evolving into a broader concept of private markets.
• How products like interval funds and tender offer funds balance liquidity and long-term investing.
• The importance of demand-focused product design and timing innovation to market needs.
• How educational tools like the XAI Interval Fund Index create transparency and drive adoption.
• Why creativity, empathy, and structured iteration are critical in financial product innovation.
Whether you're an investor looking to access private equity or a product builder seeking to serve new markets, this episode provides a playbook for innovation at the intersection of finance, entrepreneurship, and education.
Learn how venture-mode creativity is coming to financial markets—and how the next generation of investment products will empower everyone.
📚 Resources:
➡️ Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course
Learn more about XMS Capital
Connect with Kim Flynn on LinkedIn
Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn
Subscribe to the The Value Creators on Substack
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