Episodes

Deborah Smith, CEO of The CenterCap Group, on private vs. public investor relations and why trust and storytelling beat a strong track record with institutional investors.

Serial SPAC sponsor Vik Mittal explains why investor relations for a SPAC starts with the private investors on the cap table, long before the merger.

Pitch Anything author Oren Klaff on frame control, the psychology behind every investor conversation, and why the best capital raisers can also be the most dangerous.

Borgman Capital's Sequoya Borgman and Marit Harm on growing from 28 investors on their first deal to a 500-strong network through the independent sponsor model and investor communication.

BITKRAFT CFO Martin Garcia on why the gaming and crypto VC became an RIA, and how optimizing the fund itself around investors redefines investor relations.

Army veteran Kevin Pavnica of Blackrock Strategy on how capital allocators can avoid funding defense tech the warfighter never asked for, drawing on lessons from Afghanistan.

Stanford's Ashby Monk and Readiness Engine CEO Logan Yonavjak on how the people allocating $140 trillion actually make decisions under pressure.

Stonebriar Wealth Advisors' Gary Preisser on how RIAs evaluate private equity, private credit, and venture for wealthy families, and what fund managers get wrong when pitching.

Lean Startup author and LTSE founder Eric Ries on the pressure capital markets put on mission-driven companies, and how to build a company that stays incorruptible.

Computershare's Aaron Bertinetti on shareholder activism preparedness: building the IR playbook before activists arrive, fixing the 1-in-300 investor targeting problem, and unifying IR intelligence.

Former Merrill Lynch executive Jeff Ransdell of Fuel Venture Capital on how RIAs are reshaping the investor base for companies staying private longer.

Mike Stohler sold 1,500 multifamily units at 46 and pivoted to boutique castle hotels in Catalonia, Spain — unpacking the LP psychology and deal structure that keeps exotic-asset capital raises moving.

Quantum physicist turned VC Leon Eisen, PhD reveals the three-brain framework investors actually use to evaluate founders — and why most pitches fail before the first slide.

Wall Street legend J. Morton "Morty" Davis, Chairman of D.H. Blair, on funding 400+ early-stage companies, raising over $3 billion in capital, and the founder traits that separate winners from passes.

Pat Zingarella on building a verified LP review platform for private real estate GPs — a "Yelp for private equity" — and why trust is becoming the new IR currency.

SPAC sponsor and Intro-Act founder Peter Wright walks through the full SPAC capital lifecycle — sponsor, trust, risk, PIPE — and explains why IR strategy must start before the S-4 is filed.

Mike Kron on the allocator-to-capital-raiser mindset shift — launching a $100M PE fund after 32 years in a family office, structuring fees so investors win first, returning 100% of capital before sponsor carry, and why high-credit single-tenant net lease retail is his thesis.

Dr. Thomas J Powell ($3.2B raised across 500+ founder deals) on communicating failed deals to investors — the hardest conversations in capital management, why transparency beats rosy projections, and how honest accountability builds long-term LP alignment.

Dr. Thomas J Powell on what investors really want to hear from founders — why hiding challenges erodes credibility, why seasoned investors prefer honesty, and how transparent communication unlocks strategy, capital, and connections from your LP base.

Dr. Thomas J Powell on transparency in founder-investor communication — why overconfident projections and withheld information erode trust, and how honest updates from the earliest "dating" stage build durable relationships with family offices and long-term investors.

Dr. Thomas J Powell on founder-centric capital strategy — advocating for founders without rubber-stamping, building boardroom guardrails and honest feedback loops, and how family offices can align with founder vision through structure, integrity, and strategy.

Dr. Thomas J. Powell of The Founder's Office on what 35 years and $3.2 billion across 500+ founder deals taught him about relationships, discretion, and long-term capital trust.

Michael Loftus of POC Capital on how biotech investor relations must adapt at every stage — from early clinical work, to mid-stage asset visibility, to late-stage commercialization.

Chris Williams and Joshua Wilson on how a podcast experiment became a strategic partnership with Institutional Investor and their Alpha Edge event for billion-dollar allocators.