Navigating Thematic Investing and Strategic Partnerships

Dean Duchak, Chief Investment Officer at KFF sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the lessons learned from 13 years at KFF, how to create a culture of collaboration in endowments, and Dean’s perspective on diversifying investment strategies. (0:00) Introduction to $700 million endowment and venture capital allocation (1:27) Overview of KFF and asset allocation strategies (3:46) Correlation between assets and macroeconomic trends (7:07) Thematic investing in healthcare and AI (8:29) Sponsor: Carta (9:21) Leveraging GP relationships for investment insights (10:27) Daily portfolio management activities (15:14) Strategies for managing a $700 million endowment (20:47) Challenges of illiquidity in venture capital (22:24) Persistence of returns and tax policy impact (24:29) Navigating through different market cycles (26:16) Timing and diversifying the venture market (29:43) Exploring new asset classes and investment processes (31:27) Key lessons from 13 years at KFF (33:09) Developing skills for new institutional investors (35:54) The role of networking in investment success (36:50) Closing remarks and sponsor message