Return on Experience vs. Return on Investment

How do you democratize access to private markets and what happens when everyone can invest like a VC? In this episode, I sit down with Kendrick Nguyen, Co-Founder and CEO of Republic, the global platform that’s opened up private investing to over 3 million people across 150 countries, facilitating more than $2.6+ billion in transactions. We unpack how tokenization, fractionalization, and regulatory innovation are reshaping private markets. Kendrick explains how Republic is bridging the gap between institutions and retail investors, what tokenized SpaceX and OpenAI shares mean for the future of liquidity, and why the next evolution of finance is about participation—not speculation.

Highlights:

• How tokenization creates a faster, cheaper, cross-border infrastructure for capital markets
• Why retail participation in private markets remains shockingly low—and how Republic is changing that
• How Robinhood’s tokenized SpaceX and OpenAI campaign boosted stock performance and retail awareness
• The $150 trillion opportunity in retail capital waiting to enter private markets
• Inside Republic’s partnership with Hamilton Lane to open institutional funds to everyday investors
• Why tokenization could make private equity more profitable than public equities
• How Republic balances legal engineering, regulation, and innovation to stay ahead in fintech
• The social side of investing: why “return on experience” can be as powerful as ROI
• How fractional ownership can restore optimism and access to the American Dream
• Why fintech founders must partner—not fight—with regulators to scale safely

Guest Bio:

Kendrick Nguyen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Republic, a global platform for investing in private markets. Before launching Republic in 2016, he served as General Counsel at AngelList, leading regulatory affairs and international expansion. He has also co-founded CoinList and held prior roles at The Permal Group and Kanbar Enterprises, and has been a Fellow at Stanford Law School and the Rock Center for Corporate Governance.

Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com.

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X / Twitter: David Weisburd: @dweisburd

LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Kendrick Nguyen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendrick-nguyen-7145bb5/

Links Republic: https://republic.com/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com.

(0:00) Introduction (1:45) Retail participation and barriers in private equity (2:51) Access and liquidity issues in private markets (4:25) Social good and gateway products for tokenization (7:25) Robinhood's token giveaway and market impact (11:08) Mirror tokens, regulatory aspects, and partnerships (15:28) Growth in private equity and market disruption comparisons (20:18) Republic's evolution and influencer engagement (26:07) Learning to invest through small investments (31:26) Changing American dream and investment excitement (34:09) Social component and future of crowdfunding (40:52) Legal expertise and regulatory collaboration in fintech (45:44) Launching tokens and long-term investment benefits (50:51) Personal success stories and overcoming obstacles (57:24) Timeless advice and closing remarks (59:39) Closing remarks