Dakota Rainmaker Podcast

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin welcomes Seth Weissman, founder and CEO of Urban Standard Capital, for an engaging conversation about building a successful emerging investment management firm, fundraising, and the importance of direct, consistent communication. Seth shares his journey from being a real estate enthusiast in high school to incorporating Urban Standard Capital in 2014. After spending years in investment banking and private equity, Seth transitioned to entrepreneurial real estate investment, focusing on value-add and core-plus strategies.Seth highlights the evolution of Urban Standard Capital, which specializes in real estate credit, focusing on lending on middle-market projects. As an emerging manager, he emphasizes the importance of relationships and consistent, transparent communication. Early on, Seth was hands-on in raising capital, relying on his network and building relationships by engaging potential investors over coffees, lunches, and dinners. This proactive, personalized outreach strategy was crucial to his first raise. Seth also emphasizes the importance of “thinking big” as an emerging manager—acting with the professionalism and infrastructure of a larger firm, even when starting out. This mindset helps build confidence with investors and positions the firm for sustainable growth.Today, Urban Standard has built a team of eight on the investment side, operating with a unique model that integrates both deal origination and asset management. Seth believes in continuity—ensuring the same team works with the borrowers from start to finish, providing better service and insights. The firm has been highly successful at managing repeat clients, with 80% of their loans coming from existing relationships, direct outreach or referrals. This is a key driver of alpha for LPs by avoiding dependency on competitive mortgage brokerage channels for deal flow.Seth and his team are relationship-driven and prioritize communication and transparency as a key differentiator, staying in regular contact with both investors and borrowers. He shares how their approach to relationship management is one of transparency, service, and flexibility, often involving texts, calls, or informal updates to maintain a flow of information. For Seth, this high-touch strategy helps strengthen bonds and leads to ongoing opportunities.When discussing the importance of CRM systems, Seth emphasizes that having the right technology platform allows firms to efficiently track relationships, ensuring no opportunity is missed. He stresses that leveraging CRM isn’t just a best practice but a critical part of scaling operations without losing the personal touch.Seth closes with advice to emerging managers: be open to rejection, focus on building relationships, and don’t shy away from outreach. Building a network of contacts and always following up, whether you’re big or small, is essential to success.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin sits down with John Donovan, Head of Wealth Management Distribution at TowerBrook, for a deep dive into distribution strategies, leadership, and fostering a culture of transparency and service. With over 16 years of experience in the financial services industry, John brings valuable insight into managing relationships with family offices, RIAs, and private banks, and shares the key principles that have guided his career.John’s career journey spans several prestigious firms, from Blackstone to Schroder Investment Management, before joining TowerBrook to lead their North American investor relations efforts. His focus now is on the wealth management channel, where TowerBrook’s modern value approach targets middle-market companies across sectors like health services, business services, financial services, and consumer products. The firm’s strategy is simple yet impactful—find high-growth, founder-led companies in these sectors and invest at attractive multiples, all while ensuring a firm-wide commitment to championing others.The conversation dives into the evolution of TowerBrook’s investor relations strategy, which John describes as a three-phase process. Starting with the firm’s early years when founding partner Filippo Cardini led the IR function, John’s addition to the team represents the firm’s commitment to expanding its wealth management presence. He explains how TowerBrook’s IR team of around 12 professionals is structured to ensure transparency, shared goals, and a focus on both wealth and institutional LPs.A major theme of the episode is the importance of communication and transparency. John highlights how TowerBrook emphasizes open, honest conversations with both internal teams and external clients, ensuring every team member is held accountable. He points to the use of CRM tools to track relationships, manage outreach, and ensure the team is aligned in their goals. John also stresses the value of maintaining service excellence, noting that building trust with LPs requires consistent communication, a collaborative approach, and the ability to share information and execute on deals efficiently.John’s leadership style centers around servant leadership, empowering his team to make decisions and fostering an environment where everyone feels ownership over their contributions. He shares that “championing others” is a key part of the culture at TowerBrook, as the firm strives to help its employees, LPs, and portfolio companies succeed.This episode is a great listen for sales leaders, fundraisers, and investment professionals looking to build strong relationships, improve communication strategies, and lead with integrity.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin sits down with Danielle Brown, founder and CEO of Altriarch, for a powerful conversation on strategy, leadership, and building a differentiated private credit platform. With 25 years in alternatives and a background that spans diligence, investing, and operations—including key roles at Dyal Capital Partners and Wachovia—Danielle shares how Altriarch was designed from the ground up to reflect the best practices (and lessons learned) from across the asset management industry.After witnessing firsthand how firms succeed—or falter—through her work with GPs at Dyal, Danielle committed to building a firm defined by equity ownership, clear communication, and strategic focus. Every Altriarch team member becomes an equity holder after one year, creating alignment and encouraging a culture of ownership.Danielle and her partner Meghan Brook launched Altriarch in 2021 with a distinct strategy: lending to specialty finance companies, including factoring and niche private credit. These borrowers often face challenges securing capital from traditional banks due to complexity and collateral structures. Altriarch seeks to fill that gaps, offering senior secured, subordinated, or co-investment solutions. The firm’s investment process is operationally intensive, involving weekly borrower communication and real-time collateral monitoring by dedicated investment and ops teams.The distribution approach reflects the firm’s strategic edge. Danielle shares how Altriarch runs an education-first sales process, acknowledging the complexity of their offering. Each prospective investor’s process is organized into a trackable project—tracked in Asana, managed through Affinity CRM, and supported by customized content. Because most LPs are unfamiliar with accounts receivable-backed credit, Danielle emphasizes why she thinks deep diligence preparation and proactive investor education as keys to closing. Her team meets weekly to review top-priority relationships and brainstorm ways to re-engage leads with meaningful insights.Danielle also reflects on her leadership evolution—initially struggling to relinquish control before realizing that empowering her team led to better results. She fosters autonomy, encourages smart risk-taking, and supports her team through questions and coaching, not micromanagement.To young professionals, she advises: “educate, don’t sell,” and always “keep the ball in your court”—follow up with accountability and intention. Her final insight: pattern recognition matters in sales, and a few missteps in a meeting can derail a deal, so preparation is essential.This episode is a blueprint for leading with clarity, building trust, and executing with depth in the complex world of private credit.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin sits down with Michael Rubenstein, Managing Director at RMWC, for an insightful look into disciplined sales execution, solo practitioner fundraising, and the mindset needed to succeed in a competitive investment landscape. As RMWC’s first employee and the architect of its capital formation strategy, Michael shares his evolution from top-performing financial advisor at State Farm Investment Management to leading sales and investor relations for a specialized real estate credit firm.Michael credits his early success to embracing a structured, metrics-based sales process he learned through the “Circle of Wealth” system. This replicable model enabled him to track inputs like calls and meetings, tailor conversations to client needs, and consistently close multiple lines of business. Today, he brings that same process discipline to RMWC, where he leads sales as a solo practitioner, backed by a firmwide culture of accountability and ownership.Michael recounts how RMWC pivoted from a fund-of-funds model to its current focus: short-duration, floating-rate, senior-secured real estate credit. With roughly $5–$20 million check sizes, RMWC primarily targets family offices, multi-family offices, and RIAs. In 2024 alone, Michael conducted over 400 investor meetings—an impressive volume he attributes to strategic cold outreach, warm referrals, and carefully curated in-person events that foster peer-to-peer influence among LPs.Communication is central to Michael’s approach. He tracks opportunities by stage—lead, intro call, diligence, soft close, hard close—and reports regularly to leadership using Backstop CRM and a detailed relationship spreadsheet. But he’s quick to emphasize that no tool replaces the human element. A personal follow-up to a canceled meeting at iConnections led to a rebooked conversation simply because he took the time to check in. “Trust is what we’re selling,” he says. “People want to do business with people they connect with.”Michael’s leadership style blends “shock and awe” with “land and expand.” He believes strong first impressions and consistent service create loyal, scalable relationships. His advice for young professionals? Nail your sales process, get a mentor, and be meticulous about CRM hygiene—small follow-ups can be the difference between a deal and a missed opportunity.This episode offers a tactical, real-world roadmap for fundraisers navigating today's tight capital environment—and a reminder that great salespeople lead with process, empathy, and persistence.

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin welcomes Shane McCarthy, Managing Director at LAB Quantitative Strategies, for a thoughtful and practical conversation on building a lean, high-performing fundraising function in a data-driven investment firm. With over 25 years in the investment industry across operations, risk, product development, and portfolio management, Shane brings a rare full-stack view of capital formation.Shane shares how LAB QS, a $1.8 billion multi-strategy hedge equity manager based in Denver, is built around a risk-first, liquid, and return-per-unit-of-risk mindset. Originally spun out from one of the largest family offices in the U.S., LAB QS retains a strong cultural alignment with high-net-worth and family office investors, with growing interest from RIAs and small institutions. Their hedged equity strategy is structured to smooth volatility, limit drawdowns, and complement broader asset allocations.The business development team is lean—just two people—but Shane emphasizes that LAB QS operates with a firmwide fundraising mentality, supported by every department, from operations to compliance. The sales strategy is guided from the executive committee level, with clear goals and aligned resource allocation. Everyone has defined roles, responsibilities, and expectations, which ensures a unified commercial mindset across the firm.McCarthy stresses that face-to-face interaction and trust-building are still paramount in capital raising, especially in today's saturated and competitive investment landscape. While Zoom helps with efficiency, nothing replaces the relationship-building power of sitting across from an investor.LAB QS’s tech-forward approach is another key strength. They rely heavily on Salesforce for CRM, integrated with Dakota Marketplace for seamless prospecting and pipeline management. With support from a 10-person tech team, LAB QS uses proprietary tools to customize analytics and automate reporting, enabling more effective and informed client interactions.Culturally, LAB QS embraces a challenge process, encouraging employees at all levels to contribute ideas and question assumptions. This openness fosters humility, collaboration, and innovation—qualities that Shane believes are essential for long-term success.To young professionals, Shane offers grounded advice: embrace the long game, expect rejection, and focus on knowing your client deeply. His leadership and experience reinforce a message that great sales organizations are built on cross-functional collaboration, disciplined execution, and the humility to keep learning.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data.   

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin sits down with Christopher Zook, founder and chairman of CAZ Investments, for an in-depth conversation on building a capital formation powerhouse rooted in intentional language, disciplined processes, and unwavering alignment. With over 30 years of investing experience, Zook shares his journey from brokerage beginnings at PaineWebber and Lehman Brothers to launching CAZ Investments—driven by a goal he set in 1991 to start his own firm within a decade, a promise he fulfilled nearly to the day.At CAZ, everything begins with personal capital. The firm identifies thematic opportunities, invests their own capital, and invites others to join alongside them—creating a culture of alignment captured in their mantra, “lead with alignment.” CAZ now manages over $9 billion in assets, up from $350 million in 2013, through 100% organic growth.A major theme of the episode is language and positioning. Zook emphasizes the importance of words in shaping perception. His team doesn’t “pitch” or share “decks”—they educate, advise, and present thoughtfully crafted materials. Their business development team is known as “Capital Formation,” reflecting the consultative, relationship-based approach they bring to investors.Zook shares how he built a capital formation team modeled on his own early sales experience, hiring in waves and fostering peer cohorts to build camaraderie and consistency. Their process includes detailed metrics—outreach volume, presentation count, conversion rates, and line depth with investors. Zook stresses the value of cultivating multiple lines with clients, which statistically improves retention and referrals.The team operates under a three-pillar framework: find new investors, deepen relationships with existing ones, and turn clients into raving fans. Zook underscores the power of consistent communication, proactive outreach during market volatility, and delivering standout service when most others retreat.CAZ has long embraced CRM, becoming an early adopter of Salesforce in 2005. Zook believes that the right CRM setup—customized for usability and leveraged for reporting—can drive a competitive, transparent, and merit-based sales culture. Dashboards, stack rankings, and responsiveness metrics keep the team focused and accountable.Zook also shares the story of co-authoring The Holy Grail of Investing with Tony Robbins and closes with timeless advice: success is built on hard work and attention to detail. For young professionals and leaders alike, this episode is a masterclass in building a high-integrity, high-performing investment firm from the ground up. Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin is joined by Stacy Havener, founder and CEO of Havener Capital Partners, for a masterclass on raising capital through storytelling, behavioral finance, and human connection. Stacy’s path into the investment industry defies convention. With a background in English literature—not finance—and no Wall Street pedigree, she’s raised over $8 billion for emerging managers, resulting in more than $30 billion in follow-on assets under management. Her secret? A repeatable, story-led, data-backed approach that meets investors where they are.Stacy shares how behavioral science and human psychology inform every layer of her process. Her philosophy is simple but powerful: “Investors don’t make decisions with spreadsheets alone.” Instead of the traditional pitch-first, data-heavy approach, she advocates for flipping the script—connecting emotionally first, then backing it up with data. From how a PM smiles in a meeting to the power of a well-timed question, she details the overlooked human cues that build trust and open doors.One of the standout moments of the episode is Stacy’s take on pitch decks: ditch them, at least in the first meeting. Research shows prospects feel more positively about meetings when they do 70% of the talking. That kind of engagement doesn’t happen when fund managers are reading slides. Instead, she encourages sales professionals to focus on making meetings conversational, choreographing the interaction like a late-night talk show host—her version of the “Jimmy Fallon strategy.”Stacy dives deep into meeting preparation, suggesting salespeople treat every meeting like a performance: prepare with a one-page brief, run a 15-minute pre-meeting with the PM, and walk into the room ready to humanize the conversation. She emphasizes that salespeople are not “carrying bags”—they are critical orchestrators of connection, learning to read the room, ask better questions, and track not just activity, but allocator behavior.Closing the episode, Stacy offers clear advice to young professionals: perfect the craft before scaling the activity. Learn how to sell with purpose and intention, and let repetition come only after mastery.This episode is a blueprint for any sales professional, allocator, or fund manager looking to break the mold and raise capital through authenticity, insight, and human connection.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraisingprocess with accurate, up-to-date investor data.  

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin sits down with Joe Grogan, Head of Distribution for the Americas at WisdomTree, for an energizing conversation on leadership, sales strategy, culture, and the power of treating people like owners. With over 25 years of experience at firms like Fidelity and State Street, Joe shares how his humble beginnings and early exposure to sales instilled a relentless drive that continues to shape his leadership style.Joe’s journey to WisdomTree began with a cold call from a recruiter and evolved into a long-standing leadership role at one of the most innovative ETF providers in the industry. He fell in love with WisdomTree’s entrepreneurial culture and commitment to transparency, client outcomes, and constant innovation. Today, he leads a 50-person distribution team across the U.S. and Latin America, focused on providing consultative value to financial advisors rather than just pushing products.Grogan walks listeners through his approach to team structure and culture, emphasizing the importance of clear expectations, open communication, and professional development. His team spans national accounts, wires, RIAs, and enterprise channels, with a strong emphasis on career pathing from analyst roles to field sales. Weekly calls, one-on-ones, and a highly transparent performance tracking system help drive accountability while fostering healthy competition.Joe also discusses how CRM and AI tools have transformed his team's efficiency. From automated meeting notes to engagement-based compensation tracking, WisdomTree leverages data to reduce administrative burden and keep salespeople focused on high-impact client interactions. He views CRM entries not as micromanagement but as “gold bars” that unlock insights and create better investor experiences.Leadership, for Joe, is about servant mindset, vulnerability, and long-term retention. He believes in empowering his team, maintaining low turnover through trust and autonomy, and treating teammates like the professionals they are. Rather than managing activity for its own sake, Joe rewards outcomes and teaches his team to think like owners of their own territory.His advice to young professionals? Nail your current role. Master the fundamentals. Don’t worry about the next job—it will come if you focus on being excellent where you are. This episode is packed with tactical insight, cultural wisdom, and authentic leadership takeaways from one of the most respected distribution leaders in the business.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, guest host Pat Tighe welcomes DeWayne Louis, founding partner of Versor Investments, for a deep dive into how the firm uses technology, process, and leadership discipline to scale a lean, global investment business. With over 20 years of experience spanning hedge funds, private equity, and investment banking, DeWayne shares how his career shaped the culture and strategy behind Versor’s quantitative investment platform.Versor, managing approximately $1.4 billion in AUM, specializes in quantitative equity strategies including single stocks, event-driven, and global equity index futures, all powered by proprietary research and robust data infrastructure. Founded by a team that previously worked together at Investcorp, Versor’s mission was to spin out and commercialize the quantitative research insights they had developed over a decade of institutional investing.A central theme of the episode is Versor’s use of AI and automation to maximize efficiency. With just five people on the distribution team, the firm leverages tools like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams transcription, Motion AI for project tracking, and automated DDQ systems like Qvidian to streamline operations and boost productivity. DeWayne emphasizes that embracing AI isn’t optional—it's a strategic advantage. He shares how junior team members often lead innovation by identifying new tools, and leadership’s openness to those ideas allows the firm to stay nimble and competitive.DeWayne also walks through how the team organizes itself using OKRs and A+ projects—firmwide priorities with measurable outcomes that drive growth and innovation. These initiatives are reviewed and executed collaboratively by a partner group, ensuring alignment across departments and clear accountability.When it comes to fundraising, DeWayne discusses the evolving landscape and their expansion into the wealth management channel via new mutual fund products. He credits platforms like Dakota Marketplace for helping them efficiently reach a wider RIA audience.As both a player and coach, DeWayne shares leadership lessons on empowerment, trust, and mentoring. He advises younger professionals to become fluent in investment strategy, embrace technology, and approach relationships systematically. For fellow leaders, he stresses the importance of removing barriers to innovation and listening to voices at every level of the firm.This episode is packed with valuable insights for sales professionals, fundraisers, and distribution leaders looking to scale smarter with fewer resources and stronger processes.Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data. 

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin welcomes Drew Dolan, co-founder and principal of DXD Capital, for a compelling conversation on data-driven development, investor relations, and building a specialized real estate platform. With over 20 years in real estate and a deep passion for ground-up development, Drew shares how he transitioned from technical sales into leading one of the most forward-thinking firms in self-storage.Founded in 2020, DXD Capital was built on the belief that self-storage is a real estate-driven asset class where location and timing are everything. By leveraging a proprietary analytics platform, Radius+, co-created by Drew’s partner, DXD is able to assess rates, density, competition, and demographic trends with precision. This data-first strategy has helped DXD identify and develop prime self-storage projects across the U.S.—from Nantucket to Maui.Drew walks through the firm's capital strategy, explaining their evolution from a $63M LP fund to a flexible model incorporating both funds and one-off joint ventures with family offices. This structure allows DXD to cater to both high-net-worth individuals and large institutions, with a focus on customization, transparency, and performance. Drew emphasizes that communication is key—monthly updates, timely financials, and responsiveness help build trust with their 300+ investors.Internally, DXD runs a lean, focused operation with 30 employees spread across three main offices and remote locations near active projects. Slack and weekly check-ins are central to internal communication, while in-person retreats help maintain cultural connection. Drew also shares his leadership philosophy, centered around empowering others, encouraging ongoing learning, and hiring people who are better than him in key roles.From an IR standpoint, DXD recently expanded its team, bringing in professionals with strong relationship instincts and private equity backgrounds. Drew underscores that while industry knowledge can be taught, trust and human connection are what open doors. Their tech stack, including Juniper Square and HubSpot, helps them manage investor communication and track data, but Drew admits the most effective outreach still comes down to “hand-to-hand combat.”Tired of chasing outdated leads? Book a demo to see how Dakota Marketplace simplifies your fundraising process with accurate, up-to-date investor data.