

CAIS Live Conversations, Building With Alts
CAIS
CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts, tackles the often untapped potential of alternative investments by sitting down with the various players in the alts ecosystem. Listen in as we dive into alternative investments from the perspective of industry experts, RIA executives, IBD executives, alts manager leaders, and alts experts. Hear what other advisors are doing, learn about new technology, and join us as we turn investment complexities into real-life concepts that could potentially help diversify and drive growth in the independent space.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 2, 2025 • 35min
Benchmarking Private Markets: A New Index for Financial Advisors (EP. 28)
In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, Alex Cavalieri sits down with Steffen Scheuble, CEO of Solactive, and CAIS Advisors’ CIO Neil Blundell. They discuss Solactive’s launch of the first benchmark designed to track perpetual non-traded business development companies (BDCs), and what this milestone means for the private credit market. They also share their views and explore why greater data access may be fueling index innovation and how transparent, rules-based performance tracking can help advisors more effectively measure and compare private credit allocations. Chapter 1: Origins—Solactive’s Tech-Driven Indexing & Steffen’s Backstory (00:01:19–00:04:18) Chapter 2: Framing the Gap—Why Private Markets Lacked Benchmarks (00:04:18–00:09:08) Chapter 3: Building the Benchmark—Data Access, Rules-Based Methodology & Partnership (00:09:08–00:17:18) Chapter 4: Inside the BDC Index—Scope, Use Cases & Investor Experience (00:17:18–00:29:19) Chapter 5: What’s Next—Expanding the Index Suite & Impact for Advisors (00:29:19–00:36:06)

Nov 18, 2025 • 40min
How Leah Wehinger Helped Build a Unified Planning Model at Truist (EP. 27)
Leah Wehinger, Head of Investment Advice & Solutions at Truist Wealth, joins CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts to unpack how her team is scaling advisor education and access to private markets. She and host Alex Cavalieri discuss her views on integrating investment strategy with planning, supporting wealth transfer with a multi-generational lens, and designing products with client objectives in mind. From simplifying alts education to unifying advice, Leah shares how Truist is looking to reshape the wealth experience. Chapter 1. One Firm, One Voice [05:14] Chapter 2. Scaling Trust Without Losing the Human Touch [07:45] Chapter 3. Why She Doesn’t Say “Alts” [11:58] Chapter 4. Designing the Purpose-Driven Wealth Experience [18:50] Chapter 5. What Leah Thinks Might Break the $84 Trillion Wealth Transfer [25:12] Chapter 6. Tech That Actually Helps Advisors [33:50] Chapter 7. When Public and Private Markets Converge [38:41] Chapter 8. Advice for the Next Generation [43:55]

Nov 12, 2025 • 39min
From Hedging to Harnessing Volatility: RBC & CAIS Capital Markets on What’s Next for Advisors (EP. 26)
In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts, CAIS Co-President Brad Walker sits down with Amy Wu Silverman, Head of Derivatives Strategy at RBC Capital Markets, joined by Marc Premselaar, Head of Capital Markets at CAIS. Recorded live from CAIS Summit 2025, the conversation explores what Amy calls a “volatility regime,” the growing role of retail investors in options markets, and how defined-outcome and structured strategies are evolving to meet advisor needs. From AI to correlation risk, Amy and Marc weigh in on how education and innovation can help financial advisors translate complex market dynamics into actionable portfolio insights. Chapter 1: Getting Comfortable With Uncertainty (00:02:06) Chapter 2: The “Paddling Duck” Market (00:05:18) Chapter 3: Structured Notes as a Toolkit (00:09:14) Chapter 4: When Fear Flipped Sides (00:12:16) Chapter 5: Volatility as an Asset Class (00:14:01) Chapter 6: Bridging the Gap With Customization (00:18:21) Chapter 7: All One Trade (00:21:18) Chapter 8: Correlation Risk and the Domino Effect (00:23:26) Chapter 9: Crypto’s Next Chapter (00:27:02) Chapter 10: FOMO as the New Risk (00:29:00)

Nov 6, 2025 • 29min
The New Playbook for Alternatives: A Conversation with Harvey Schwartz (EP.25)
Recorded live from CAIS Summit 2025, this episode features Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle, in a candid discussion with Barron’s Editor-at-Large Andy Serwer on how private markets are reshaping access and opportunity for advisors and their clients. Schwartz describes why “alternatives” are increasingly just “capital,” and shares how wealth’s global trajectory are redefining distribution and product design. He also offers a data-driven read on the economy from Carlyle’s portfolio, reflections on risk learned across multiple market cycles, and why cultural fit matters in partnerships. Chapter 1. Private Credit and Transparency [00:05:11] Chapter 2. Rise of Private Capital [00:07:55] Chapter 3. Alternatives Reframed [00:10:05] Chapter 4. Wealth’s Global Trajectory [00:11:56] Chapter 5. Thoughtful Expansion into Retirement [00:13:15] Chapter 6. Risk and Resilience [00:27:26]

Oct 27, 2025 • 38min
From Napkin to Unicorn: Matt Brown on Building CAIS, Industry Trends, and the Future of Alts & Wealth (EP. 24)
In this special CAIS Live Conversations episode, host Alex Cavalieri sits down with Matt Brown, Founder and CEO of CAIS, for a fireside chat recorded live at the 2025 CAIS Summit. Matt shares how CAIS grew from an idea in 2009 to the leading alternative investment management platform. He reflects on the Summit’s origins, the firm’s culture of trust and innovation, and the trends shaping wealth management—from the rise of alts to the convergence of public and private markets. Advisors will hear firsthand how access, partnership, and purpose continue to drive CAIS’ mission forward. Chapter 1: Building the Summit — [00:02:46]Matt shares the origins of CAIS and the Summit, describing how it was created as a space rooted in trust, connection, and meaningful relationship building.Chapter 2: Defining the Mission — [00:08:58]He explains how empowering independent financial advisors became the core mission of CAIS—and the driving force behind every initiative.Chapter 3: The Power of Partnership — [00:10:30]“Nothing great is built alone.” Matt emphasizes that collaboration and shared purpose have been essential to CAIS’s growth and impact.Chapter 4: A Culture of Innovation — [00:11:20]He discusses how CAIS fosters creativity and continuous learning, encouraging teams to explore new ways to better serve advisors and clients.Chapter 5: The Convergence of Public and Private Markets — [00:21:07]Matt outlines how evolving product structures and technology are reshaping opportunity—bridging the gap between public and private market access for advisors.Chapter 6: Lessons in Leadership — [00:35:36]Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Matt explores the importance of obsession, self-belief, and embracing discomfort as hallmarks of strong leadership.

Oct 10, 2025 • 58min
From Bullpen to Boardroom: Ken Kencel on 40 Years in Credit (EP. 23)
In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts—Brad Walker talks with Ken Kencel, Founder, President, and CEO of Churchill Asset Management, about the growth in private credit. They explore how Churchill scaled through PE partnerships, what advisors need to know about deal sourcing and underwriting, plus the shift to evergreen funds and secondaries. Ken shares why client education is just as important as performance when it comes to expanding alts access in wealth management. Chapter 1: Drexel Days & Industry Origins (00:02:19)Chapter 2: The TIAA/Nuveen Edge (00:13:11) Chapter 3: LP Strategy: 325+ PE Funds (00:20:19) Chapter 4: Market Consolidation (00:26:00) Chapter 5: Structural Innovation (00:31:00) Chapter 6: Education Over Performance (00:41:06) Chapter 7: It's All About People (00:54:05)

Oct 7, 2025 • 44min
Doug Krupa on Innovation, Access, and the Future of Alternative Investing (EP. 22)
Doug Krupa, Head of Global Wealth Solutions at KKR, joins Brad Walker for a deep conversation on how private equity is evolving and becoming more accessible. Doug shares how his early advisor experience shaped his perspective on investor access, KKR’s philosophy around product innovation, and how evergreen strategies are changing wealth management. This episode provides a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s top private market firms is helping make alts available to more investors. Chapter 1: Origins & Early Lessons on Access (00:01:19–00:07:13)Chapter 2: Inside KKR—Evergreen, Culture & “One Firm” (00:07:13–00:14:11)Chapter 3: Market Landscape & Manager Selection 101 (00:14:11–00:23:31)Chapter 4: Product Innovation—K-Series & Same-Deal Flow (00:23:31–00:35:05)Chapter 5: Convergence, Education & Lasting Impact (00:35:05–00:50:01)

Sep 29, 2025 • 25min
From Startup to Scaling With Alts: Chelsea Ganey on Building Client Trust (EP. 21)
Chelsea Ganey, Chief Strategy Officer at Moran Wealth Management, joins Alex Cavalieri to talk about her firm’s evolution after breaking away from Wells Fargo and its growing integration of alternatives. She shares insights on client education, secondaries, advisor operations, and the power of personalization in scaling a practice. Listeners can learn how tech and alts are reshaping high-touch client relationships. Chapter 1: Origins—Chelsea’s Path & Moran’s Breakaway (00:01:19–00:04:12)Chapter 2: Bringing Alts to Clients—Education, Structures & the 101 (00:04:12–00:08:38)Chapter 3: Implementation Reality—Ops, Process & Volatility Conversations (00:08:38–00:13:28)Chapter 4: Personalization at Scale—Tech, Touchpoints & Segmentation (00:13:28–00:21:36)Chapter 5: Independence & What’s Next—Breakaway Lessons, Alts Roadmap & Recs (00:21:36–00:28:29)

Sep 10, 2025 • 22min
Beyond Performance: Pam Perskie on Personalization in Modern Wealth Management (EP.20)
Pam Perskie, CEO and Founder of Seven Mile Advisory, joins host Alex Cavalieri for a compelling conversation on the evolution of wealth, trust, and the modern advisor-client relationship. With over 20 years of experience in the multifamily office space, Pam shares how she built a firm centered on serving families with unique complexities—where personalization, not just portfolio performance, is the true north. In this episode, Pam breaks down how Seven Mile Advisory is rethinking what it means to be a family office—leveraging technology, integrating with best-in-class platforms like CAIS, and helping clients gain access to institutional-quality alternatives across private credit, real estate, and more. Chapters: 1. Founding with Purpose (00:01:22 – 00:03:15) 2. Personalization Over Standardization (00:03:15 – 00:07:01) 3. Rethinking Access to Alternatives (00:08:08 – 00:11:10) 4. Trust as a Differentiator (00:16:57 – 00:18:58)

Sep 3, 2025 • 42min
Beyond the Daily Grind: Apollo’s Torsten Slok on Finding Opportunity in Market Chaos (EP. 19)
Is the economy heading for a recession or just a slowdown? In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts, Brad Walker sits down with Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Slok. Torsten breaks down why he sees a “Nike swoosh” recovery ahead—not recession—and the three economic headwinds that could create opportunities in private markets. From his unconventional research process tracking everything from TSA checkpoint data to Broadway show attendance, to why he believes owning the S&P 500 may no longer mean diversification, Torsten shares macro insights driving decisions at one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers. Plus, discover why he wakes up in a church rectory and his upcoming adventure to Greenland. Chapters: 1. Economic Outlook & Recession Risk (11:49) 2. The Student Loan Crisis (13:09) 3. S&P 500 Concentration Risk (18:29) 4. The Growth Story of Private Credit (21:23) 5. Investment Strategy in Uncertain Times (27:29) 6. Potential Alternative Investment Opportunities (25:00) 7. Advisor Guidance (29:23)


