Absolute Return Podcast

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guests Scott McNeill and Jim Mutrie, Co-CEOs of Switchback II. The company recently announced a $2.3 billion business combination with Bird, a leader in shared short range environmentally friendly electric transportation.   On the show, Scott and Jim discuss: - Their background in oil & gas and subsequent pivot to an energy transition focus - The thesis behind Switchback series of SPACs and lessons learned from the ChargePoint deal - Why Bird was an ideal merger candidate for Switchback II - What differentiates Bird in the highly competitive micromobilty sector - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guest Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed, an e-commerce grocery shopping platform selling bulk consumables to households and businesses. Boxed recently announced a going-public transaction at a $640 million enterprise value.   On the podcast, Chieh discusses: - Why he left the partner track at a white-shoe law firm to pursue entrepreneurship - How Boxed evolved since its founding in a garage 8 years ago - How Boxed competes with Walmart, Amazon and Costco - Key insights into its going-public transaction with SPAC Seven Oaks Acquisition - Growth opportunities and how Boxed plans on getting to $1 billion of revenue - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guest Adam O’Brien, Founder and CEO of Bitcoin Well. Bitcoin Well offers convenient, secure and reliable ways to buy and sell bitcoin through a trusted Bitcoin ATM network and suite of web-based transaction services. It trades on the TSX-Venture exchange under the symbol BTCW.   On the podcast, Adam discusses: - What initially got him into bitcoin and why he founded a startup focused on it - His thoughts on the state of the cryptocurrency market - Bitcoin Well’s business model - The company’s recent going-public transaction and its consolidation strategy - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guests Galen Smith, CEO of Redbox, and Jay Burnham, Director of Seaport Global. Redbox, America's destination for affordable new-release movies and entertainment, recently announced a merger with Seaport Global at a $693 million enterprise value.   On the podcast, Galen and Jay discuss: - How Redbox has evolved since 2009, including an Apollo-led leveraged buyout - The investment thesis for the company as it goes public once again - Redbox’s planned digital transformation - Key drivers of the company’s growth forecast - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guest, Matthew Tuttle, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle Capital Management. Tuttle Capital Management is an industry leader in offering thematic and actively managed ETFs.   On the show, Matthew discusses: - His outlook on the current market environment and asset allocation - How to play pre-deal SPACs and deSPACs - Trend following, FOMO and tail risk strategies - His top investment pick for the next decade - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guests Craig Hurlbert, CEO of Local Bounti, and Ed Forst, Chairman of Leo Holdings. Local Bounti is a leader in controlled environment agriculture and is transforming the production and delivery of local, fresh and sustainably-grown leafy greens produce across the U.S. The company recently announced a merger with SPAC Leo Holdings III at a $760 million enterprise value.   On the podcast Craig and Ed discuss: - The thesis behind the founding of Local Bounti - Why Controlled Environment Agriculture is the future of farming - A look at the company’s competitors, customers and unit economics - What Leo Holdings found appealing about Local Bounti as a merger partner - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guest Justin Mirro, the President of Kensington Capital Partners and CEO of their SPAC, Kensington Capital Acquisition II. On the podcast, Justin discusses:   - His career that ranged from test driver to engineer to investment banker and now an investor, advisor and SPAC sponsor focused on the automotive space - The underlying thesis behind the Kensington Capital Acquisition series of SPACs - Key insights into Kensington’s SPAC merger with Wallbox at a $1.5 billion valuation - A discussion of Wallbox’s business model, customers and competitors - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guests Jared Kaplan, CEO of OppFi, and Kyle Cerminara, President of FG New America. OppFi, a leading financial technology platform that serves the everyday consumer, recently announced a merger with SPAC FG New America Acquisition Corp in a deal that valued the fintech company at $800 million.   On the podcast, Jared and Kyle discuss: - The need that OppFi fills in the market and what sets it apart from traditional financial services companies - How OppFi utilizes artificial intelligence for its financial products - The thesis behind FG New America and why they chose OppFi as a merger partner - What sets OppFi apart from other fintechs in the market - And more

On today’s podcast, we welcome special guests Neal Menashe, CEO of Super Group and Eric Grubman, Chairman of Sports Entertainment Acquisition. Super Group operates global online sports betting and gaming businesses including Betway and Spin. Sports Entertainment Acquisition is merging with Super Group in a deal that values the firm at $4.64 billion.   On the podcast, Neal and Eric discuss: - The importance of Super Group’s expansion into the emerging U.S. online sports betting and gaming market - Why the sports and gaming industry may offer attractive opportunities for investors - Insights into Super Group’s merger with SPAC Sports Entertainment Acquisition - Key growth initiatives of the newly-public company - How Super Group differentiates itself from competitors including Rush Street and DraftKings - And more

On today’s podcast we welcome special guest Joe Tonnos, Principal at Meteora Capital. Meteora is an affiliate of Glazer Capital, which is a New York-based investment management firm specializing in investment strategies such as arbitrage and SPACs.   On today’s show, Joe discusses: - What got him into SPAC investing - An insider’s view of what goes into being a SPAC sponsor - His experience with the Haymaker series of SPACs - Meteora’s approach to thinking about SPAC investing, including IPOs, working with sponsors and participating in PIPE financings - And more