Insightful Investor

Tony Cusano is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Banner Ridge, a $7B alternative asset manager that focuses on secondaries. Tony describes the private market landscape and the unique opportunities available in the secondaries market.

Discover how Brian Higgins built one of the industry's premier hedge funds with insights on risk management and market outlook. Explore his financial journey from Wall Street influence to credit opportunities, and his approach to embracing challenges and constant growth in business. Learn about navigating investments with a focus on downside protection, global perspective, and credit market dynamics.

Ben Reeves, the CIO at Wealthsimple, oversees one of Canada's fastest growing and most trusted consumer finance companies. Offering distinctive insights, Ben explores the dynamics between institutional and retail investors and discusses the pivotal role that alternative investments play in optimizing portfolios.

Bob Elliott serves as the CEO, CIO, and co-founder of Unlimited, a company that leverages the power of machine learning to produce low-cost index replications of alternative investments. Before undertaking this role, Bob served as the head of Ray Dalio's investment team at Bridgewater, amassing 13 years of valuable experience. In today’s conversation, Bob delves into his insights on effective portfolio construction and offers a glimpse into his macro outlook.

Former Bridgewater strategist Paul Podolsky shares insights on thinking in frameworks, emerging technological changes, and the impact of investment religions. He discusses risk mitigation, geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and Taiwan, and the importance of intuition in investing and life lessons.

Welcome to Episode #1, where we introduce our host, Alex. In this inaugural episode, Alex delves into his background, revealing key investment lessons from his multi-decade journey in the field. He also discusses his inspiration behind starting this podcast. Special guest Damien Bisserier, Alex's long-term business partner and Co-CIO of Evoke Advisors, takes on the role of interviewer.

The Insightful Investor Podcast is a weekly series hosted by Alex Shahidi, Co-CIO of one of the nation's leading RIAs. In a conversational, "fireside chat" format, Alex interacts with the globe's premier investors and business icons to unearth distinct market insights rarely found elsewhere. While many investors echo common sentiments, our definition of "insights" includes concepts that are counterintuitive, widely misunderstood, or underappreciated. With two decades of experience managing over $10 billion in client assets, Alex gains unique access to the industry's top thinkers. He has authored two investment books, contributed to leading financial journals, and consistently ranks among the elite financial advisors by Forbes and Barron's. As an independent and innovative voice, Alex offers a fresh take compared to mainstream investment experts. We invite you to tune in. If something resonates, we'd love to hear your feedback.