Endowment & Foundation Forum 2018

Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA
November 13, 2018 - November 14, 2018

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The 20th Annual Endowment and Foundation Forum will provide a forum for fluid exchange of ideas concerning portfolio planning and investment strategies. Rather than focusing on a particular investment style, this conference examines a full range of critical investment topics germane to all Endowments and Foundations. The program will also highlight the need to align fiscal strategy with values and missions. Participants and delegates will speak on topics including necessity for non-profit governance for endowments, means of capturing alpha in a portfolio, methods of choosing managers, and problems of ethics and liability in fiduciary planning. With the ever-changing investment landscape, what can you do to ensure resilience and growth? Our program will address the pros and cons of investing in equity, fixed income, alternative, real estate products, and many more. By targeting industry sectors, guest speakers and participants can gain a greater understanding of how organizations can utilize and dovetail with trending investment strategies.

The conference format is designed to be educational with fireside chat style panels. Only a few educational standalone presentations will be permitted. No PowerPoint presentations will be allowed for any panel discussions.

To request our current agenda, participant list and sponsors


Current as of

7:00am

Exhibit Set-Up / Registration / Information Desk Opens

7:30am

Continental Breakfast & Registration

Sponsored by: World Gold Council

8:40am

Welcoming Keynote

Howard Nochumson, Executive Director, Washington Square Health Foundation

9:00am

Chief Investment Officer Roundtable

Moderator

Catherine M. Konicki, CFA, CAIA, Partner, NEPC, LLC

Panelists

James Higgins, Chief Investment Officer, Randolph Foundation

Gregory Brothers, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, South Texas College of Law Houston

Thomas Heck, Chief Investment Officer, Ball State University Foundation

9:45am

Shapiro Capital: Bringing a Private Equity Philosophy to a Publicly Traded Portfolio

Michael McCarthy, Portfolio Manager/Director of Research, Resolute Investment Managers, Inc.

Introduced by

Bill Higgins, Vice President, Institutional Markets and Consultant Relations, Resolute Investment Managers, Inc.

10:05am

Enhancing Portfolio Performance With Gold

Juan Carlos Artigas, Director, Investment Research, World Gold Council

Matthew Mark, Director US Asset Owners/Distribution, World Gold Council

10:25am

Networking Refreshment Break

Sponsored by: Resolute Investment Managers, Inc.

10:45am

Pinpointing Trends in Real Estate Investing

Moderator

Jim Schnorf, CPA, CMA, CGMA, Founding Member, Eastern Illinois University Foundation Investment Committee

Panelists

Bobby Sullivan, Principal, Halstatt Real Estate Partners

Chad Burkhardt, Senior Vice President, Private Real Estate, CenterSquare Investment Management LLC

Peter Palandjian, Chairman & CEO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation

11:30am

Financial Regimes and Nonprofit Governance

William Jarvis, Managing Director, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Corporation

12:00pm

Investing in Autonomous Technologies

Sponsored by: Emerge Capital Management Inc.

Tasha Keeney, Lead Analyst for Industrial Innovation, Ark Investment Management

12:20pm

Defining Risk, Fulfilling the Mission Portfolio Considerations in a Low Yield World

Marc Odo, Client Portfolio Manager, Swan Global Investments

12:40pm

Networking Luncheon

Sponsored by: Emerge Capital Management Inc.

2:00pm

Keynote Presentation: Investing Turbulent Markets

Dr. John Rutledge, CIO & Member - Investment Committee, Safanad

2:30pm
Moderator

Rui Falcon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Princeton Asset Management (MFO)

Panelists

Garett Bjorkman, VP of Portfolio Oversight, CIM Group

Marc Rosenthal, CIO, MP Securitized Credit Partners

Moderator

Gary Shugrue, Managing Director, Veritable L.P.

Panelist

Max Giolitti, Chief Risk Officer, Verus Investments

Thomas Donahoe, Investment Committee, Lavelle Fund for the Blind

Elizabeth Perlak, Principal Human Capital Business Partner, TriNet

3:15pm
Moderator

Don Shannon, Director, StepStone Group

Panelists

Joseph Cusick, Director of OIC Education and Business Development, The Options Industry Council

Kathryn M. Kaminski, Ph.D., CAIA, Chief Research Strategist, Portfolio Manager, AlphaSimplex Group, LLC

David Plants, Chief Investment Officer, Grace Cottage Foundation

Moderator

C. Joe McIntosh, Ed.D., Executive Director, Tarrant County College Foundation

Panelists

Jared Fuller, Head of Private Capital and Real Assets, Prime, Buchholz & Associates

Chad Williams, President & CEO, Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc.

Matt DenBleyker, CAIA, Senior Vice President, Real Assets Research, Fund Evaluation Group, LLC

4:00pm

Networking Refreshment Break

Sponsored by: Swan Global Investments

4:15pm
Moderator

Richard Marker, Co-Principal, Wise Philanthropy; Faculty Co-Director, University of Pennsylvania Center for High Impact Philanthropy

Panelists

Jason Franklin PhD, Kellogg Chair in Community Philanthropy, Johnson Center for Philanthropy; President, Ktisis Capital Advisors

Shawn Castellanos, National Senior Vice President, Mission Advancement, The American Heart Association (AHA)

John Schaetzl, Supervisory Board Chair, Access to Medicine Foundation

Moderator

Chenae W. Edwards, CPA, Senior Consultant, NEPC, LLC

Panelists

Pedro Escudero, CIO/CEO, DPM Capital

Steven L. Skancke, Ph.D., Chief Investment Strategist, Keel Point (MFO)

5:00pm
Moderator

Alice L. DonnaSelva, CFA, Principal, Intentional Endowments Network

Panelists

Christian McDonald, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Kennedy Capital Management, Inc.

K. Thomas Liaw, Professor of Finance, St. John's University

Carol Jeppesen, CAIA, Senior US Network Manager, United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI)

Moderator

Nina Streeter, Director, Asset Management, Abbott Downing

Panelists

Kevin M. Nichols, CAIA, CIMA, Senior Investment Management Consultant & Vice President, Morgan Stanley Consulting Group & Institutional Services

Dulari Pancholi, CFA, CAIA, Principal, NEPC, LLC.

Brian Dana, Principal, Meketa Investment Group

5:45pm

Cocktail Reception

Sponsored by: U.S. Trust, Bank of America Corporation

7:30am

Registration / Information Desk Opens / Continental Breakfast & Registration

 

8:10am

Opening Remarks

8:15am

Consultant Roundtable

Moderator

Thomas Forma, Senior Vice President - Senior Institutional Consultant, The Forma Group - Morgan Stanley

Panelists

Mark Johnson, Senior Managing Director, Cliffwater

Matt Seney, CFA, COO & Deputy CIO, Wainwright Investment Counsel

Michael Chase, Partner & Senior Consultant, Fiduciary Investment Advisors

9:00am

Constructing a Private Equity/Venture Playbook

Moderator

Craig Robbins, Director of Investments, Children’s Hospital of Minnesota

Panelists

Peter Gerlings, CFA, CAIA, Senior Vice President, Implemented Investment Consulting, Segal Marco Advisors

Jonathan Smiga, Managing Partner, Keen Growth Capital

Scott Smith, Director, Foundation For a Better Economy

9:45am

Conservative and Consistent Alpha Generation for Foundations

Lisa Langley, President & CEO, Emerge Capital Management, Inc.

10:05am

Networking Refreshment Break

10:30am

Investment Outsourcing

Moderator

Thomas Heck, Chief Investment Officer, Ball State University Foundation

Panelists

Craig Thomas, Managing Director, Verger Capital Management LLC

Poorvi R. Parekh, Director - Outsourced Investments, Canterbury Consulting Group

Bernard Reidy, Managing Director, Philanthropic Sales Executive, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Corporation

Jonathan Shear, Chief Investment Officer, University of Utah Investment Management

11:30am

Guidelines for an Effective Governance Structure

Moderator

Howard Nochumson, Executive Director, Washington Square Health Foundation

Panelists

Thomas Tritton, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Ohio Wesleyan University

Carolyn Weiss, CFO & Treasurer, New York Community Trust

Sheila Noonan, Partner, Aon Hewitt

12:15pm

Impact Investing

Boxed lunches will be provided for delegates to bring into this session

Moderator

Rebecca Buyers, Trustee, JWAB Trusts

Panelists

Kristine Pelletier, Principal, Senior Consultant, NEPC, LLC

Noradeen Farlekas, LP.D., CFA, Adjunct Professor, Fairfield University and Northeastern University

1:00pm

Conference Concludes

Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center" data-x="42.34923999999999" data-y="-71.04151239999999">
1star
Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center
1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA, USA
617-385-4000

Rooms Rates
King $309
Double/Double $309
*Room rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes (currently 14.45%) and fees which include a $1.00 per room, per night Service Fee and a $2.00 per room, per night Hotel Fee.

• Rooms are available only to those participants who are registered conference attendees.
• Rooms will not be guaranteed without a credit card.
• Rooms are allocated on a first come first serve basis. Room types/rates are subject to availability.
• The name on the form will be the name of the guest room.

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Our room block is currently closed. Below are recommended nearby hotels.

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The Westin Boston Waterfront
425 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210
7-10 minute walk
3-5 minute drive

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Aloft Boston Seaport District
401-403 D St, Boston, MA 02210
10-15 minute walk
5-10 minute drive

– – –

Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Downtown/Seaport
370 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
10-15 minute walk
5 minute drive

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InterContinental Hotel Boston
15-20 minute walk
10-15 minute drive

– – –

The Envoy Hotel, Autograph Collection
10-15 minute walk
5 minute drive

Registration Pricing

Earlybird Rate I
(exp 8/15)
Earlybird Rate II
(exp 9/27)
Standard Rate
Asset Managers & Service Providers $2,195 $2,395 $2,895
Endowment, Foundation, Family Offices, Non-Discretionary Consultant, Hospital/Healthcare Fund, Independent Fee-Only Investment Advisor ---- ---- Complimentary*

*Subject to Opal Group’s verification and approval. Only individuals who are in an investment allocation decision making role can be verified for a complimentary pass. Solution Providers or Fund Providers to 3rd parties will not be able to receive complimentary access. As investment portfolios/strategies are constantly changing, we reserve the right to re-verify past delegates for future complimentary passes.

Sponsorship, Exhibition & Speaking Opportunities 212.532.9898 info@opalgroup.net
  • New Investment Styles and Strategies
  • Challenges facing Endowments and Foundations
  • Asset Allocation: Identifying the appropriate asset classes for your portfolio
  • Hedge Funds
  • Risk Management
  • Fixed Income and Credit Markets
  • New Wave of Alternative Strategies
  • Equity Investing
  • Private Equity Investing
  • Impact Investing
  • Governance Insights—Making Complicated Issues
  • Simple for Trustees and Fiduciaries
  • Real Estate
  • Real Assets
  • Philanthropy and Program Related Investments
  • Emerging and Frontier Markets
  • Sustainable investing and fiduciary duty
  • CIO Outsourcing
  • The Changing Landscape for Endowments & Foundations
  • And many more!
  • Block Chain Managers
  • Broker Dealers
  • Consultants
  • Crypto Managers
  • Emerging Equity Managers
  • Emerging Fund of Funds
  • Emerging Hedge Funds
  • Emerging Private Equity
  • Emerging Real Estate Managers
  • Emerging Venture Capitalists
  • Endowments
  • Family Offices
  • Financial Planners
  • Fin Tech Companies
  • Foundations
  • Industry Service Providers
  • Insurance Companies
  • Minority Owned Firms
  • Pensions
  • Taft Hartley
  • Women Owned Firms

Investors vs. Managers/Service Providers

    Investor Breakdown

      Opal Group's Endowment and Foundation Forum in Boston is an excellent event that highlights not only the current trends and investment opportunities in the space but provides an exceptionally diverse platform for discussion. Unknown

      Unknown

      A very valuable and thought-provoking experience! Unknown

      Unknown

      Great conference! Opal's financial conference was much more valuable for our foundation than the typical regional conference for foundations. There were several actionable takeaways from these meetings that should help our foundation's future growth. Unknown

      Unknown