Women hold just 10% of senior leadership positions in private equity—a trend mirrored across other asset classes. This list celebrates the women in finance who are changing that narrative. Meet our Top 24 in ’24 Women Championing Women in Finance! From seasoned industry veterans to emerging stars, these trailblazers are shaping the future of finance, forging new paths, and creating spaces where women can connect, collaborate, and thrive.

Women’s Private Equity Summit
June 12-14, 2023 | Allocator Track

Allocators are among the most influential players in the private equity ecosystem. This track explores their key investment opportunities and how to evaluate risks, adjust allocations, and select the right portfolio managers. Thought leaders from endowments, foundations, family offices, and pensions will share their goals and strategies alongside other private equity experts.

Panel: A Decade of Institutional Investing: Switchbacks, Mudslides and Summits
June 13th | 2:00 PM ET

A decade in investing is similar to a long journey across awe-inspiring but treacherous terrain. We are honored to invite back four individuals who were at our very first Kayo Summit to share their journey over the past decade. We’ll learn how these individuals evolved as investors, leaders, and professionals in the past 10 years. We’ll talk about switchbacks where they were forced to pivot, summits where they achieved a goal and gained perspective, and maybe even a few mudslides where they lost their footing or experienced failures. Finally, our trailblazers will leave us with tips, hacks, and tools we can borrow for our own journey ahead.

Speakers confirmed: Kristina Koutrakos, Virginia Retirement System, Amy Chen, Smithsonian Institution, Emily Sumner, Glider Office for Growth LLC, Kathryn Regan, Ares Management, Lynn Alexander, Kelso & Company, Morgan Holzaepfel, Adams Street Partners

Panel: Emerging Managers Strategies for 2023 and Beyond
June 12th | 2:45 PM ET

It’s a very tough environment for emerging managers. But, it’s never impossible.  This panel of allocators are either focused on diverse and emerging managers, or at least interested to allocate more to this group of managers.  How do you define diverse and emerging managers?  What are the challenges and frustrations investing in this segment of the market?  Will a recessionary environment create more hurdles? Are there success stories to share?

Speakers confirmed: Aris Hatch, GCM Grosvenor, Deborah Medenica, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Amy Ridge, Mercer, Dana Johns, Maryland State Retirement System

Fireside Chat: Being a Champion for Endowments & Foundations: The Disciplina Story
June 12th | 3:30 PM ET

Jackie Robinson once said “A Life is Not Important Unless it Impacts Other Lives”.  In 2013, a group of leading institutional investors in the endowment sectors had a vision that they could make a greater impact for resource constrained, mission-driven organizations like endowments and foundations. A decade later, Alena Kuprevich, Matthew Wright and Brant Smith have an incredible story to share.

Speakers confirmed: Alena Kuprevich, Disciplina

Track Sponsored by: Kelso & Company and Ares Management 

Join us at our Private Equity Summit to hear valuable insight in the Allocator sector. Register here.

Some of the most important institutional investors can be found on the West Coast – including foundations such as Kaiser Family and James Irvine along with endowments like The California Endowment, Berkeley, and Pomona College. This 23 in ’23 list shines a light on endowment and foundation leaders who find investment opportunities to create financial returns that go towards an important mission. By stewarding capital for their institutions, these women create opportunities for many people, including many other women, to pursue their dreams.

 Download our Top 23 in 2023: West Coast Women in Endowments & Foundations

2023 continues to present new opportunities and challenges in the REITs sector.
The top investors, brokers, operators and legal advisors in the REITs space are working to address challenges and identify opportunities from historic surges in interest rates, high dividend fields, and attractive opportunistic M&A for more well capitalized REITs. Meet our top 23 in ’23 Women in REITs, who are driving change in the Real Estate Industry.

 Download our Top 23 in 2023: Women in REITs

Women’s Private Equity Summit 

Borrower/Lender 1:1 Speed Networking

There is no question that private equity deal activity (along with the broader M&A market) has slowed in 2022. Compared to the previous year, the volume of controlling-stake M&A deals has fallen by 46%, according to Bloomberg Law.

One factor affecting deal volumes is the difficulty in securing financing for typical private equity LBOs (leveraged buyouts). Financing for LBOs, which for years has been an important driver of private equity M&A volume (especially in 2021), faced significant roadblocks in 2022.

In addition, as yields surged throughout 2022, banks that have underwritten financing for LBOs have been struggling to re-sell high those debt obligations, leaving them with high-risk debt on their balance sheets, and often forcing them to sell that debt at steep discounts. As a result, many banks are now wary of buyout transactions, leaving private equity dealmakers without the primary source of funding for M&A in the last decade. When surveyed by Private Equity Wire in October 2022, more than 70% of private equity general partners said they expect a decrease in deal volume during the first half of 2023 because of the borrowing environment. They also expressed concern for the elevated cost of debt pricing.

Deepening this issue is the challenge of finding exits in an M&A market that is expected to become increasingly difficult to sell into. Liquid capital, which is normally received from the distribution of private funds, will be critical in a down market as managers seek new capital to boost growth in their funds.

How Kayo can help: At this year’s Private Equity Summit in Miami, we’re aiming to improve the networking experience for our attendees. Your team has done the work to source your next great deal, but financing is more challenging than ever.

The solution? We’ve organized a 1-hour Borrower-Lender Speed Networking event as a pre-conference session to help you connect with lenders.

We are offering a complimentary all-access pass to the Summit for the first 10 participants to register for this exclusive segment. The pass includes access to over 30 sessions of curated industry content.

When:  Monday, June 12th, 2023 – 11 am-12 pm
Where:  The Loews Miami Beach Hotel
What:  Invite Only Borrower-Lender Speed Networking – Each participant receives five 10-minute meetings
Who:  Borrowers + Lenders representing private credit firms and commercial banks from our Kayo community

Next Step: Submit an application below to be considered as a participant in the 1:1 networking opportunity.

Some of the most important institutional investors can be found in American’s Heartland – including hospital systems like Advocate Aurora Health, top universities such as University of Chicago and Northwestern University and foundations such as Ewing Marion Kauffman, Kresge and W. K. Kellogg. This 23 in ’23 report shines a light on endowment and foundation leaders who find investment opportunities to create financial returns that go towards an important mission. By stewarding capital for their institutions, these women create opportunities for many people, including many other women, to pursue their dreams.

 Download our Top 23 in 2023: Midwest Women in Endowments & Foundations

2023 continues to present new opportunities and challenges in the multi-family sector. The top investors in the multi-family space are working to address challenges and identify opportunities from short-term demand drivers, occupancy and rent market dynamics, debt and equity investment activity, pricing trends and more. Meet our top 23 in ’23 Women in Multi-Family Investing, who are driving change in the Real Estate Industry.

 Download our Top 23 in 2023: Women in Multi-Family Investing

Women’s Sustainable Investing Summit 

ESG | Socially Responsible Investing | Impact Investing | Energy Transition 

In the last decade, sustainable investing has gone from a niche investment idea to a mainstream category of alternative investing.  Incredible visionaries drove this growth, many of whom happen to be women. This has inspired us here at the Kayo Conference Series, where our mission is to walk alongside women trailblazers on their path to success.  Pioneers in sustainable investing are truly inspiring, often walking alone in brand new territory. Thus, at the 10-year anniversary program of the Kayo Conference Series, it’s an honor to present the 2nd Annual Kayo Women’s Sustainable Investing Summit (the “Sustainable Investing Summit”).  Taking place alongside two of Kayo’s flagship conferences in private equity and real estate, the Sustainable Investing Summit will bring together a group of 150 leaders from across the sustainable investing ecosystem.  

• When: June 12-14, 2023 
• Where: Loews Miami Beach Hotel 
• Who: 150 women leaders in sustainable investing 
• What: 3-days of content, networking and exploration 

Kayo distinguishes itself by creating intentional, curated experiences for women investors. Our team has designed a special Attendee Journey for this summit – a step-by-step path where attendees meet, learn, enjoy each other and grow themselves over three days.   

Early Arrival Activities 

Meeting people should be simple and easy, and it should happen early on.  Early arrivers will have space and time to explore the Exhibit Hall, Connection Café and the Networking Lounge which all open at 9:00AM.  Additionally, early arrivers can take part in structured networking activities, including: 

• Knockout Networking: 90-minute structured networking activity where attendees begin authentic relationships over small-group roundtables.   
• 1:1 Speed Networking: 60-minute structured networking where key groups like GPs & LPs can connect efficiently.  
• Speaker Prep Workshop: Two-hour workshop for speakers to polish their speaking skills before gracing the stage. 

Keynote, Tracks & Content 

Breaking thought patterns, expanding perspectives and sharing wisdom from inspiring leaders are the goals of our program. Content kicks off at 1PM on June 12th and continues through 4PM on June 13th.  Expect a highly curated agenda, with 35 incredible speakers creating conversations around ESG, impact investing, capital allocation, the energy transition and sustainable infrastructure. 

• Keynote Speakers 

• Olivia Wassenaar (Global Head of Sustainable Investing & Co-Head of Natural Resources, Apollo Global Management) 
• Renee Grogan (Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, Impossible Metals) 

• Sarah Samuels (Head of Investment Manager Research, NEPC)  

• Fundamentals Track: Although terms like ESG, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Impact Investing are often used interchangeably, they mean very different things. This Track explores and defines each of these approaches to sustainable investing. A sneak peek of the speakers include: Cody Nystrom (SJF Ventures), Priya Parrish (Impact Engine) and Julie Lein (Urban Innovation Fund). 
• Sector Track:  The sector spotlight focuses on the energy and infrastructure sectors. The Energy Transition is a complex endeavor, with regulatory, economic, geopolitical and scientific obstacles at every turn. A sneak peek of the speakers include: Erika Taugher Rietze (Pattern Energy), Sue Yang Krochmal (Antin Infrastructure) and Chrissy Benson (Orion Energy) 
• Allocators Track:  Raising capital for sustainable investing is critical.  This track explores how institutional investors approach sustainable investing.  As the industry matures, which allocators are interested in sustainability investing, and how do they evaluate managers? A sneak peek of the speakers include: Bhavika Vyas (Stepstone), Katherine Kroll (Brown Advisory) and Julia Fish (Glenmede Trust) 

Fun 

Laughter and shared experiences are two of the most effective ways to create relationships and longtime memories. Lighter moments invite attendees to take off their “work armor” and be their true authentic selves.  

• Wind-Down Walk  
• Oceanfront Yoga 
• Miami nightlife  

Professional Development 

Plateaus, obstacles, burn-out – sometimes it’s a struggle to take the next step forward or upward.  That’s why the last day of the conference has three professional development workshops.  Take a moment to pause, question assumptions and map out the next step of your career. 

• Navigating Mid-Level Leadership 
• Emerging Leaders 
• Board Readiness 

Registration is open.  This three-day event on June 12-14, 2023 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in South Beach, Florida is designed as an experiential conference where attendees step away from their day-to-day, gain perspective and focus on building their network.   At the end of the program, women in sustainable investing will be uniquely prepared, stabilized by a supportive community, come what may. 

Sustainable investing has gone from a side-show to center-stage for many institutional investors.  Sustainability can be defined in different ways, from ESG implementation, to Thematic Investing (e.g. Energy Transition) to pure play Impact Investing. Our 23 in 23 Leaders in ESG and Sustainable Investing may have different definitions and goals but they all share a passion for making the investing industry more resilient, having a positive impact and finding the entrepreneurs and fund managers with visions of better future.

 Download our Top 23 in 2023: Allocators in ESG & Sustainable Investing

Women’s Sustainable Investing Summit
June 12-14, 2023 | Sector Spotlight: Energy Transition & Infrastructure 

The path to net zero is redefining business and investment strategies across key industries like power, transportation, utilities, and agriculture. This track explores investment trends in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, including how managers are navigating the numerous financial, regulatory, and geopolitical headwinds.

Panel: Energy Transition: Where Are We Today?
June 13th | 11:00 AM ET

The Energy Transition is a complex endeavor, with regulatory, economic, geopolitical and scientific obstacles at every turn.  What technology is needed? What areas need more attention and capital? How do energy firms manage risk around geopolitical issues, inflation and other factors outside of their control?  This panel of Energy Transition Pioneers will share their best ideas, what obstacles are in their way today and how this community at Kayo can help.

Speakers confirmed: Ritu Sachdeva, Riverbend Energy Group, Ines Tovo, Blackstone, Erika Taugher, Pattern Energy Group, Jessica Hammons, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Panel: Sustainable Infrastructure 
June 13th | 11:45 AM ET

Demand for infrastructure improvements across the globe remains enormous, and pressure from allocators to develop sustainable investment plans is mounting. How are managers addressing the overwhelming needs and maneuvering challenges across sectors,  including transportation, renewable energy, digital, and social? We’ll hear how investors incorporate both impact investment approaches and ESG risk factors into their sustainable investment plans.

Speakers confirmed: Kemi Christina Abdul, BlueHaven, Chrissy Benson, Orion Infrastructure Capital, Sue Yang Krochmal, Antin Infrastructure, Susan Lent, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Track Sponsored by: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Join us at our Sustainable Investing Summit to hear valuable insight in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Register here.

Women’s Private Equity Summit
June 12-14, 2023 | Talent Track

A company’s success and resilience relies on its people. Attracting and retaining top talent requires the right recipe of leadership, total compensation, and culture. This track examines the talent strategies of private equity firms and portfolio companies in a competitive labor market.  

Panel: Will Your Leadership Teams Sink or Swim in Storms Ahead?
June 12th | 2:15 PM ET

The quality of portfolio company management is the reason most cited for deal success and the second most-cited reason for deal failure. Having the wrong leadership, particularly during a downturn, can come with a heavy price. As fears of a slowdown loom, how do you know your management teams are prepared?

Speakers confirmed: Annah Jamison, General Atlantic, Caroline Young, Frist Cressey Ventures, Tatjana Paterno, Bass, Berry & Sims

Panel: Culture: Deal-Maker or Deal-Breaker?
June 12th | 3:00 PM ET

To win the talent game, private equity firm cultures are evolving. We will join women leaders from across the private equity landscape to discuss the importance of being intentional, shaking up the norms, and creating inclusive cultures where employees are engaged and valued. How can firms and their portfolio company leaders successfully collaborate on a talent strategy? How are companies developing meaningful and effective DEI policies? This panel will highlight and celebrate the success stories of women who are trailblazing in talent.

Speakers confirmed: Emily Kasprzak White, Clearsight Advisors, Amy Buckner Chowdhry, AnswerLab, Laura Held, Shamrock Capital, Victoria Solarino, Kelso & Company

Panel: The Unique Abilities of Operating Partners
June 12th | 3:45 PM ET

Operating Partners often transition into private equity from industry background, adding a unique perspective to a team full of “finance geeks”. This panel will explore the role that Operating Partners play on a private equity team today, and how they interact and drive value creation at portfolio companies.

Speakers confirmed: Lisa Dombro, Revelstoke Capital Partners, Latasha Akoma, GenNx360 Capital Partners, Deb Crimmins, Sheridan Capital Partners, Ellen Kim, Rotunda Capital Partners, Angela Humphreys, Bass, Berry & Sims

Track Sponsored by: Bass, Berry & Sims

Join us at our Private Equity Summit to hear valuable insight in the talent sector. Register here.

Women’s Private Equity Summit
June 12-14, 2023 | Capital Development Track

Allocators remain eager to invest in alternatives but are more selective and constrained. Consequently, capital raising has become more challenging for both seasoned and emerging managers. This track explores fund formation, trends, and the crucial role of the allocator and general partner relationship before, during, and after a fundraise.

Panel: Being Authentic in a Transactional World
June 12th | 2:15 PM ET

Private equity is a relationship business, and it’s more fun when those relationships are authentic and meaningful.  Business development leaders walk that line carefully, knowing that not every fund is a fit for every allocator at any every moment.  This panel of leading capital development pros will share secrets on how to find the right partners for the right products. Learn tips on building partnerships with allocators and avoiding transactional relationships. We’ll hear about fundraising successes and failures, and enduring tips for capital raising throughout cycles.

Speakers confirmed: Jordan Peer Griffin, H.I.G. Capital, Marcelia Freeman, Clearlake Capital Group, Emila Damjanovic, Lead Edge Capital, Lindsay Grider, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners

Panel: What Does Recession Mean For Private Markets?
June 12th | 3:00 PM ET

For many institutional investors and private equity professionals, present day may be their first time facing a the threat of a true economic downturn. What lessons can be gleaned from professionals who navigated the last recession? Are there similarities and differences?  What were common mistakes?  How does a recession impact fundraising and term sheets?  How can institutional investors seize opportunities and emerge stronger on the other side?

Speakers confirmed: Ilene Levinson, Hamilton Lane, Meera Patel, Accolade Partners, Kee Tilghman Rabb, Apogem Capital, Emily Bertsche Murto, UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust

Panel: How Newcomers Find Traction

It’s a very tough environment for emerging managers. But, it’s never impossible.  We’ll hear from newcomers who have gotten over the hurdle of their first fund raise and are working on fund two as well as women and diverse managers who have now crossed the $1 billion fund mark – an incredible milestone.  How have newcomers found traction in fundraising? What lessons can they share with other managers?

Speakers confirmed: Tamika Tyson, TGC Impact, Robyn Slutzky, Arctos Partners, Natalie Walker, StepStone Group

Track Sponsored by: Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Join us at our Private Equity Summit to hear valuable insight in the capital development sector. Register here.

Women’s Private Equity Summit
June 12-14, 2023 | PE Finance Track

Finding debt financing is becoming a top variable in closing private equity deals. Rising interest rates have challenged financial sponsors to get more creative in finding financing and negotiating term sheets.  Lenders meanwhile can be more selective and seek more protections in new term sheets.  This track will explore the key trends in leveraged finance today, including debt capital markets outlook, evolving term sheets and challenges facing both borrowers and lenders in today’s market.

Panel: What Choppy Debt Markets Mean For Private Equity
June 13th | 2:00 PM ET

With a pullback in leveraged loans, rising rates, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty, will financing deals become an even bigger challenge for private equity?  How is the PE industry approaching deal financing in the current environment? Bypassing banks and going to direct lenders is an explosive trend – but will there be stricter covenants and more scrutiny there too?  This panel will be a conversation amongst the capital market pros inside private equity firms as well as their counterparts in leveraged finance and private credit on the state of private equity finance – exploring term sheet trends, obstacles, and expected changes ahead.

Speakers confirmed: Laleh Bashirrad, BNP Paribas, Lauren Tanenbaum, The Carlyle Group, Sandra Mason, Audax Private Equity, Emily Knickel, Barclays

Moderator: Soo-ah Nah, Dechert, LLP

Panel: Private Credit: An All-Weather Asset Class?
June 13th | 2:45 PM ET

Private credit is currently the third-largest private capital asset class, and assets under management in private credit are projected to grow to $1.46 trillion by 2025.  Private credit is often regarded as an “all-weather” asset, one that is able to perform well during times that are both favorable and unfavorable for private asset investors. Our panel of experts will examine the validity of this claim – is the resilience of private credit fact or mere speculation? Will private debt, such as floating rate loans provide a hedge against rising interest rates and yield greater returns than other types of bonds in the year to come?

Speakers confirmed: Dulari Pancholi, NEPC, Carolyn Hastings, Bain Capital Credit, Puja Parekh, MidCap Financial Services, Richa Tandon, Benefit Street Partners

Moderator: Nicole Macarchuk, Dechert

Keynote: Lindsey Piegza, Stifel Financial Corp.

Chief Economist Dr. Lindsey Piegza will look at the current state of the economy amid the pandemic recovery and what it means going forward for overall growth, interest rates, and lending. She will cover macroeconomic trends in consumer spending and investment, in addition to new monetary and fiscal policy initiatives and the potential economic effects of these changes. She will also examine the changing global and political environment, and how it will affect economic recovery. Participants will leave this session able to advise management teams and investment committees on the possible effect of economic issues on their organizations.

Track Sponsored by: Dechert, LLP

Join us at our Private Equity Summit to hear valuable insight in the private equity finance sector. Register here.

Fintech is the future of finance and an open frontier for pioneering investors, many of whom happen to be women. We are fascinated by the women leading innovation and investment in the space. These 22 in 22 female venture capitalists and entrepreneurs are the part of the driving force behind new technologies, start-ups, innovations, and expansions in the space.

 Download our Top 22 in 2022: Women in Fintech

Kayo makes its home in Charlottesville, Virginia – just steps away from the University of Virginia, one of the nation’s top universities and a source of great inspiration to our team. Every day, we see the impact that endowments and foundations have on opening doors for the next generation. Investment professionals at these institutions have great responsibilities and are known for their creativity, agility, and results.  These 22 women endowment and foundation investors are exemplars of the Southeast’s leaders in endowment-style investing. By stewarding capital for their institutions, these women are creating opportunities for many people, including many other women, to pursue their dreams.

 Download our Top 22 in 2022: Southeast’s Leading Endowment Investors

Show women you walk beside them. When you sponsor a Kayo event,
you put the women in your organization on a path to success.
Kayo, and our sponsors, create a warm, welcoming environment
where women feel empowered, championed and energized.

Show women you walk beside them. When you sponsor a Kayo event,
you put the women in your organization on a path to success.
Kayo, and our sponsors, create a warm, welcoming environment
where women feel empowered, championed and energized.

Show women you walk beside them. When you sponsor a Kayo event,
you put the women in your organization on a path to success.
Kayo, and our sponsors, create a warm, welcoming environment
where women feel empowered, championed and energized.

For decades, women have been making waves within the supply chain and logistics industry.  Now, we need them more than ever.  The impacts of supply chain disruption and gridlock are becoming all too familiar: shortages, inflation, factory closures, goods waiting at ports to be unloaded.  Here are the women leaders building more industrial warehousing space, investing in North American freight infrastructure and implementing technology to stabilize and modernize our economy.  

 Download our Top 22 in 2022: Women in Supply Chain

Demand for renewable energy is skyrocketing. Supply chains across the globe incorporate cleaner sources of energy to power operations. Corporations must meet sustainability targets, consumers snatch up electric vehicles, and governments incentivize the adoption of clean energy technologies. So, who are the brilliant minds financing and developing the next wave of the renewable energy projects? Meet 22 of the industry’s leading women securing the capital and designing the infrastructure in support of our desire for a brighter future.  

 Download our Top 22 in 2022: Women in Renewable Energy
Finance Development List

 Hear a few of our 22 in ’22 speak at our upcoming 2022 Renewable Energy Outlook Webinar on July 20th, 2022. Register here.

Sponsored by:

For the last twelve years, Kelly Lineberger has forged her career alongside the explosion of private equity, specifically building the Ridgemont Equity Partner’s platform. As Principal in the Origination and Capital Markets division, Kelly is challenged to sift through thousands of potential investments. The task is not easy. But knowing when to lead and when to learn has set her up for continued success. In this episode, we’ll explore the evolution of the capital markets function in the increasingly complex private equity industry.  

Guests: Kelly Lineberger, Ridgemont Equity Partners

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

As we mature, society often pressures us to avoid failure. Failure is bad and deserves to be feared. But Lauren Soulis, Vice President in the Power & Renewables Group at Prudential Private Capital, missed that lesson early on. Lauren’s natural curiosity and thirst for challenge has set her down a not-so-linear path where she now finances the next generation of power projects that keep our lights on. In this episode, we’ll sit down with Lauren, the mind behind these complex transactions, to explore how the power investment landscape is evolving. 

Guests: Lauren Soulis, Prudential Private Capital

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

As the investor hunt for yield persists and competition across credit funds heightens, debt lenders and their advisors are busy originating, underwriting, executing and monitoring an overwhelming number of deals. Lenders are eager both in strengthening existing partnerships and foraging new relationships with investors, borrowers and private equity sponsors all while managing risk and reward. This report features 22 of the leading women identifying opportunity and creating value in the alternative credit market today.

Download our Top 22 in 2022: Leaders in Credit and Debt Finance Report.

Hear some of our 22 in ’22 Leaders speak at our upcoming Women’s Credit and Debt Finance Summit on June 13-14. Learn more here.

presented with

Tasked with navigating interest rates, inflation, rising commodity prices, and supply chain shortages, leveraged finance and capital markets professionals play a critical role in financing private companies. Experts in relationship building, these professionals must remain aware of all financing options as the market grows increasingly complex with the rise of private credit. Our 22in22 report recognizes the top women leaders in leveraged finance at private equity firms across the nation.

Download our Top 22 in 2022: Women in Leveraged Finance

M&A transactions can appear dauting, involving complex technical and high stakes elements. But at its core, M&A really focuses on leveraging the human relationships and processes of two combined businesses. As a community centric and naturally social person, Gabrielle DiBernadri, an Associate at Ropes & Gray, has found a unique way to share her gifts when advising her private equity clients. We’ll sit down with Gabrielle as she shares her secrets of bringing authenticity and fun into dealmaking and fostering business relationships. 

Guests: Gabrielle DiBernadri, Associate at Ropes & Gray

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

It was another momentous year for science in 2021 and 2022 shows no signs of slowing down. Opportunities and challenges alike fuel female founders and executives in the life science ecosystem to spark further innovation.  Recognizing true trailblazers within the industry, meet the 22 in ’22 Women in Life Sciences who are investing in, growing, and advising companies in emerging areas of disruption like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and genetics.

Download our Top 22 in 2022: Women in Life Sciences Report

presented with

Trends in Data Privacy and Law

“One of the most obvious trends is the convergence of global privacy laws along the lines of the GDPR, as we’ve seen. So, I think that we’re going to move forward in terms of granting data, subject rights, globally across the board, partly in order to get that adequacy decision. And also just because that’s the trend. That’s the legal trend right now. I think it’s a safe bet that the world is not going to move away from those rights – those rights are going to continue to expand.”

-Karen Neuman, Partner at the law firm, Dechert and co-chair of the firm’s global privacy & cybersecurity practice and Leah Perry, Chief Privacy Officer & Global Head of Public Policy at Box.

Listen to the full podcast episode here. 

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Dechert.

Ransoms (Part 1): What are the Threats? 

“Phishing continues to be the primary threat vector for ransomware cases. And it’s very difficult, right? Because every company has people with email accounts, I have never literally seen an environment with a 0% click rate on phishing campaigns, which means people are people, they get busy, they make mistakes. So, the bad guys know this, and they really do continue to sort of leverage that as the primary way.” 

-Brenda Sharton, Partner at international leading law firm Dechert and John Ansbach from Stroz Friedberg, a division of Aon 

Listen to the full podcast episode here. 

Ransoms (Part 2): Should You Pay the Ransom? 

“There’s no 100% guarantee that if you make a payment to a threat actor that that they’re going to honor that. And by honor it, I mean, either give you decryption keys, so you can decrypt your systems and/or give you your data back or not publish your data. There’s never a 100% guarantee on that. That being said, I will tell you from our experience, and certainly my personal experience in incident response, threat actors, certainly more often than not, do honor that commitment.”

-Brenda Sharton, Partner at international leading law firm Dechert and John Ansbach from Stroz Friedberg, a division of Aon

Listen to the full podcast episode here.

Ransoms (Part 3): How to Avoid a Ransomware Crisis  

“One way is training – everybody in your organization, from your receptionist, to your CEO and everyone in between, is a point of compromise. What we want is we want people to be trained not just on onboarding, but on an iterative ongoing basis, to help them resist cyber-attacks. This can be everything, from simple training on how to resist phishing, how to identify phishing attacks, the role you can play, how to spot an email that it’s nefarious with a bad attachment.”

-Brenda Sharton, Partner at international leading law firm Dechert and John Ansbach from Stroz Friedberg, a division of Aon

Listen to the full podcast episode here.

“I’m going to do what I love until I don’t love it anymore.” That’s the mantra that has guided Devika Kornbacher on her path from ministry to engineering to law and technology.  Combining her engineering mind and a knack for issue spotting problem solving, Devika has found a career she loves as a Partner in technology transactions and intellectual property at Vinson & Elkins. In this episode, we’ll learn about her journey, obstacles she’s overcome and the mindset that drives her forward today. 

Guests: Devika Kornbacher, Partner — Technology Transactions & Intellectual Property, Vinson & Elkins 

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

Unlike stereotypes of lawyers from bygone days, today’s up-and-coming corporate attorneys are refreshingly entrepreneurial, energized and purpose-driven. Tammy Davies exemplifies this new archetype.  In her role as an Associate in the Alternative Lender and Private Credit practice at Paul Hastings, she spends her days helping alternative lenders and investors in complex credit arrangements. What you might not know is how Tammy important her relationships are and how she intends to make an impact through her daily interactions. This episode explores Tammy’s journey into law, obstacles she has overcome and what keeps her energized. 

Guests: Tammy Davies, Paul Hastings

Resources: https://www.paulhastings.com/insights

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

Keeping up with data privacy is an enormous challenge for companies of all shapes and sizes. Business leaders need to be ready for quick shifts in data privacy and data protection laws.  This podcast is a conversation between two of the top minds in data privacy and law, Karen Neuman, Partner at the law firm, Dechert and co-chair of the firm’s global privacy & cybersecurity practice and Leah Perry, Chief Privacy Officer & Global Head of Public Policy at Box, a publicly traded Cloud Content Management company that empowers enterprises to revolutionize how they work by securely connecting their people, information and application.  We’ll hear about what keeps them up at night, the biggest privacy legal trends in 2021 and tips for how companies can scale whilst adhering to the nuanced privacy laws across different jurisdictions. 

Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Dechert LLP

Guests: Karen Neuman, Partner and Co-Chair of Global Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, Dechert LLP; and Leah Perry, Senior Director, Chief Privacy Officer & Global Head of Public Policy, at Box, Inc 

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

PLATINUM

“THE TRAILBLAZER”

HEADLINE

“THE CHAMPION”

GOLD

“THE GUIDE”

In our final episode of our 3-part series on affordable and essential housing, we speak with architect Nancy Bastian who specializes in affordable housing projects in Philadelphia.  Whether she is working on senior housing or buildings for families, her goal is to make “people feel like a million bucks” when they reside in a unit she has designed.  “Constraints are awesome”, according to Nancy; low budget, complex approval processes and special needs of tenants require creativity and beauty which makes this work especially fun and rewarding.  

Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, AEW Capital Management 

Speaker: Nancy Bastian, Partner of Cecil + Partners

Resources: Download AEW’s report on Essential Housing 

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

In our next episode of our 3-part series on affordable and essential housing, let’s talk about solving the Essential Housing shortage.  Julie Kittler is a real estate investor and asset manager specializing in the multifamily sector. Nicknamed “The Secret Weapon”, Julie oversees the performance of 28,000 rental units in her team’s portfolio.  With this vantage point, Julie sees opportunities across the real estate spectrum from Class A to Essential Housing, and helps us understand why institutional investors might find essential housing a natural fit in their core portfolios. 

This episode is presented by AEW Capital Management 

Speaker: Julie Kitler, Investment Manager and Multifamily Team Leader, AEW

Resources: Download AEW’s report on Essential Housing 

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

In the first of our 3-part series on affordable housing, we’ll try to understand the problem.  There is a shortage of housing today in the segment of the United States housing market which services low and moderate income workers – called Essential Housing or sometimes Affordable Housing. Essential Housing renters have few housing choices that they can afford in locations where they would like to live. What’s driving this supply and demand imbalance? What makes something unaffordable? How can institutional capital help? 

This episode is presented by AEW Capital Management 

Speaker: Michael Acton, Managing Director, Head of AEW Research, AEW 

Mike Acton, CFA, is a Managing Director of the firm and AEW’s Head of Research with responsibility for directing the activities of AEW Research, the firm’s in-house research group. He works closely with the Fund’s investment management team in the development of the Fund’s investment strategy and criteria. Mr. Acton joined the firm in 1990 and has 34 years of experience as an economic analyst and forecaster. He is a standing member of the firm’s Investment Committee, Management Committee and Risk Management Committee. The resources of AEW Research are an integral part of AEW’s investment process and Mr. Acton works closely with senior professionals in all areas of the firm to develop investment strategies that match clients’ risk/reward objectives with market opportunities. Mr. Acton is also a member of the firm’s Compliance Committee. Prior to joining AEW, he was with DRI/McGraw-Hill where he managed the Metropolitan Area Forecasting Service. He is a graduate of Bates College (B.A.) and a CFA charterholder. 

Resources: Download AEW’s report on Essential Housing 

Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcast here.

Priya Parrish is Managing Partner at Impact Engine. She also is Professor of Strategy and Impact Investing at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business where she teaches, mentors, and supports MBA courses and programs about impact investing.

We recently sat down with Priya to learn more about her career journey and how she got into Impact Investing.

Can you share about your role and background in impact investing?

At a young age, I was an entrepreneur and wanted to use those skills for social good. This sparked my interest in impact investing, which I pursued coming out of college by working at the very first ESG ratings provider, a group called KLD. There, I led a project to sell their research and indices, not just to the socially responsible investing (SRI) financial advisors, but to mainstream asset managers where we created the first ESG ETF on the iShares platform. I then joined Northern Trust as a product manager where I initiated the launch of their ESG practice. Afterwards, I wanted to gain more investment skills and spent a bulk of my career at a large fund of hedge funds called Aurora Investment Management, and from there became the Chief Investment Officer of a single family office. In 2008, I joined Impact Engine to go back to impact investing, but now as an experienced investment professional.

What is a bottleneck for you right now?

Capital. Some believe that talent is the bottleneck in impact investing, but there is an oversupply of talented investment professionals seeking impact investing jobs. Everyone sees the headlines about the high growth rates in allocations to impact investing, but it’s off a small base. It’s still very difficult for newer firms and smaller firms, which is the vast majority of impact funds, to raise capital.

What trends in Impact Investing are most interesting to you right now? Where do you see the industry moving in the next 3-5 years?

Over time, I think we’re going to see managers develop more specific impact strategies for their markets. So, if you’re an investor in healthcare, or you’re an investor in like B2B service companies that tend to employ a lot of low-wage earners, or if you’re investing into sectors that have really complex supply chains, your approach to impact is very much going to vary. And that nuance will only come with the first step of honestly asking the question, “how can we create impact with our investments” rather than starting with the more common decision to say you drive impact without determining what or how.

I’m hopeful that we’re going to see more LPs educated and supporting GPs doing this, and it being a real back and forth relationship.  We think this is a critical role for LPs, and it’s why we make investments in companies and funds.

What has the last year been like as an entrepreneur?

I’ve invested in a lot of new funds or emerging managers over my career. But until you step into that seat of being a new fund manager and experience all of the structural barriers to entry, you don’t realize just really how hard it is. And so, it’s been a lot of hustle and perseverance. It’s also required a lot of educational conversations, as most investors don’t start with the decision to make an impact investment. We have to help them understand what it is, how we do it, and why it can generate just as strong returns as non-impact investments.

What guides you to want to teach and train the next generation?

I think that good impact investors are critical thinkers and they’re problem-solvers. And they’re creatives with a technical skill. And you don’t get that by following a linear path that Career Services told you to pursue, but rather by charting a multi-disciplinary path. So, anyone pursuing this career needs support, and I’m passionate about helping the next generation. This is why I teach impact investing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. I hope that one day you can’t get a finance major at any business school unless you took impact investing and impact investing is actually incorporated in your finance class.

What advice do you have for women who want to create impact in an industry where it isn’t as intentional? 

There’s this word – additionality – that impact investors use. It refers to the impact created specifically by your investment or involvement. The interesting thing about private equity is that you win by having influence and creating value. So a good investor is already in the position to create additionality. It doesn’t matter whether you’re investing in sectors that are considered impactful or not. In fact, a private equity investor in the industrial sector, for example, can create impact by engaging with its companies on their environmental practices or employee safety policies. If you have a long enough time horizon, these efforts are financially material and can lead to strong performance.

Priya is speaking at the Kayo Women’s Private Equity Summit in Boston on June 15th where she will be apart of a panel discussing Impact Deals. Register here to hear Priya speak.