Podcast
AI for Advisors
Hosted by Mark Heynen, James Cantwell · EN
Exploring the intersection of AI & money.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Future of AI Agents in Wealth Management: Freedom Dumlao @ Vestmark
3w ago00:46:35Tap to summarizeAI is quickly becoming more than just a productivity tool—it's becoming a teammate.Mark Heynen and James Cantwell welcome Freedom Dumlao, CTO and Chief AI Officer at Vestmark, to discuss how AI agents are reshaping wealth management. Drawing on his experience at Amazon and Vestmark, Freedom shares how firms can safely deploy AI, why governance matters as much as capability, and what the future looks like as AI begins taking on real operational work.From AI employees and local models to advisor workflows and infrastructure, this episode explores what it takes to bring AI into regulated financial services responsibly.
Transcribe →Why Advisors Should Stop Managing Portfolios: Jeff Coyle @ Libretto
4w ago00:48:00Tap to summarizeWhat if advisors have been approaching financial planning the wrong way all along?In this episode of AI for Advisors, James Cantwell and Mark Heynen are joined by Jeff Coyle, Founder & CEO of Libretto, to discuss why advisors should be managing total wealth—not just investment portfolios.Jeff explains how his experience serving ultra-high-net-worth families led to a new planning methodology that goes beyond traditional risk questionnaires and Monte Carlo simulations. The conversation also explores how AI is streamlining client onboarding, enhancing advisor expertise, and making more sophisticated financial planning accessible at scale.If you're curious about where financial planning is headed—and how AI can help advisors deliver more meaningful advice—this episode is for you.
Transcribe →AI Won't Replace Advisors—But It Will Change Them: Mike Barrasso @ WealthReach, Matt Halloran @ Zocks & Derrick Kinney @ Success for Advisors
Jul 201:11:40Tap to summarizeAI is reshaping financial advice—but not in the way many expected.Mike Barrasso of WealthReach and Matt Halloran of Zocks join Mark Heynen and James Cantwell to discuss what advisors are actually doing with AI today, why branding matters more than ever, and how AI assistants are moving beyond simple note taking.Midway through the episode, Derrick Kinney makes a surprise appearance to share his perspective on authentic communication, client trust, and why human connection remains an advisor's greatest advantage.A practical conversation about AI adoption, advisor growth, and where the industry is headed next.
Transcribe →Private Markets Are Finally Scalable: Logan Henderson @ Gridline
Jun 2301:01:03Tap to summarizePrivate markets are becoming more accessible—but the infrastructure supporting them hasn't always kept pace.James Cantwell and Mark Heynen are joined by Logan Henderson, Founder & CEO of Gridline, to discuss how AI and modern technology are transforming alternatives operations, due diligence, and reporting.They explore the challenges RIAs face when implementing private market programs, where AI can create real efficiencies, and why the future of alternatives may depend more on infrastructure than access.
Transcribe →The Human Edge in AI-Driven WealthTech | Jason Quinn @ Advisor360° & Dr. Joshua Wilson @ Neubefi
Jun 901:12:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of AI for Advisors, Mark Heynen and James Cantwell sit down with Jason Quinn @ Advisor360° and Dr. Joshua Wilson @ Neubefi to talk about where AI is really taking advisor technology.The conversation explores how AI may reshape the wealthtech stack, why firms may move away from fragmented point solutions, and how AI-native operating systems could change the way advisors work.Jason shares how Advisor360° is thinking about unified data, workflows, and infrastructure, while Dr. Joshua Wilson breaks down why trust, identity, emotional resonance, and human connection may become even more important as AI tools become more common.They also discuss whether AI can help advisors scale relationships, why generic AI content is not enough, and how firms can stand out when everyone has access to the same technology.Topics include:AI-native operating systems for advisorsThe future of the wealthtech stackWorkflow automation and advisor productivityTrust and differentiation in an AI-driven marketHuman connection as a competitive edgeFavorite AI tools like Claude, Claude Code, and WhisperFlowAs AI raises the baseline, the real winners may be the firms that combine smarter technology with a stronger human signal.
Transcribe →Digital Employees are Already Here: Alex Schlesinger @ SS&C
Jun 500:53:46Tap to summarizeAI is moving from hype into infrastructure.In this episode of AI for Advisors, Mark and James sit down with Alex Schlesinger of Advent to discuss what it actually looks like to build AI inside a large enterprise WealthTech organization — and why most firms are still approaching AI the wrong way.The conversation explores the tension between innovation and legacy systems, how large firms think about AI adoption, and why the future may belong to flexible AI platforms instead of one-size-fits-all solutions.What we cover: • Building AI inside large WealthTech enterprises • Why “AI-first” thinking often fails • AI infrastructure vs AI products • MCP, orchestration, and digital employees • Operational efficiency in wealth management • The future of advisor technology stacksChapters: 00:00 – Dogs, tracking tech, and digital employees 07:00 – OpenClaw, AI agents, and orchestration 24:00 – Alex’s background and Advent journey 31:00 – Building AI inside large organizations 45:00 – Why most AI implementations fail 57:00 – The future of AI platforms in wealth managementAbout AI for Advisors: Conversations exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming wealth management, advisor workflows, and the future of financial services.
Transcribe →Advisors Are Missing the Biggest Asset with Jason Early, Founder & CEO of RISR
May 1900:56:14Tap to summarizeMost advisors want to serve business owners — but many still lack the tools, data, and confidence to advise them well.In this episode of AI for Advisors, Mark Heynen and James Cantwell talk with Jason Early, Founder & CEO of RISR, about why business owners remain one of the biggest missed opportunities in wealth management.They discuss how advisors can move beyond rough business valuations, use better data to create deeper planning conversations, and help owners think through succession, exit planning, risk, and long-term goals.They also explore how AI is changing the advisor’s role, why relationship-building still matters, and why technology should support trust — not replace it.Featuring Jason Early, Founder & CEO of RISR.
Transcribe →Your Messaging is Broken: Allen Darby from Alaris Acquisitions
May 1401:14:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode of AI for Advisors, Mark and James sit down with Allen Darby, Founder and CEO of Alaris Acquisitions, to discuss how AI is beginning to reshape the future of RIAs, M&A, and wealth management operations.Allen shares insights from years of advising RIA transactions, including how buyers evaluate firms, why cultural fit matters more than price alone, and how AI could eventually impact valuations, staffing, growth, and advisor-client relationships.The conversation also explores the rise of AI note takers, automation in advisory workflows, and whether AI-powered firms could eventually command a premium in the market.What we cover:• The state of RIA M&A today• Why younger advisors are selling earlier• How Alaris uses AI for buyer-seller matching• The role of culture and compatibility in acquisitions• AI’s impact on advisor operations and staffing• Whether AI-ready firms could command higher valuations• The future of advisor-client relationships in an AI worldLearn more about Alaris Acquisitions:https://www.alarisacquisitions.com
Transcribe →Growth Without Losing Trust: Eden Ovadia from Finny
May 800:59:00Tap to summarizeMost AI conversations in wealth management focus on efficiency.This one is about something harder: growth without breaking trust.In this episode of AI for Advisors, Eden Ovadia, founder of FINNY, shares how he’s building a modern, AI-native experience for financial advice — while staying grounded in the reality that trust is still the product.The conversation explores why most AI growth strategies feel inauthentic, how younger users actually want to engage with financial advice, and why the next generation of advisor experiences may look completely different from today’s model.If you’re thinking about AI purely as a productivity tool, you may be missing the bigger shift.Key Takeaways:• AI doesn’t replace trust — it amplifies it (or destroys it)• Growth in financial services is shifting from distribution → experience• Younger users expect real-time, contextual engagement• Most advisor tech is built for firms — not end clients• The winners will balance scale + authenticityChapters:00:00 – Intro & Eden’s background04:12 – What FINNY is building09:30 – Why most AI in finance feels inauthentic15:05 – The real role of trust in AI-powered advice21:40 – How younger users want to engage28:10 – Scale vs personalization35:25 – Why advisor tech misses the end user42:50 – What good AI experiences feel like50:15 – The future of financial advice57:30 – Closing thoughtsLearn more about FINNY:https://finny.ai
Transcribe →Advisor Tech is Solving the Wrong Problem: Churni Bhattacharya @ Amplify
Apr 2800:51:21Tap to summarizeMost advisor technology isn’t broken because it lacks features.It’s broken because it’s solving the wrong problem.In this episode of AI for Advisors, Mark Heynen and James Cantwell sit down with Churni Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer at Amplify, to unpack why so much wealthtech fails to deliver real impact—and how AI is forcing a rethink of how advisor platforms should actually be built.Instead of chasing more tools, Churni makes the case for experience-first design, where the goal isn’t adding functionality, but removing friction across the advisor workflow.The conversation goes deep on:why advisors default to tools instead of outcomeshow growth creates hidden operational complexitywhy “all-in-one” platforms often fail in practiceand why AI will only work if the underlying system is designed correctlyIf you’re evaluating your tech stack—or thinking about how AI fits into your firm—this episode will challenge your assumptions.Takeaways:Most wealthtech is feature-driven, not outcome-drivenFirms adopt tools to solve narrow problems, but end up increasing complexity across the system.Growth breaks systems faster than technology can fix themAs firms scale, hidden inefficiencies compound—AI can’t fix broken workflows.“All-in-one” platforms often fail because they ignore real user behaviorAdvisors don’t operate in clean, linear workflows—platforms need to reflect reality.AI is not a solution—it’s an amplifierIf your process is good, AI makes it better. If it’s broken, AI makes it worse faster.The future is experience-first, not tool-firstWinning platforms will design around how advisors actually work—not how software is structured.Chapters:00:00 — Intro & setupMark and James introduce Churni and frame the core problem in advisor tech.04:30 — Why advisor tech feels fragmentedHow the industry ended up with tool sprawl instead of cohesive systems.10:15 — The “wrong problem” in wealthtechWhy most platforms optimize for features instead of outcomes.17:40 — Growth creates operational chaosWhat actually breaks inside firms as they scale.24:10 — The myth of the all-in-one platformWhy consolidation doesn’t always solve complexity.31:30 — Where AI fits (and where it doesn’t)Why AI won’t fix bad systems—and what it can do.38:20 — Designing for real advisor workflowsWhat an experience-first platform actually looks like.45:00 — Final thoughts & future outlookWhere wealthtech and AI are headed next.
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