Podcast
Dakota Live! Podcast
Hosted by Robert Morier · EN
The Dakota Live! Podcast is designed for your fundraising needs. The goal of this podcast is to help you better know the people behind the investment decisions. Dakota connects investment salespeople with leading investment decision makers, ensuring you always know who to call and how to approach the markets you are targeting. Dakota Live! presents investment sales people industry and marketing expertise to make their jobs easier.
48episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Spanish Teacher to $18B OCIO CEO | Tim Yates, Commonfund OCIO
1w ago01:13:58Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Dakota Live!, host Robert Morier sits down with Tim Yates, President & CEO of Commonfund OCIO, whose path to leading an $18 billion investment platform is anything but typical — he started out teaching Spanish and Italian at Fordham Prep in the Bronx.Tim shares how a rotational analyst role pulled him into private equity, what emerging markets investing in Latin America taught him about risk and currency, and how the 2003 market dislocation gave birth to Commonfund's OCIO business.He and Robert dig into how endowments and foundations actually think about return objectives, risk budgeting, and illiquidity, why Commonfund backs specialist managers over sprawling firms, and what the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments reveals about how nonprofits invest.They close on private credit, talent and culture, and managing portfolios in a "VUCA" world.Commonfund was founded in 1971 with a grant from the Ford Foundation as a mission-driven nonprofit built to serve nonprofits. Commonfund OCIO focuses exclusively on the nonprofit world and oversees more than $18 billion (as of 3/31/26) on behalf of foundations, endowments, and other mission-driven organizations.
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Operational Alpha in Private Markets: Manager Research, GP Staking & Succession Planning with Chris Brimsek
2w ago01:03:48Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Dakota Live!, Robert Morier sits down with Chris Brimsek, Founder and Managing Partner of CAB Advisory, for a deep discussion on one of the most important—and underexplored—topics in private markets: how great investment firms are built.Chris advises founders and senior leadership teams across private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, private credit, and GP solutions. His work focuses on the organizational, strategic, and human capital questions that often determine whether a firm can scale, attract talent, retain LP trust, and sustain long-term success.This conversation goes beyond traditional manager research and due diligence. Instead of focusing solely on performance, Robert and Chris unpack what allocators, CIOs, and GP staking firms should really be evaluating beneath the surface.Key themes include operational alpha, GP seeding and staking, succession planning, team development, and the future of fundraising in alternatives.Chris shares why the best firms are focused on making investors, not just making investments, and why this mindset increasingly separates enduring franchises from firms that struggle to scale.Topics include:• Why operational alpha matters more than ever in private markets• How LPs should evaluate manager quality beyond track record• What allocators miss in manager research and due diligence• The evolution of GP seeding and GP staking as an asset class• Key underwriting questions minority investors should ask GPs• Succession planning and leadership transitions inside investment firms• Why private equity is still underinvested in talent development• Lessons private markets can borrow from professional sports teams• Delegation, decision-making, and building next-generation leadership• The future of fundraising across institutional and wealth channels• Emerging trends in private markets, alternative investments, and GP growth strategiesChris also shares insights from his experience at The Carlyle Group, where he worked closely with senior leadership and helped oversee large-scale investment platforms, giving him a unique perspective on how top-performing firms evolve from successful partnerships into scalable businesses.For allocators, asset managers, placement professionals, and anyone involved in manager selection, this episode offers a rare look at the hidden drivers of long-term firm success.If you work in private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, institutional investing, or alternatives, this conversation is essential listening.
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Inside Modern Wealth Management: How Top RIAs Build Portfolios, Select Managers & Manage Risk
3w ago00:56:06Tap to summarizeThe RIA landscape is changing fast.Today’s top wealth advisors are doing far more than traditional portfolio management. They’re acting as investment committees, tax strategists, coaches, and long-term partners helping families navigate increasingly complex financial decisions.In this episode of dakota, we sit down with Fulcrum Capital’s Kathryn Fisher, Chief Wealth Strategist, and Hans Krippaehne, Director of Investments, to explore how modern RIAs are evolving to meet that challenge.We discuss how Fulcrum integrates holistic wealth planning with institutional-quality investment management—bringing together portfolio construction, manager selection, due diligence, tax efficiency, liquidity planning, estate strategy, and long-term family stewardship.Topics include:• How the RIA model has evolved from traditional brokerage to fully independent fiduciary advice• Why manager research and due diligence matter more than ever in today’s investment environment• How RIAs evaluate active managers across mutual funds, ETFs, and private market strategies• The growing role of tax-efficient portfolio construction and asset location• Managing liquidity needs while increasing exposure to private markets• How advisors balance long-term discipline against near-term market narratives like AI, private credit, and thematic investing• Why transparency and investor education remain central to client trust• The future of active ETFs and what they mean for wealth advisorsHans shares how Fulcrum approaches underwriting external managers, building portfolios with fewer but higher-conviction allocations, and maintaining discipline in an increasingly crowded investment landscape.Kathryn explains how true wealth management extends beyond investments—covering tax planning, estate considerations, philanthropy, and multi-generational decision-making.And in one of the most memorable moments of the episode, the conversation becomes personal.Joining us as student co-host is Drexel University student Carter Garrison—who also happens to be Kathryn’s son.What begins as a deep conversation about portfolio construction and investment due diligence ends with something even more important: a discussion about family, financial habits, and the lessons parents hope to pass on to the next generation.Because at its core, wealth management isn’t just about growing capital.It’s about building trust, preserving optionality, and creating a legacy that lasts beyond markets.
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From Anthropology to Investing: How Drexel's Endowment Makes Investment Decisions with Stephen Chase
Jun 1700:53:11Tap to summarizeStephen Chase, Associate Director of Investments at Drexel University, joins host, Robert Morier to discuss how a three-person investment office oversees approximately $1.25 billion across the university's endowment and investment portfolio.In this conversation, Stephen shares his unconventional path from studying anthropology at Trinity College to helping manage one of Philadelphia's leading university endowments.We explore how qualitative thinking, manager due diligence, portfolio construction, private markets, real assets, AI, and risk management shape investment decisions inside a modern institutional investment office.Topics include:• Managing a billion-dollar university endowment with a lean investment team• Why an anthropology degree became an advantage in investment management• How institutional allocators evaluate asset managers and build trust• The future of private markets, real assets, and infrastructure investing• AI's growing role in manager research and investment operations• Portfolio construction, liquidity management, and risk oversightWhether you're an allocator, asset manager, investment consultant, student, or aspiring investment professional, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how institutional capital is deployed and managed over the long term.
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Where Investors are Allocating | Insights from Dakota Live! On The Road
Jun 1000:13:37Tap to summarizeWhat happens when you leave the conference stage and sit down with investors where they actually work?Over the past year, Dakota Live! has traveled the country, recording conversations with CIOs, investment office leaders, consultants, OCIOs, foundations, endowments, family offices, and institutional investors. This special episode brings together the most important themes, market observations, and portfolio discussions from those conversations.In this episode, we explore:• How allocators are thinking about portfolio construction in today's market• The outlook for private equity, venture capital, and private credit• Manager selection and due diligence trends• The growing role of AI in investing and operations• Active versus passive management in concentrated markets• Risk management amid uncertainty and idiosyncratic volatility• Emerging opportunities across public and private marketsThe Dakota Live! On the Road series is different because these conversations happen where decisions are made—inside investment offices, on university campuses, and alongside the teams responsible for stewarding long-term capital.On the road. On the ground. In the room.
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The Future of Venture Capital: AI, Seed Investing, and the New Founder Playbook
Jun 301:06:27Tap to summarizeMelody Koh, Partner at NextView Ventures, joins the Dakota Live Podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping venture capital, startup building, company scaling, and the future of work.As both a seed-stage investor and the leader of NextView's AI and data initiatives, Melody offers a unique perspective on what separates winning founders from the rest in an AI-native economy. From evaluating startup teams and identifying durable competitive advantages to redesigning venture capital workflows with AI agents, this conversation explores how technology is changing both sides of the investment table.Topics include:The current state of venture capital in 2026How AI is changing startup formation and company buildingAI agents vs. traditional workflowsWhy venture firms must reinvent themselvesThe future of seed-stage investingWhat investors look for in AI-native startupsConsumer AI opportunities that may be overlookedMelody also shares lessons from building and scaling products at Blue Apron, investing through multiple venture cycles, and helping founders navigate the challenges of growth, hiring, and execution.Whether you're a founder, allocator, venture capitalist, institutional investor, or student interested in innovation and emerging technology, this episode provides a practical look at where venture capital and artificial intelligence are headed next.About Melody KohMelody Koh is a Partner at NextView Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on the Everyday Economy. She invests in early-stage technology companies and leads the firm's AI and data initiatives. Prior to NextView, Melody held leadership roles at Blue Apron and previously worked in venture investing, entrepreneurship, and product management.
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BlackRock’s Michael Gates on Model Portfolios, AI, Bitcoin ETFs & the Future of Wealth Management
May 2700:52:21Tap to summarizeWhat happens when one of the world’s largest asset managers starts rethinking portfolio construction in the age of AI?On this episode of Dakota Live!, Robert Morier sits down with Michael Gates, Managing Director and Head of Model Portfolio Solutions for the Americas within BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions platform.The conversation explores how BlackRock is thinking about:• Model portfolios and advisor scale• Active vs. passive portfolio construction• The rise of active ETFs• Bitcoin ETFs and alternative allocations• AI’s impact on investing and research workflows• Behavioral coaching and “advisor alpha”• Risk budgeting, tactical allocation, and market structure• Tax overlays, SMAs, and portfolio personalization• What future investment professionals need to learn nowMichael also shares how his background in biological sciences and economics shaped his investment philosophy, why efficient markets still matter, and how AI coding tools are already transforming research and productivity inside financial services.For advisors, allocators, wealth managers, students, and anyone interested in the future of portfolio construction, this is a deep dive into where the industry may be headed next.Topics include:BlackRock model portfoliosPortfolio construction strategiesActive ETFs vs passive investingBitcoin ETF adoptionAI in asset managementAdvisor alpha and behavioral financeWealth management trends 2026Multi-asset investingTax-loss harvesting strategiesInstitutional investing insightsFor our audience of allocators, advisors, OCIO professionals, and emerging investment leaders, this episode offers a real-time look into how one of the largest asset managers in the world is thinking about portfolio construction, AI, risk, and the future of advisor value creation.And for students, this conversation is a masterclass in what the next generation of investing actually looks like: combining economic intuition, technology, coding, behavioral understanding, and communication into a modern investment career.
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Why Tax Is Moving Upstream in Institutional Investing | Dave Sekula, CEO of GTM
May 2000:43:45Tap to summarizeTax used to sit downstream from the investment process.Today, it’s moving upstream.In this episode of Dakota Live!, Robert Morier sits down with Dave Sekula, CEO of GTM (Global Tax Management), to discuss how tax strategy, technology, operational complexity, and institutional investing are becoming increasingly intertwined.The conversation comes at a timely moment, following the SEC’s recent proposal to potentially shift public companies from quarterly to semiannual reporting.While the headline sounds regulatory, the implications reach much further into how asset managers, allocators, OCIOs, RIAs, and corporate finance teams think about transparency, planning, investor communication, and long-term decision making.Dave shares insights from leading one of the country’s largest independent corporate tax providers, including:• Why tax is no longer just a compliance function• How institutional investors are thinking differently about tax efficiency and portfolio construction• The operational complexity behind global and multi-manager portfolios• The growing role of AI and automation in corporate tax workflows• Why firms are increasingly focused on tax-loss harvesting strategies and after-tax outcomesThe episode also explores leadership, servant leadership, scaling a national firm, and how technology continues to reshape one of the most human-capital-intensive industries in finance.“Performance is one thing. What you keep, that’s the real scorecard.”
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Inside LPL’s Alternatives Platform: Manager Research, Due Diligence & What’s Next
May 1300:59:39Tap to summarizeOn this episode of the Dakota Live Podcast, we sit down with Andrew Deck, Vice President and Head of Alternative Investments at LPL Financial, alongside his colleague Matt Doyle, Head of Investment Due Diligence, for an inside look at how one of the largest advisor platforms in the country is thinking about alternatives, manager research, sourcing, and portfolio construction today.LPL Financial is one of the largest independent wealth management and advisor platforms in the country, supporting more than 32,000 financial professionals and serving approximately 8 million Americans across advisory, brokerage, and institutional channels.What makes LPL particularly interesting in today’s environment is the firm’s growing role at the intersection of institutional-quality manager research, alternative investments, advisor technology, and large-scale wealth management distribution.We explored:• How LPL is translating institutional-quality private markets into the wealth channel• The evolution of manager research and due diligence inside large advisor platforms• Why education and implementation matter just as much as access• The future of evergreen structures, interval funds, and public/private solutions• What asset managers need to understand before approaching large platforms• How Andrew and Matt think about sourcing, differentiation, underwriting, and conviction• What’s next for alternatives as wealth management and institutional investing continue to convergeOne of our favorite parts of the conversation was hearing Andrew and Matt together at the desk. You get both the strategic platform perspective and the day-to-day underwriting process from the people actually building it.For anyone working in manager research, fundraising, OCIO, private markets, wealth management, or institutional sales, this is a fascinating look behind the curtain at where the industry is headed.
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Inside Foundation Investing and the OCIO Model | On the Road at Georgia State University
May 601:09:37Tap to summarizeIn this special on-the-road edition of the Dakota Live Podcast, host Robert Morier brings the show to Atlanta for a live recording at Georgia State University in front of students from GSU's Student Managed Investment Fund and Drexel University.Joining Robert on the podcast:Holly Sailers — Interim CFO and Comptroller, Georgia State University FoundationMarkus Krygier — Co-Chief Investment Officer, Strategic Investment GroupDegas Wright — CIO of Decatur Capital Management & Executive in Residence at Georgia State UniversityTogether, they unpack what it takes to steward institutional capital — from the day-to-day reality of running a university foundation, to the rise of the OCIO model, to the art and science of manager due diligence.Along the way, the panel digs into:What a foundation really does, and how donor intent shapes decisionsWhy trust, transparency, and great questions are the foundation of any OCIO relationshipThe three pillars of manager due diligence: science, art, and operationsHow to think about liquidity, inflation, and uncertainty in today's marketWhy complexity is often used to "cover weak thinking" — and how to communicate clearly insteadThe episode closes with a powerful Q&A from GSU and Drexel students on probabilistic thinking, position sizing, real investment edge, and what separates discretionary from non-discretionary models.A huge thank you to Georgia State University, the GSU Foundation, and the students who showed up, listened, and asked great questions.
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