How I Invest with David Weisburd

In this episode of How I Invest, David Weisburd is joined by Teddy Gold, the Founder and CEO of 3i, a membership-based platform that connects elite investors. Teddy discusses key insights into private equity, venture capital, and niche investing strategies. He shares his experiences with scaling asset management, navigating the complexities of private credit, and the power of leveraging networks to uncover investment opportunities. A must-listen for those interested in the intersection of high-level investment strategies and the value of relationship-driven networks.

Najada Kumbuli, Vice President, Head of Investments at Visa Foundation sits down with David Weisburd to discuss what makes a first-time fund manager a breakout success, why storytelling matters in impact investing, and why this is the most challenging fundraising market since 2001.

In this episode of How I Invest, we’re joined by Michael Kakenmaster, Director of Investments at Loyola University Chicago. Michael shares his journey and expertise in managing university endowment portfolios, with a focus on private markets and hedge fund strategies. He offers valuable insights on how to build sustainable, diversified portfolios and the strategies that have led to success in his role. We also discuss the evolving landscape of venture capital and how institutions like Loyola are adapting to market changes.

Hansen Ringer, Managing Director at Sepio Capital sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the asset class that delivers equity-like returns without the market risk, what distressed credit reveals about market cycles and investor behavior, and what happens when stocks and bonds move together.

Victor Mayer, Managing Director, Head of Private Wealth at Pantheon sits down with David Weisburd to discuss why top GPs are rushing to evergreen funds, how Pantheon balances small-cap potential and large-cap stability, and the benefits of Pantheon’s no-cost co-investment deals.

James Langer, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at Redmont Wealth Advisors sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how Reason small cap stocks are crushing large caps, the academic approach to outperforming with small cap strategies, and the history of top stocks since 1926.

Chris Dion, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner at Brockenbrough sits down with David Weisburd to discuss what makes small buyout funds resilient, how small buyouts outperform big private equity deals, and why the deal leader matters more than the firm.

Christopher Zook, Founder, Chairman, & Chief Investment Officer at CAZ Investments sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the cost of keeping the wrong person on the team, the crucial mistake CEOs make when building a strong culture, and the secret behind faster growth and success.

Jake Paul and Joey Levy, Co-Founders of Betr, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Jake Paul’s bold vision for the future of sports betting and how the company seeks to become the market leader in the space.

Dean Duchak, Chief Investment Officer at KFF sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the lessons learned from 13 years at KFF, how to create a culture of collaboration in endowments, and Dean’s perspective on diversifying investment strategies.

David Sawyer, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner at Legacy Knight : Multi-Family Office sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the top mistakes investors make in GP stakes, why middle-market GP stakes could be a game-changer for investors, and how GP stakes outperform traditional investments in 2024.

Ben Challgren, Principal at Top Tier Capital Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss what makes a top-performing fund, the surprising role of local managers in European venture success and the secrets to spotting a winning startup before it’s big.

Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how to support first-time fund managers, innovative strategies for sourcing deals in venture capital and tips for success on building relationships with limited partners.

Scott Richland, Chief Investment Officer at Caltech sits down with David Weisburd to discuss key portfolio secrets inside Caltech’s $4.5B endowment strategy, the importance of strategy discipline in asset management and how direct investments are chosen behind Caltech's opportunistic bucket.

Kunal Sood, Managing Director at Pantheon sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how US institutional investors can access Indian venture capital and private equity, key trends shaping India's unicorn startup ecosystem for global investors and how to leverage local expertise to navigate asia-pacific private markets.

David Weisburd speaks with Ryan Serhant, founder and CEO of Serhant, about the explosive growth following the Netflix debut of *Owning Manhattan*. They discuss how the show has transformed the business, increasing market diversification, website traffic, and lead engagement. Ryan also shares his insights on scaling a real estate business, the importance of culture in a distributed workforce, and why he sees Serhant as more than a brokerage—defining it as a sales as a service company with an innovative approach to training and technology. Throughout the conversation, Ryan reflects on his personal journey, the challenges of transitioning from broker to CEO, and the responsibility of building a brand tied to his own name.

Justinas Milašauskas, Investment Manager at Willgrow sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the risks and rewards of investing in spinouts, top lessons learned from investing in venture and private markets and lessons on investing in emerging managers and navigating fragmented markets.

Alex Hormozi, entrepreneur and founder of Acquisition.com, joins David Weisburd to share his journey of building a $150 million net worth. He discusses the lessons learned from losing his fortune twice, the importance of controlling revenue streams, strategic risk-taking in business, insights into scaling businesses, and the mindset required for long-term success. Hormozi also explains how he leverages his social media presence to drive deal flow and growth for Acquisition.com.

Francesca Cornelli, Dean at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how private equity firms handle CEO turnover, why private equity firms benefit from enlightened disagreement and diverse opinions, and the importance of mentorship in private equity.

Mark Shoberg, CIO & Partner at Capital Creek Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the keys to successful institutional investing, how large should an endowment be for optimal returns, and how to build the perfect investment platform for family offices and endowments.

Travis Shore, CIO at University of Illinois Foundation sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how CIOs can adapt to the next big change in time, the critical mistakes made in mastering risk in uncertain markets, and identifying which strategy may save your endowment in the next crisis.

Albert Azout, Managing Partner at Level Ventures sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how to spot unicorn founders early in Venture Capital, what separates great fund managers from the rest, and digging deep into the role of data in unpacking venture fund performance.

Rob Rahbari, Senior Investment Officer and Assistant Treasurer at University of Rochester sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the hidden potential that diverse fund managers offer, the missing ingredient in a successful investment strategy, and what role will diversity, equity, and inclusion play in the future of institutional investing.

Drew Myers, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at CrossLayer Capital sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the key to small funds thriving in pre-seed investing, how time diversification tame crypto volatility, and identifying persistent top quartile crypto funds.

Michael Wallach, Vice President of Investment at Levy Family Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the unexpected challenges of working at a family office, how to leverage expert insights to drive high-impact investments, and critical mistakes LPs should always avoid.

Les Baquiran, Founder of Alpine Capital Advisors, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss insights on building LP relationships globally. In addition, they discuss reasons GP’s hire placement agents, benefits of family offices as LPs, and non-traditional structures LPs like to invest in.

Tony Meadows, Partner at Sinefine sits down with David Weisburd to discuss what initial investment choice could make or break your portfolio, when to dive into early-stage investments, and how strategic timing can turn ordinary investments into extraordinary gains.

John Gleeson, Founder & General Partner at Success Venture Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the underappreciated secret to Venture Capital success, why operator LP’s outperform, and the math behind portfolio concentration.

Steve McLaughlin, CEO at Financial Technology Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the hidden values and success of top fintech companies, insider perspective on the work-life balance myth, and the powerful face-to-face strategies that elite companies swear by.

Renee Hanna, Managing Director of Investments at Baylor University sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how Baylor balances allocation between public and private investments, how its private investments are built around returns hurdles, and thoughts on appropriately sizing commitments.

Marius Weber, Founding Partner, and Jocke Martelius, Investment Solutions Manager of Alpha Q Venture Capital sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the comparison between US and European VC markets, strategies for conducting due diligence on emerging VC funds, and the impact of political and economic factors on European VC.

Iyan Unsworth, Vice President of AXA Venture Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss about on how a Fund of Funds backed by one of the world's largest insurance companies is revolutionizing the venture capital landscape.

Dave Neumann, investor at Molten Ventures, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss fund of funds deployment strategies, how GPs should approach fund size and interesting power law data derived from Molten’s 2,500 underlying portfolio companies.

Jamie Biddle (Founding Partner and CEO) & Steve Kim (Partner, Investment Strategy and Risk Management) of Verdis Investment Management, sit down with David Weisburd to discuss how Verdis has managed to invest into 41 unicorns by indexing early-stage venture capital funds, how they came up with the venture index thesis, and the practical considerations of executing on their venture index strategy. They also discuss the purpose of venture in a diversified portfolio, the benefits of QSBS for taxable investors, and avoiding adverse selection in venture capital.

Michael Miller, CIO at Crewcial Partners, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how nonprofit institutions invest, how they think about portfolio construction, and how they manage liquidity.

Mikhail Blancovitch, Co-Founder of Unicorn Strategic Capital, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss strategies for raising capital from different types of LPs, how fund managers can craft a compelling story that resonates with LPs, and sources of growth for alternative asset AUM.

Justin Dyer, Chief Investment Officer of AWM Capital, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how AWM manages investments for professional athletes. Justin details AWM’s adherence to liability-driven portfolio construction, how it invests in venture and unique considerations when investing capital for athletes.

Michael Ashley Schulman, Chief Investment Officer at Running Point Capital, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Michael’s views on venture capital, manager selection across private asset classes, and risks/benefits of investing in spinout managers.

Fernando Saiz, Co-Founder of Azet Capital, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Azet Capital’s fund of funds strategy in venture capital. Fernando shares his diligence process for selecting venture funds, what differentiates the funds Azet invests in vs. the ones they pass on, and Azet’s strategic value-add to venture GPs.

Ryan Serhant is the Founder & CEO at SERHANT., a star in the Netflix show “Owning Manhattan” and Bravo show “Million Dollar Listing New York”, and a 3x bestselling author. In this episode, Ryan and David Weisburd discuss SERHANT.’s meteoric rise as a top real estate brokerage in New York City, Ryan’s unique approach to sales, sales training, and branding, and what it’s like for a founder scaling a business in hyper-growth.

Matt Farrell, Senior Investment Manager at WE Family Offices, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how families with $50M-$1B+ invest their capital. They also cover balancing risk tolerance and liquidity needs, where alpha is in the market today, and characteristics of an ideal private fund manager.

Mike Maples, Founding Partner at Floodgate, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Mike’s new book “Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future”. This is a masterclass on early-stage venture investing. Mike shares his views on identifying ideas and founders that led to his early investments in Lyft, Twitter, and Okta. They also cover how Mike thinks about fundraising from LPs, his learnings from legendary LP David Swensen, and the power and importance of pursuing non-consensus ideas.

Dr. Russell Read, current CIO at 10X Capital, and former CIO at CalPERS, CIO of Alaska Permanent Fund and CIO of the Gulf Investment Corporation sits down with David Weisburd to discuss his extensive career as a premier investment professional. They dive into how large scale pensions allocate to private markets, how those plans structure co-investment programs and design a theoretical allocation strategy.

Justin Pollack, Managing Director at PineBridge Investments, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss PineBridge’s investment thesis. They also breakdown the secondary markets, discuss the structural differences between private equity & public market investing, and ways to analyze spinouts.

Josh Porter, Co-Founder & General Partner at FirstLook Partners, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss FirstLook’s process for evaluating and selecting emerging managers. They also cover typical terms for co-invest, managing conflicts of interest, and the importance of strong personal relationships in venture capital.

Dionne Chingkoe and Samer Yousif of Insight Partners sit down with David Weisburd to discuss Insight’s direct and fund of funds investment strategies. They cover the importance of adding value beyond capital to both founders and emerging managers, the landscape of multi-stage VCs investing in emerging managers, and check size driving fund strategy for GPs. Insight Partners’ 20/20 Vision Capital Fund supports diverse-led, top-tier, early-stage venture funds providing growth and seed capital to companies in the US and abroad. Insight believes that partnering and investing with these GPs is an effective way to drive much needed diversity in the venture capital industry.

Venus Phillips, Managing Director at Kresge Foundation, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the Kresge Foundation’s venture strategy. They cover mission-driven investing, opportunities and risks investing in China and India, and building true partnerships between general partners and limited partners.

John Merrill, Partner at GroveStreet sits down with David Weisburd to discuss GroveStreet’s $10.5B SMA model. In addition, they talk about the keys to building long-term SMA relationships, a highly selective set of criteria for managers and reasons why GP’s should prefer rigorous, discerning LPs vs. fast-followers.

Jamie Rhode sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Screendoor’s strategy of backing emerging managers. In addition, they discuss friction points between LPs and emerging managers, leveraging insights from GPs and LPs in manager selection, and how to diligence a first time fund.

Ben Black, Co-Founder of Akkadian Ventures, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the RAISE Global Summit, the largest LP/GP conference. This is a masterclass on how venture capital GPs can raise venture capital funds and develop long-term relationships with LPs. David and Ben also delve into what differentiates the top venture funds, the importance of operational excellence in fund entrepreneurship, and prioritizing and managing relationships.