Agenda & Bios

No Offer or Solicitation. This information in this communication and provided at the conference is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus. This registration does not constitute an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it would be unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

 

Disclaimer.  PCI makes no representations or warranties as to the reliability of information provided and attendees should conduct their own due diligence to verify the facts. The information provided were obtained from sources we believe are reliable, PCI and its affiliates are not making any representation with respect to the accuracy or completeness of that information nor are we making any recommendation or endorsement of any fund, security or investment. This agreement shall apply whether the claim is based upon the negligence, or the vicarious liability, of the parties released and indemnified.  By attending the conference, I Agree to the Private Capital Investments, LLC (PCI) Terms and Conditions of Registration which include indemnifying PCI of any wrongdoing. I agree that PCI, as well as its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, and all other persons, entities, or organizations involved in the PCI conference and affiliated events shall have no responsibility or liability to me for any financial loss, emotional damages, property damage, personal injury, death or any other damages that I may suffer as a result of participating in the Forum or affiliated events. I release all of the foregoing from any such claims, and I further agree to indemnify and hold harmless all of the foregoing from any such claims and release PCI from any wrongdoing.

 

 PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, LLC

FAMILY OFFICE CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025

AGENDA

All guests must be registered in advance and have confirmation of their registration. No walk-ins.

 

8 AM – 8:45 AM BREAKFAST FOR ALL ATTENDEES IN THE ASTOR BALLROOM

 

9 AM Opening Remarks for All Attendees in Astor Ballroom Katherine Hill Ritchie and Alexander Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 

•        9:05 AM Panel: Family Offices Investing Together in Private Equity

•    Moderator: Amanda Reed, CIO in Residence at Loeb.NYC Family Office

•    Grace Webster, Family Office Director, Total Wine & More

•    Anna Nekoranec, CEO, Align Private Capital

•    Steve Platz, President and CEO, Dickinson Group

 

 

•        9:45 AM Panel: Investing in the DMV – District, Maryland and Virginia

•   Moderator: Terry Lierman, Fmr. Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader, House of

     Representatives   

•    Deb Hemingway, PhD, Managing Partner, Ecphora Capital

•    Dipak Thakker, CEO Stellar IT/IDEA LABS

•    Matthew Chervenak, Founding Partners, Sunwater Capital

 

 

•        10:15 AM Breakout Roundtables in the George Washington Ballroom:

•    Attendees will choose 2 round tables to join over the course of the 45-minute breakout

•    Themes:          Investing in B2B Software

                                Deep Sea Mining of Critical Minerals

                                From Energy to Oncology: Nuclear’ s Next Act

 

 

•        10:55 AM Networking Break

 

 

•        11:05 AM Panel Discussion: You Should be Investing in Women

•    Moderator: Marcia Nelson, Managing Director, Freedom Capital Markets

•    Anna Mason, Managing Partner,  Ingeborg Investments

•    Kelly Freis, CEO, International Growth Capital

•    Lisa Morris, Managing Director, AKS Family Partners LP

•    Gayatri Sarkar, CEO of Advaita Capital, Founder, She-VC

                                                                               

 

•        11:45 AM Fireside Chat: Building Cities – Washington DC South – a Smart City

•    Litt Thompson, Thompson Family Office

•    Katherine Hill Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 

 

•      Noon – Lunch

•      12:20 PM Fireside Chat:

•      Nottingham Spirk – 53-year-old family-owned business and family office

    • John Spirk, Founder and Joe Gfoeller, President of Nottingham Spirk

•      Portfolio Company - Polar Delight

    • CEO Jim Hills and Evan Spirk, 2nd generation Nottingham Spirk

 

 

•        1 PM Panel Discussion: New Areas to Invest in Sports, Media & the Luxury Market

•    Moderator: Jarrod Guy Randolph, CEO, Vestre Partners, Headliner Series

•    Jon Romm, CEO, Castenate 5G

•    Garrett Klugh, COO, Falk Ventures, Sankhara

•    Rich Nespola, Managing Member, Working Lab Capital

 

 

•        1: 35 PM Fireside Chat: Military and Intelligence Communities, an Untapped Resource for Family Offices and Private Industry

•    Nick Russell, CIA, Senior Manager, Former Counterintelligence Agent, Former   White House Communications, US

Marine

   Alexander Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 

•          1:55 PM Information Sessions:

Energy Solutions for the Military and Commercial Applications

•      Veronika Stelmakh, CEO of Mesodyne

The Rise of Dental Care in Telehealth Medicine

•      Fernando Volante, CEO of Oratray

  “Revolutions in Diagnostic Testing”

•      John Zak, MD, CEO of XaTek®

•        2:40 PM Breakout Roundtables in the George Washington Ballroom:

•  Attendees will choose 2 round tables to join over the course of the 45-minute breakout

•  Themes:                     Opportunities in Aviation

                                      Overlooked Tax Strategies

                                      AI and Healthcare

•        3:25 PM Networking Break

 

 

•        3:35 PM Panel: Real World Applications of AI that Actually Work

•      Moderator: Dr. Ainsley Maclean, GP Ainsley & Born Capital, Founder of Ainsley Advisory Group

•      Lukasz Mosakowski, GM, Portfolio Engineering & Incubation, Tri-Edge Investments

•      Manpreet Singh, CIO, Singh Capital 

•      Govind Shivkumar, Director, Investments at Omidyar Network

•      Grace Lovret, Managing Member, CIO, Franger LLC

 

 

•        4:05 PM Fireside Chat: “GovCon Studio – Real Government Efficiency in Practice

•        Dipak Thakker, CEO, Stellar IT/IDEA LABS

•        Alexander Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 

 

•        4:35 PM Panel: Investing in National Security and Veterans

•        Moderator: James Kahrs, Director, Business Development, Cherry Bekaert

•        Jeff Walker, Founder and General Partner, Waypoint Ventures

•        Guy Fillipelli, Managing Partner, Squadra Ventures

 

 

5:05 PM to 7 PM After Party - Dom Pérignon Sabering with hors d’oeuvres and drinks                            

Join us for a fun post conference party in the Astor Ballroom!

 

9:05AM - Panel - "Family Offices Investing Together in Private Equity"

  • Moderator: Amanda Reed - CIO in Residence at Loeb.NYC Family Office

  • Grace Webster, Family Office Director, Total Wine & More (Trone Family Office)

  • Anna Nekoranec, CEO, Align Private Capital

  • Steve Platz, President and CEO, Dickinson Group

 
 

MODERATOR: AMANDA REED

CIO in Residence at loeb family office

Amanda Reed is the Chief Investment Officer of Loeb Enterprises, Michael Loeb and Rich Vogel’s family office. In this role she allocates capital to entrepreneurs and investment funds, works with Michael and Rich to create new companies and supports the development of the current portfolio. Amanda was most recently CEO of CrowdSmart, a Silicon Valley startup pioneering human-interactive AI for collaborative problem solving. Previously she was the first head of long-horizon innovation for GIC, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Singapore, and Managing Director of Palomar Ventures, a $500MM venture capital partnership investing in transformative enterprise and consumer technologies. Her career began as a founding team member or early stage employee in three consecutive Silicon Valley start-ups which led to two IPOs. She is a career entrepreneur, investor, mentor, and proud parent of two student athletes.

 
 
 
 

GRACE WEBSTER

FAMILY OFFICE DIRECTOR

TOTAL WINE & more (TRONE FAMILY OFFICE)

Grace Webster is an experienced family office executive with a background spanning strategic wealth management, philanthropy, and public policy. As Family Office Director at Total Wine & More, she advises the co-owning families on governance, investment strategy, and charitable initiatives, helping to align financial stewardship with long-term personal and economic objectives. Before joining Total Wine, Grace spent 6 years at MIO Partners, McKinsey & Co.’s internal asset management firm. In this role she counseled Partners and alumni Partners globally on alternative investment strategies. Earlier in her career, Grace worked for Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Grace has an MBA from Duke University and a BA with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 
 
 
 
 

Anna Nekoranec

CEO

ALIGN PRIVATE CAPITAL (DE LUCA FAMILY OFFICE)

Anna Nekoranec co-founded Align Private Capital LLC (“Align”) in 2014 with Robert Blabey and a leading Florida based family. Align has created an absolute return platform for single family offices (SFOs) and currently manages Current I, an evergreen fund, in partnership with one family. All transactions are sourced from a proprietary network of 150+ SFOs and industry experts. Prior to Align, Anna spent over 20 years working domestically and internationally with ultra-high net worth families on direct investments or working for private equity or venture capital firms. She has an MBA from Wharton and a BA from the University of Virginia. Anna is a contributing author to The Complete Direct Investing Handbook: A Guide for Family Offices, Qualified Purchasers, Accredited Investors and a co-author of How to Buy a Business: Entrepreneurship through Acquisition. Anna currently serves on the board of Phlow Corp and Clearspeed and previously served on the Board of Trustees for the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation, acting as the inaugural chair of the first generation Walentas Scholarship. Anna is a Fortune Most Powerful Women in the World Conference Delegate and has held board seats on a number of non-profits including Forty Carrots Family Center and the Asolo Repertory Theatre. She was also the inaugural speaker at the launch of the Wharton Diversity & Inclusion Speaker Series: Women Leaders in Private Investment.

 

Steve Platz

CEO

President and CEO, Dickinson Fuel Company, Inc.

Steve is President and CEO of Dickinson Fuel Company, the managing company of the CC Dickinson Family Office. From the start of the family’s salt business in 1813, the CC Dickinsons have been a leading family in West Virginia. Headquartered in Charleston, WV, the Dickinson Family Office invests primarily in commercial real estate, private equity, operating companies, renewable energy opportunities, and other projects that bring economic benefit to the state. Steve has been involved in the world of private equity for roughly 25 years, creating and operating venture capital-backed companies, running traditionally-funded family businesses, and leading the investment into or acquisition of multiple companies. Prior to joining Dickinson Fuel Company, Steve served in various leadership positions for private businesses in the greater Charleston area. He has experience in private equity, technology, energy, health care financing, and building supplies. Steve has lived in West Virginia since he was a child, and earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his MBA from The University of Charleston.

 

9:45AM - Panel - “Investing in the DMV - District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia"

  • Moderator: Terry Lierman, Former Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader, House of Representatives

  • Deb Hemingway, PhD, Managing Partner, Ecphora Capital

  • Dipak Thakker, CEO, Stellar IT/iDea Labs

  • Matthew Chervenak, Founding Partners, Sunwater Capital

 
 

MODERATOR: Terry Lierman

Former Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader, House of Representatives

Terry Lierman has had a life of dedication to public service, business development, philanthropy, and community activities.

He started his career at the National Institutes of Health and has had a lifelong dedication to health care , medical research, and academic institutions.

Following That position as chief administrator for all research and development at the National Cancer Institute, Terry went to Capitol Hill. There he was staff director of the U.S. Senate committee on appropriations in charge of coordinating directing and recommending the entire Federal budget for the US Senate. He then went into private practice and his company became the largest healthcare and education lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. At one time the firm represented 64 medical schools many biotech and pharma companies and various nonprofit patient groups and professional societies.

Terry has dedicated one day a week for nearly 40 years helping charitable organizations and other nonprofit groups he has started the PANCAN, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which is now the largest pancreatic cancer groups in the world. He was the founder of the Children's Research Institute the Children's Hospital National Medical Center, which is now one of the top four largest children's research programs in the country. He also founded Research!America, one of the larger advocacy groups supporting medical research in Washington, D.C., with membership nationwide.

Terry has been an integral part of five presidential campaigns of being the National Finance Chair of one and Treasurer of another. He has also participated in many Senate and House elections. Terry has also been the Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was the congressional liaison to the White House and Library of Congress, and responsible for all floor debate and action in the House of Representatives.

Terry now serves in various corporate boards and a few venture capital funds related to healthcare. At the University of Wisconsin, his graduate alma mater, he serves on the board of the LaFollette School of Public Service and Politics.

 

Deb Hemingway, PHD

MANAGING DIRECTOR

ECPHORA CAPITAL

Dr. Deborah Hemingway is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ecphora Capital, Maryland’s premiere medtech venture capital firm based in Baltimore, Maryland. Under her leadership, Ecphora Capital has deployed $20 million across 13 portfolio companies in the past two years, establishing itself as a key force in early-stage healthcare innovation. The firm holds strategic partnerships and first-look access to local premier medical research and advanced manufacturing institutions and is the first and only firm to attain the top tier of Maryland’s biotechnology investment incentive tax credit program.

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Hemingway has founded, funded, and served on the boards of 58 startups, bringing a wealth of expertise in medical device commercialization, strategic growth, and venture investment. Her career reflects a consistent focus on building and scaling transformative technologies at the intersection of science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Hemingway earned her Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Maryland, College Park and is widely recognized for her sharp investment instincts, operational rigor, and commitment to cultivating lasting impact in the medtech space throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

 
 
 
 

Dipak Thakker

CEO

Stellar IT/IDEA LABS

Dipak as the CEO of Stellar Venture Studio brings over two decades of experience in operations, management, general administration, and raising capital. Dipak has built a diverse career spanning information technology, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and government contracting. As a founder of a technology incubator - Stellar iDea Labs, Dipak accelerated new innovations through direct investment and explored market opportunities with strong intellectual property potential. The incubator has funded and launched five startups, each progressing through various lifecycle stages from seed to Series A. Earlier in his career, he served as a Director at FINRA, where he led research and development in predictive analytics for detecting insider trading and fraud in major US stock markets. Dipak holds an Executive Management Program certificate in Venture Capital and Private Equity from Columbia Business School. He also holds an MBA in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Maryland.

 

Matthew Chervanek

Founding Partners

Sunwater Capital

Matthew Chervenak is an entrepreneur committed to strengthening our social systems and advancing science.

He is the founder and President of the Sunwater Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on improving democratic institutions and advancing individual rights. He is the founder and CEO of AllSci, a company reframing how scientific knowledge is created, shared, and explored. He is a co-founder and General Partner of Sunwater Capital, an investment firm with holdings in real estate and healthcare.

In 2002, Mr. Chervenak founded GBI, a Shanghai-based data firm serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries (acquired in 2023) and he was the Chairman of the Healthcare Committee at the US Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Prior to starting GBI, he worked as a strategy consultant in the technology industry in New York, and conducted neuroscience and molecular biology research in New York and Bethesda, Maryland. His first entrepreneurial venture was a neighborhood newspaper The Alley Post, in the 4th grade (closed due to academic time demands).

Mr. Chervenak hosts a YouTube interview series exploring how the US Congress operates and can improve as an institution. He is currently working on The Good Congress, a book that imagines an ideal Congress and a roadmap to get there.

 

10:15AM - Breakout Sessions - George Washington Ballroom

Investing in B2B Software

Deep Sea Mining of Critical Minerals

From Energy to Oncology: Nuclear’s Next Act

 
 

“Investing in B2B Software” table

Browning Herbert

Managing Director

Ringbolt Capital

Browning is the Managing Director of Ringbolt Capital, and brings over 15 years of Business Development and Finance experience to the Executive Team. His experience as a Senior Sales Manager in Commercial Banking and time as an Acquisition Manager in Private Equity provide a unique perspective and skill set for acquisitions and structured finance for portfolio companies. Browning has specialized in creating financing solutions for small to medium-sized business owners to ensure ideal financing and financing structures are in place. Browning graduated from Elon University with a BS in Business Management and a Minor in Economics, and has a certification in Bank Management from the Virginia Bankers Association.

As a Managing Director, Browning is dedicated to working with business owners to determine the most efficient way to structure a company’s capital needs to meet their growth objectives while maintaining strong operating efficiency. Browning is able to quickly analyze financials of a company to determine how to deploy capital efficiently to enable scale. His private equity experience provides the ability to partner with acquired companies to find additional add-on acquisitions, and position holding companies with an exit strategy attractively to the broader market.

Ringbolt Capital is a Venture Capital firm made up of experienced entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds who collaborate with our partners to provide strategic capital to fund growth. Their unique foundational deployment strategy allows early-stage businesses to scale quickly and drive sales growth with a hip to hip partnership mentality.

 
 

“Deep Sea Mining of Critical Minerals” Table

Scott Vincent

Lord Baltimore Family Office

Scott Vincent is an investor with a Baltimore-based single-family office.  Prior to joining the family office, Mr. Vincent founded and ran Green River Asset Management, a globally oriented, small-cap equity hedge fund.  Before starting Green River, Mr. Vincent worked in investment banking and in institutional equity research sales at several growth-oriented Wall Street firms, including Deutsche Banc Alex Brown, Thomas Weisel Partners, and Ziegler Securities.  Mr. Vincent runs the Critical Ocean Minerals Research Center (www.comrc.org) which helps inform the public about the impacts of deep-sea polymetallic nodule harvesting.

 
 
 

“Deep Sea Mining of Critical Minerals” Table

Hank Murphey

Managing Director

RSP Investments

Hank Murphey serves as a Managing Director with RSP Investments (RSPI), a boutique investment banking practice based in Washington, DC. Prior to joining RSPI, Mr. Murphey served as Vice President, Director of Client Services at ASB Capital, an institutional investment management firm offering equity, fixed income, and real estate investment strategies. Prior to ASB, Mr. Murphey worked in institutional equity sales with FBR Capital Markets, a middle-market investment bank. Prior to FBR, Mr. Murphey served as Director, Business Development for BroadBranch Advisors and before that Garten Rothkopf, both strategy consulting firms. Mr. Murphey holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA from Denison University.


 
 
 


“From Energy to Oncology: Nuclear’s Next Act” Table

Travis Steele

CEO

ABO Ventures

Travis serves as CEO of Abo Ventures, LLC as well as several of Abo Empire's portfolio companies. Travis is actively involved in the legal and business development activities for Helios Water Technologies, LLC, Vara Assets, LLC, and JAY Land, among others. He maintains primary responsibility for sourcing, analyzing, and negotiating all Abo Empire investment activities.

He has extensive experience in corporate governance, acquisition and combination transactions and private business strategy and planning, including corporate formation, structuring, and organization. Prior to going in-house, Travis was a partner at Butler Snow, LLP, where he served as outside general counsel to a number of New Mexico and regional businesses in the energy, government contracting, healthcare, construction and manufacturing industries. 

He obtained his JD from Pepperdine University and is admitted to the State Bars of New Mexico, California, and the Navajo Nation (inactive).

 10:55AM - Networking Break

Please enjoy coffee, tea, and other refreshments while networking with your fellow attendees.

 

11:05AM - Panel - “You Should be Investing in Women”

  • Moderator: Marcia Nelson, Managing Director, Freedom Capital Markets

  • Anna Mason, Managing Partner, Ingeborg Investments

  • Kelly Freis, CEO, International Growth Capital

  • Lisa Morris, Managing Director, AKS Family Partners LP

  • Gayatri Sarkar, CEO of Advaita Capital, Founder, She-VC

 
 

MODERATOR: Marcia NELSON

MANAGING DIRECTOR

fREEDOM CAPITAL mARKETS

Marcia Nelson is a Managing Director at Freedom Capital Markets. Marcia has spent a large portion of her career working in and for family offices and private dealmakers. Prior to FCM, Marcia was a Managing Director and head of business development for ShareNett, a members-only global network of professional investors, and she was previously at Alberleen Family Office Solutions, an independent investment advisory firm backed by family offices. She formerly worked for an ultra-high-net-worth philanthropic family and a sports and entertainment family. Over the last 20 years, she has developed a strong network of private families, institutional investors, and advisers who are increasingly seeking access to quality direct deal flow from trusted, experienced partners.

​Marcia is also a Founding Partner of Triple C Advisory, a business life cycle consulting firm that works with early-stage companies as an advisor and board member to prepare them to receive institutional-grade investments.

​Marcia serves as Chairman of the Board of Kinect Capital, a Utah-based non-profit early-stage accelerator, and she is on the Board of University Impact, a donor-advised fund focused on impact investing. She is a past president of ACG-NY, an association for middle-market dealmaking professionals, and she’s a member of DealmakeHers, an exclusive network of leading female dealmakers in the retail and consumer marketplace.

​Marcia received an honorary mention as one of the 2021 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine and was named one of the 2020 Most Influential Women and she was one of 2018 Who’s Who In Impact Investing by the Denver Business Journal and was honored with the 2017 ACG-NY Women of Leadership Award. 

​Marcia received her BA from Southern Utah State College and her MBA from the Gabelli School at Fordham University. 

 

Anna Mason

MANAGING PARTNER

INGEBORG INVESTMENTS

Anna Mason is the Managing Partner for Ingeborg Investments, the venture-arm within the Family Office of Olivia Walton. Ingeborg focuses on investing in female founders and other female fund managers.  They invest in innovation that is built with women in mind.

Anna previously was a Managing Partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, where she worked from 2016-2022. While there, Anna helped lead the transformation of Rise of the Rest from a startup-community bus tour initiative to a fund with $300M in AUM and nearly 200 early-stage investments across 75+ cities.

Anna has 20 years of experience in finance, venture and startup operations.  Prior to joining Revolution, she co-founded a fitness-community startup called BurnThis (acquired by Beachbody in 2015) and co-led The Vinetta Project DC, an organization supporting early-stage female founders in tech. She began her career on Wall Street, as a distressed bond and post-reorg private equity trader, most recently as a Vice President at The Seaport Group.

Anna received her BA in Government from Harvard College and her MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She was named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in 2020, Business Insider’s list of 100 People Transforming Business in 2019 and a Washingtonian Tech Titan in 2017 and 2018. Anna is also a 2022 Presidential Leadership Fellow.

Anna is a regular speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship and venture investing, including at SALT, Milken Global Conference, Forbes ICONOCLAST, NYSE and With Intelligence.

 
 
 
 

KELLY FREIS

CEO

INTERNATIONAL GROWTH CAPITAL

Kelly Freis is a seasoned investor and serial entrepreneur with over two decades of expertise spanning multiple sectors, with a dominant focus on real estate development, investment, and innovative capital stack strategies. As the Founder and Principal of International Growth Capital (IGC), Kelly has established herself as a leading authority in structuring sustainable business investments and facilitating strategic partnerships with Multi-Family Offices (MFOs). With a proven track record of developing and managing projects valued at over $2.5 billion across 10 states, Kelly’s expertise encompasses commercial real estate development, sales, marketing, and comprehensive investment management. Her leadership in these areas is further solidified by her extensive network and her unwavering commitment to a better future. Kelly also serves as the Founder and Chairperson of Steel Modular, Inc. (SMI), a pioneering, woman-owned enterprise delivering advanced steel fabrication and construction solutions. Under her leadership, SMI leverages cutting-edge, sustainable methodologies to address diverse project requirements, including affordable housing, tactical operations, defense contracting and storage. In addition to her real estate and investment endeavors, Kelly brings a rich creative background to her business ventures. She spent 15 years in the entertainment industry as an award-winning producer, overseeing more than 50 films and 200 television episodes for industry leaders such as Disney, MGM, and The Food Network. As a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Kelly combines creative acumen with entrepreneurial vision to achieve innovative and strategic outcomes. A Columbia University alum, and former member of the U.S. Ski Team, Kelly developed the discipline, resilience, and strategic focus that have helped her navigate under pressure, pursue excellence and deliver results time after time—qualities that have become hallmarks to her approach as an innovative leader in business and finance.

LISA MORRIS

MANAGING DIRECTOR

AKS Family Partners LP

Lisa is the Managing Director of AKS Family Partners LP, a single family office.  She is an  Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Broadway Producer, and Impact Investor.  A former Broadway actress, she founded the entertainment travel company Road Concierge. She scaled the business and was acquired within 6 years.  After the acquisition, Lisa began investing her own funds into a variety of Impact Investments.  She is an Activator with Coralus, a philanthropic venture fund that supports and funds Female Founded companies.  She is an EIR at Columbia with the NYSERDA program and an Earthshot Prize nominator.   She is a member of 3i, IPI/Campden, AYU, Adoreum Club,  Gaingels, Apex GlobalNEXUS Impact Society, Global Leaders Investment Club, and Top Tier Impact.   She currently serves as VP of AKS Family Foundation and Director of Philanthropic Services for FORCE Family Office.  Former philanthropic roles with Epic Foundation and the Mary Tyler Moore Foundation.  She consults and is a pitch coach for multiple companies from startups to public companies. She serves on several Boards, including CODA, a female founded disability/accessibility AI tech, and she is an Advisor to AAA Family Office.

 
 
 
 

GAYATRI SARKAR

ceo, advaita capital

FOUNDER, SHE-VC

Gayatri Sarkar is the owner of Advaita Capital, one of the few/only growth VC fund in the US owned by a woman-POC. We are investing in generative AI, deep tech and decarbonization advancing the human race. Our checks are $10-50M+ and we have invested in top names like Stripe, Epic Games, Neuralink, Cohere, Tenstorrent and other top generative ai companies as well. Awarded Global Leader under 40 for championing $100B+ combined capital in gender advocacy through She-VC podcast. Former Federal Reserve Bank Manager- managed US Treasury’s assets for the US Military/ Navy, including managing big banks like JPM, PNC, G&D, and VISA. Founder of a consulting firm where US Treasury was first client. Founder of career networking tech startup, built at Harvard i-lab when Gayatri was a Harvard graduate student. Started her career as a data architect at HP, IBM, Goldman Sachs. Former GP of a TMT fund (acquired). Physics Honors, Math minor. Economics and Finance Major at Harvard. She completed 6years end of term as Board of Directors of Harvard Kennedy School NEA. She is also a crown patron of Princess Grace Foundation, USA, now Under The High Patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Princess’s Grace’s son and ruling Prince of Monaco, is dedicated to the enduring legacy of his mother and the important mission of excellence in the arts. Advaita Capital is also official nominator of Earthshot Prize, created by Prince William Foundation, which grants 1M pounds to top 5 category climate tech startups through annual prize. Gayatri Sarkar is Bloomberg media trained and is a cohort of Bloomberg New Media voice in VC, AI, chips and other technology areas she is investing in. Gayatri Sarkar was also featured on the cover of Women and Wealth magazine Spring 2025 collection alongside powerful women CEOs like Christies’ CEO and few others, this magazine is issued by Brown Brothers Harriman. She was featured in Forbes.

 

11:45AM - Fireside Chat - "Building Cities - Washington DC South - a Smart City”

  • Litt Thompson, Thompson Family Office

  • Katherine Hill Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 
 

Litt Thompson

founder/MANAGING PARTNER

Thompson Family OFFICE

Litt Thompson and his family live in Richmond, Virginia and have deep roots that date back to the late 1700’s. Litt’s parents were married over 71 years and, the Thompson family currently spreads across four generations consisting of over 25 family members who mostly reside in Virginia.


Litt is founder and owner of Washington DC South which is an 1100-acre Sustainable Smart City project south of Washington DC. The original vision of Washington D C South is due to the thoughtful leadership and planning of both Caroline County and the Commonwealth of Virginia and is now positioned to become a World Class Sustainable Smart City unlike anything else.

Litt has always had a passion for business and investments. For the last 40 years, Litt has bought/started, run, and sold businesses across many different industries including telecommunications, television production, retail, service and manufacturing. Litt was also a founding board member of a bank startup which was later successfully sold, and currently sits on the boards of Virginians for High Speed Rail, Veritas School, and the YMCA to name a few.

Litt graduated from the School of Business Administration at the University of Richmond in 1979 and has been married to Kath for over 41 years. Kath and Litt and have three sons, Gavin, Parker and Litt Jr. Litt is active in his church, is currently writing a book called “Time Out,” and has a passion for helping others find their path and potential in life.

 

katherine hill ritchie

Private Capital Investments, LLC

Katherine founded PCI while she was working in Geneva, Switzerland in 2009 when she realized there was a need for personalized investment services for family offices and family-owned businesses beyond typical brokers, bankers or wealth managers.

  • Frequent speaker and content provider to family office & investment conferences and publications worldwide

  • Worked for 4 Billionaires and 8 Family Offices/Family-Owned Businesses

  • 22 years of investment and financial services experience

  • Internal employee and/or external advisor to several prominent single family offices, their companies and fund investments including:

    • Nottingham Spirk Family Office

    • PEX Global

    • Eden Capital

    • Simon Group Holding

    • Saad Family Office

    • Wedge Alternatives

 Noon - Lunch

 

12:20PM - Fireside Chat - Nottingham Spirk Family Office

 
 

John SPIRK, FOUNDER

John Spirk is the co-founder and Co-CEO of Nottingham Spirk, one of the leading product invention and development groups in the United States. NS has helped companies over the globe develop over 1,550 U.S. and International patents – 95% of which have been commercialized – and earn more than $100 billion in combined sales from new businesses developed.

John was a key innovator in the creation of the Crest SpinBrush electric toothbrush, Axe Bullet, Dirt Devil products, Troy-Bilt FLEX yard care system, Rug Doctor, and the Mars My M&M’s printer kiosk.

John has received a myriad of innovation awards including the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the IDEA Gold Award, the Edison Gold Award, DuPont Packaging Gold Award, and the Patent Impact Award. John is in the Inside Business Hall of Fame and is a Fellow at the National Academy of Inventors.

John and Nottingham Spirk are featured in two bestselling books; Ninja Innovation, written by Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association and American Story, written by Today Show author Bob Dodson.

John Spirk serves on the Boards of Trustees for the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Institute of Art, and University Circle Inc. as well as several private equity companies. He has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, NBC News, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, New York Times, Wired, and Fast Company.

Joe Gfoeller

President

Nottingham Spirk

Joachim (Joe) Gfoeller, Jr. is President at Nottingham Spirk, a leading product invention and innovation firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Previously, he served as General Partner of GMG Capital Partners L.P, a venture capital investment firm he co-founded in 1997. Prior to GMG, Mr. Gfoeller was one of the founding partners of Stolberg Partners, established in 1993. At Stolberg Partners, he had extensive experience investing in the private equity middle market, particularly in the manufacturing and distribution industries. Prior to Stolberg Partners, Mr. Gfoeller served as a Vice President of Weiss, Peck & Greer from 1988 to 1993 and as a partner of its buyout group from 1992 to 1993. From 1983 to 1986, Mr. Gfoeller was with the First National Bank of Boston as a Credit Officer and Workout Specialist, working in the United States and Latin America. Mr. Gfoeller has served on several corporate boards, including those of TecTraum, Inc, Flanders Filters, Inc, Iverify, Inc, Lancope, Inc, Phobos Corporation and StorageApps, Inc, among others. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mr. Gfoeller is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is an active supporter, through the Gfoeller Foundation, of archaeology projects in Armenia. Mr. Gfoeller speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and German. He received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1988, an M.A., with honors, in Economics and Latin American Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1983, and a B.A, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in International Studies from The Ohio State University in 1981

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

portfolio company - polar delight

Jim Hills, CEO

A senior executive with a track record for driving innovation and growth, Jim Hills is a successful entrepreneur, investor, and director. He brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the consumer products industry, having founded and guided two consumer products companies to successful exits of more than a $100 million. Earlier in his career, Jim held senior roles in marketing, finance and sales management with Gillette and The Coca-Cola Company.

Since 2005, Jim has served as a Director at Nottingham Spirk.  He leads NS’s collaborative product development practice with Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart. He has additionally served as the co-lead in raising $50 million for several NS related venture companies engaged in the development of point of care disinfection, diagnostic medical devices, and unique consumer products.

Jim currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Miracle Brands, LLC, a marketer of a line of proprietary, high efficacy wipes & sprays, cleaning and sanitizing products. He has leveraged long-standing relationships to secure chainwide distribution in several of the country’s leading retailers which has driven explosive growth.

He currently serves as the CEO and member of the board of directors of Polar Delight, a venture company in the gourmet ice cream space. Jim is an investor and Director of XaTek, the maker of the ClotChip™ device, a handheld, point-of-care global assay to eveluate the hemostatic process.  The firm has received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. FDA.  He also serves on the board of directors of TecTraum, the first company to develop a revolutionary cooling therapy device to treat concussions.

Jim conducts himself by simply doing the right thing. He built his success through a seasoned, collaborative leadership style and the ability to cultivate the skills and expertise of colleagues, developing outstanding teams. Jim’s creativity and tenacity have enabled him to develop innovative new products and material revenue streams, creating extraordinary returns for shareholders. He understands both the art and science of product development and the critical relationship products and brands have with both retailers and consumers. He is well known and respected by the CEO’s and heads of merchandising of some of the country’s largest and most successful retailers.

Jim earned his BBA from Kent State University, where he played baseball and remains an active alumnus. He is married and lives in Atlanta, GA.

 
 

Evan Spirk

Director of INNOVATION

NOTTINGHAM SPIRK

Evan Spirk has been with Nottingham Spirk for over 20 years as a designer, program manager and now Director of Open Innovation. Before that, Evan started his career as a photojournalist where he interned at the Boston Globe and had the opportunity to spend 4 months in Cuba.

Evan worked in China at Vtech designing next-generation phones for the US market before returning to the US to work at Ford Motor Company. He was involved with several vehicle programs, some of which became integrated into today’s SYNC platform found in most of today’s Ford vehicles. Evan has led many innovations for a variety of companies, including: Frito-Lay, Polar Delight, Scotts, Similac, Zippo, RugDoctor, and Beautyrest.

Evan has a BFA in Industrial Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He most recently worked on a program that will change the way you buy and consume ice cream

 
 

No Offer or Solicitation. This information in this communication and provided at the conference is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus. This registration does not constitute an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it would be unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

 

1PM - Panel Discussion - “New Areas to Invest in Sports, Media, & the Luxury Market”

  • Moderator: Jarrod Guy Randolph, CEO, Vestre Partners, Headliner Series

  • Jon Romm, CEO, Castenate 5G

  • Garrett Klugh, Falk Ventures, Sankhara

  • Rich Nespola, Managing Director, Working Lab Capital

 
 

Jarrod Guy Randolph

CEO

VESTRE PARTNERS, HEADLINER SERIES

With nearly 25 years of diverse experience in real estate, business, and finance, Jarrod Guy Randolph stands out as a leading expert. In the dynamic New York City market, he has raised over $300 million in equity and closed deals exceeding $2 billion, working with top firms like Extell and Tishman. Recognized by Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Jarrod’s insights are sought by media giants such as Schwab, Fox, and Cheddar. His ventures, including BoxFi and Bespoke Global, showcase his diverse business and finance background, innovative approach, and strategic leadership.

 
 

Jon ROmm

CEO

Castenate 5G

Jon is a four decade veteran of the sports and entertainment industry. He started his career with Madison Square Garden Network, working for several Telecom Groups along the way IDB Communications, WorldCom, and British Telecom including the M&A activity with MCI and ATT. In the early 2000s Jon went to work for a global satellite company here in DC Called Intelsat. He was the President of the Media and Entertainment Division leading on privatizing Intelsat and acquiring PanAmSat.

Jon then began his entrepreneurship journey. He is the founder of Vubiquity, one of the early stage content distribution companies to provide services for second and third screen consumption. After selling that business to Carlyle Group and then ultimately to AMDOCs, Jon founded Venuetize. Venuetize was a single backend mobile application technology company combining all aspects of feature set and functionality for Venue and patron experience. Jon sold this business in 2022 to Everi a gaming and money processing business out of Las Vegas who was consequently sold to International Gaming and most recently Apollo Management.

Jon has now turned his attention to be the Chief Executive Officer of Castanet 5Gthe next generation of content distribution business leveraging low powered TV spectrum for direct distribution to consumers while creating a populated and fertile application layer so that rich content can be position for consumption, merchandising, gaming, and an overall better interactive engaged consuming experience.

Jon's expertise in content distribution sports and entertainment, next generation technologist, and understanding all aspects of the content provider and consumers consumption behavior make him the right person for this panel discussion.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Garrett Klugh

cHIEF aDVISOR, fALK vENTURES

dIRECTOR, Sankhara

Garrett Klugh is Chief Advisor to Falk Ventures, the family office of legendary sports agent David  Falk, and Director at Sankhara, a private equity fund dedicated to preserving the human  experience through extraordinary physical assets. An Olympian and World Champion rower,  Garrett has built a career at the intersection of sports, business, and investment -- advising  founders, managing portfolios, and driving growth across industries. 

A six-time U.S. National Team member and 2004 Olympian, Garrett captured a World Rowing  Championship in 1999 and was elected by his peers to serve on the Board of Directors of  USRowing. Following his athletic career, he served with distinction as a San Diego police officer, earning multiple commendations, before joining the U.S. Olympic Committee in a management  development role, contributing to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, Vancouver, and  London. 

Garrett later led athlete representation at 776 Original Marketing and taught as adjunct faculty at  the University of Colorado while earning his MBA at George Washington University. Today, in  addition to his leadership roles at Falk Ventures and Sankhara, he is the founder of Fortius  Consulting, providing business development support to early and mid-stage startups, and he  actively mentors companies and accelerators in the sports-tech ecosystem. 

RICH NESPOLA

Managing Member

Working Lab Capital

Richard Nespola, Jr.  is the Founding Managing Member of Working Lab Capital ("WLC") - his family holding company, and BFY Capital Partners - a WLC subsidiary and a specialty lender to "better for you" consumer brands.

Richard is a seasoned and multi-faceted executive with over two decades of experience across various industries: technology consulting services, mortgage finance, retail supply chain management and general business advisory. He has successfully led financial product development, pricing, analytics, credit, strategy, revenue optimization and global sales functions across multiple industries, managing business unit P&Ls of $125M+. 

Richard is a Partner in QuimbyVentures, LLC, his single family office where he co-leads investment decisions and portfolio strategy. Mr. Nespola is also Vice Chairman of InSITEFellows, a 501(c)3 non-profit that pairs graduate students in business, law and engineering from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Georgetown, Berkeley, U Penn, U Chicago and Wash U in St. Louis with entrepreneurs and Venture Capital firms -conducting special pro-bono projects to accelerate growth and add value to the entrepreneurial community. Richard is also Chairman of Earth Echo International, an environmentally focused non-profit honoring the legacy of Jacques Cousteau. Richard is also a Trustee of the NespolaFamily Foundation where he oversees grant allocations and foundation commitments to charitable organizations. 

Richard graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Psychology and received his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and General Management. 

 

1:35PM - Fireside Chat - "Military and Intelligence Communities, an Untapped Resource for Family Offices and Private Industry”

 
 

Nick Russell

National Security Executive & Strategic Advisor

Central Intelligence Agency, Senior Manager, Former Counterintelligence Agent, Former White House Communications, U.S. Marine

Nicholas T. Russell is a seasoned U.S. National-Security professional with over two decades of experience in intelligence, counterterrorism, and protective operations. A Marine Corps veteran and former leader with the White House Communications Agency, he has served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and has held senior positions within the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Throughout his career, Nicholas has overseen global security initiatives, led multidisciplinary intelligence teams, and coordinated high-level missions across the U.S. Government and allied partners. His work has spanned combat deployments, interagency collaboration, and strategic counterintelligence efforts protecting some of the Nation’s most sensitive interests.

In addition to his current role within the U.S. Intelligence Community, Nicholas leverages his operational expertise in advising private-sector leaders on risk mitigation, resilience, and the intersection of global security and business continuity. Nicholas earned his MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management and holds a Master’s in Executive Leadership from Norwich University.

Known for his integrity, calm leadership, and commitment to service, Nicholas continues to bridge the worlds of National Security and private enterprise—helping to navigate the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

 

Alexander Ritchie

General Counsel

Private Capital Investments, LLC

Mr. Ritchie is principal and general counsel of PCI. He has extensive experience representing corporate and individual clients in their U.S. and international business and personal interests. He has sourced and structured deals and has performed on-site due diligence internationally for U.S. and international family offices, startups and entrepreneurs. He has assisted individuals with trusts and estates, as well as asset protection, recovery and estate liquidation. Past deals have focused upon direct investment and expansion opportunities including agriculture, hotel, hospitality, biotechnology, entertainment businesses, real estate, consumer products, manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure.

 
 

1:55PM - Information Sessions

  • “Energy Solutions for the Military and Commercial Applications”

    • Veronika Stelmakh, PhD, CEO of Mesodyne

  • “The Rise of Dental Care in Telehealth Medicine”

    • Fernando Volante, CEO of Oratray

  • “Revolutions in Diagnostic Testing”

    • John Zak, MD, CEO of XaTek®

 
 

vERONIKA sTELMAKH, pHD

ceo

Mesodyne

Dr. Veronika Stelmakh is the CEO and cofounder of Mesodyne, a company commercializing a new class of power generator that converts fuel to electricity via light. Mesodyne’s LightCell generator is silent, has no moving parts, operates on any hydrocarbon fuel, and offers more than 10x the energy density of lithium ion batteries.

Dr. Stelmakh holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a MS and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from MIT. The focus of her PhD work and post-doc at MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies was the development of a practical photonic crystal selective emitter for thermophotovoltaic applications which resulted in a world record benchtop demonstration and is at the core of Mesodyne's technology. Dr. Stelmakh is an expert in the field of thermophotovoltaics and has authored numerous technical articles on this subject.

Since founding Mesodyne, Dr. Stelmakh has led the company through development of the technology into a product, performed on multiple government research and development contracts and has begun delivery of prototypes to the US Government

Fernando Volante

CEO

ORATRAY

Oratray, Inc. was established in 2019 when  Fernando Volante and Dr. Martin F-Feo DDSMSD, partnered to bring to the market a single-use, disposable, and prefilled dental tray to prevent and treat multiple oral conditions.  Our patent-pending burst pack innovates  and disrupts the delivery method of various  formulations.

This Miami-based company has innovated a proactive and convenient way to improve oral health in the convenience of your home. ORATRAY with its patent-pending tray design and burst pack is innovating the delivery method of various formulations of dental products. 

 The dental professional can now recommend and prescribe in-office and more importantly, at-home use of trays that will benefit and improve the patient's oral health.  The convenience and simple use of the tray will result in better patient acceptance, compared to current treatments, resulting in less patient chair time, and considerably increasing revenue for the dental office.   

As fluoride is phased out from public drinking water, Oratray becomes a vital solution to maintain strong and healthy teeth. Our patented trays deliver the optimal dose of fluoride directly to the teeth safely, effectively, and without relying on municipal water systems. This ensures that both children and adults continue to receive the cavity fighting benefits of fluoride, regardless of changes in public policy. Oratray bridges the gap, providing targeted protection and peace of mind for families across the country.

Fernando Volante has 16+ years of experience in the residential real estate industry, managing a company with over 56 property transactions. He’s also launched successful ventures in Latin America, including an FX brokerage and a home goods retail store. Fernando holds a law degree and an MBA.

 
 

John Zak MD, MB

CEO/Director/Co-Founder

XaTek, Inc.

Dr. Zak is the President & CEO of XaTek Inc. He provides the Company with more than 25 years of experience as a clinician, investment professional and serial entrepreneur. Dr. Zak spent the first part of his career as a successful cosmetic & reconstructive surgeon. After transitioning from clinical medicine in 2003, he spent several years in healthcare finance. As an investment professional, he served as a transactional deal specialist focused on capital raising and mergers & acquisitions. Additionally, as a venture capitalist he served as operating partner with Portal Capital, investing in early-stage life science opportunities. Dr. Zak has significant experience in the governance of early-stage companies, serving on the Board of Directors of several successful northeast Ohio ventures. He brings an impressive history of executive leadership to XaTek. He has expertise in licensing, commercializing and marketing early-stage life science technologies. More recently his area of focus has been disruptive microfluidic-based diagnostic assays, of which the ClotChip® technology by XaTek is an example. He lives at home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio with his wife of 31 years, Heather.

 
 
 

2:40PM - Breakout Sessions - George Washington Ballroom

Opportunities in Aviation

Overlooked Tax Strategies

AI and Healthcare

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Opportunities in Aviation” Table

David Yu

CIO, Inception Holdings

Chairman, AAVA Group, Lidara Capital

Professor David Yu, PhD, CFA, FRAeS, Senior ISTAT Certified Aviation Appraiser, is CIO of Inception Holdings and Chairman of AAVA Group, Lidara Capital. He is also a professor of finance at New York University Shanghai and Stern Schools and is a recognized expert and thought leader in cross border investing, financing, valuation, real assets and aviation. He is the only Senior ISTAT (International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading) Certified Aviation Appraiser in China and N. Asia and one of ~20 globally. He is an experienced entrepreneur, PE investor, lessor, banker advisor, and appraiser. He also acts as an active operator and board director or advisor of companies and funds.

Previously, he was managed a PE fund, C suite executive, the China Chief Representative, Head of Asia, and Senior Executive Committee member at Libra Group, a large Greek family investment conglomerate. Prof. Yu was based on four continents, including Asia and China. He started his career as an investment banker at Banc of America Securities.  He writes as a contributing writer, interviewed by many leading industry publications including Forbes, Nikkei Asian Review, Bloomberg, FT, WSJ, etc. His book titled “Aircraft Valuation: Airplane Investments As An Asset Class” was recently published by Palgrave Macmillan and has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, among others. Prof. Yu is a fellow of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health and the Study of Business Enterprise at Johns Hopkins University and an Adj. Professor of Biology (Full) at Temple University.

 
 
 

“Overlooked Tax Strategies” table

Brad Love

President

Kang Capital Advisory, Inc.

Bradley C. Love  is the President of Kang Capital Advisory, Inc., a consulting practice serving business owners, family offices and investment funds whose strategies keep more money in the pockets of companies, their owners and employees.  Prior to forming Kang, Brad worked for a Washington, DC family office as their Sr. Investment Advisor--Brad was responsible for driving deal flow and their due diligence process.  Brad has almost two decades of experience in the financial services industry, having worked previously at WheatFirstButcherSinger, Wachovia Securities, and Wells Fargo Securities.  Today, Brad & Kang focus on bringing best in class solutions and strategies for estate planning, federal tax liability reduction and group benefit plans to their clients.

 
 

“Overlooked Tax Strategies” table

Trent Carrender

Co-Founder

i2i Services

▪ Leads zero-cost savings in healthcare & taxes

▪ 15+ years advancing innovation into industry

▪ 200+ startup-to-enterprise connections via i2i Labs

With over 15 years of experience driving technology innovation into industry through i2i Labs, Trent and his team successfully connected more than 200 startups with Fortune 500 enterprises, specializing in retail, consumer goods, and sustainability. After a period working in Washington D.C., Trent recognized that companies of all sizes could benefit far more from achieving drastic cost savings on their largest expenses. What they lacked was someone to foster those connections. Acting on this insight, Trent co-found a new company i2I Services, designed to link partner platforms in healthcare, tax liability, and estate planning to organizations seeking ways to save money — at zero cost to their business. As Co-Founder of i2I Services, Trent has, over the past three years, taken his passion for progress to the next level. He and his team now provide corporations, small businesses, Family Offices, and Private Equity firms with solutions that save millions of dollars. Their work delivers zero-cost services across a wide range of industries, granting access to powerful money-saving platforms while creating a better future for employees. Under Trent’s leadership, he’s evolved i2I Services into a broader and more dynamic platform. His vision is to create a larger ecosystem that not only supports cost savings but also fuels business growth and scale. Beyond his exceptional work with clients, Trent is a visionary leader and dedicated mentor who cultivates relationships with driven, forward-thinking professionals. He surrounds himself with dynamic, innovative, results-oriented individuals who share his passion for creating meaningful, cost-saving solutions, and he remains unwavering in his commitment to helping others realize their fullest potential.

 

“AI and Healthcare” Table

Dr. Ainsley Maclean,

GP Ainsley & Born Capital,

Founder of Ainsley Advisory Group

Dr. Ainsley MacLean is a former CMIO/CAIO at Kaiser Permanente, now CEO, founder and healthcare AI strategist with deep expertise in healthcare technology, digital transformation, and clinical operations. A Harvard-trained neuroradiologist, she has led large-scale AI deployments and digital initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, shaping the future of AI-driven healthcare.

As Chief AI Officer and Chief Medical Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente, she:

• Led a large team of data scientists and software engineers and the largest generative AI ambient scribe deployment in healthcare.

• Founded the Permanente AI Center of Excellence, pioneering AI adoption in imaging, diagnostics, and clinical workflows.

• Spearheaded AI-driven projects, digital front door initiatives, and predictive analytics for early disease detection and treatment.

• Drove the implementation of AI-enhanced mammography and clinical decision support tools across a 12 million-patient health system.

Dr. MacLean is CEO & Founding Partner of Ainsley Advisory Group, a strategic advisory firm guiding healthcare startups, investors, and health systems on strategic AI go-to-market strategies, clinical AI deployment and revenue growth.

 3:25PM - Networking Break

Please enjoy coffee, tea, and other refreshments while networking with your fellow attendees.

 

3:35PM - Panel - “Real World Applications of AI that Actually Work”

  • Moderator: Dr. Ainsley Maclean, GP, GP Ainsley & Born Capital, Founder of Ainsley Advisory Group

  • Lukasz Mosakowski, GM, Portfolio Engineering & Incubation, Tri-Edge Investments

  • Manpreet Singh, CIO of Singh Capital 

  • Govind Shivkumar, Director Investments at Omidyar Network

  • Grace Lovret, Managing Member, CIO, Franger LLC

 
 

MODERATOR: Dr. Ainsley Maclean

GP, GP Ainsley & Born Capital,

Founder, Ainsley Advisory Group

Dr. Ainsley MacLean is a former CMIO/CAIO at Kaiser Permanente, now CEO, founder and healthcare AI strategist with deep expertise in healthcare technology, digital transformation, and clinical operations. A Harvard-trained neuroradiologist, she has led large-scale AI deployments and digital initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, shaping the future of AI-driven healthcare.

As Chief AI Officer and Chief Medical Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente, she:

• Led a large team of data scientists and software engineers and the largest generative AI ambient scribe deployment in healthcare.

• Founded the Permanente AI Center of Excellence, pioneering AI adoption in imaging, diagnostics, and clinical workflows.

• Spearheaded AI-driven projects, digital front door initiatives, and predictive analytics for early disease detection and treatment.

• Drove the implementation of AI-enhanced mammography and clinical decision support tools across a 12 million-patient health system.

Dr. MacLean is CEO & Founding Partner of Ainsley Advisory Group, a strategic advisory firm guiding healthcare startups, investors, and health systems on strategic AI go-to-market strategies, clinical AI deployment and revenue growth.

 
 
 
 

Lukasz Mosakowski

Gm

Portfolio Engineering & Incubation, Tri-Edge Investments

Lukasz is the General Manager of TriEdge Investments’ Portfolio Engineering & Incubation Group, a forward-deployed engineering team that accelerates portfolio companies and new ventures through focused, pragmatic SaaS and AI solutions. Built for speed and real impact, the team embeds deeply within businesses to uncover leverage and drive scalable commercial results. Lukasz has spent over a decade leading product teams that integrate complex systems, algorithms, and operations into coherent, intuitive user experiences. Before joining TriEdge, he led Oscar Health’s digital consumer and customer service experiences, as well as its search and AI cross-functional teams. He studied Mechanical Engineering and Physics at Princeton University.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Manpreet Singh

CIO

Singh Capital

Manpreet is the Chief Investment Officer of Singh Capital Partners. He began his entrepreneurial career in high school with Desi Vibes, a social networking start-up that he co-founded and operated with his brother Gurpreet. He then went on to work in finance and investments as Employee #1 at Profit Investment Management, a DC-based firm where he helped to grow assets under managed from $20 million at the time to over $2 billion via stints in trading, marketing, research, investing, operations, and maintaining client relationships.

In 2006, Singh became one of the youngest CFA charter holders in the world and was profiled by CFA Magazine as its “Most Ambitious” member. He has also been quoted and published numerous times by Bloomberg, Washington Post, Forbes, and other media.

Manpreet was President and Co-founder of TalkLocal, Inc. TalkLocal has raised $4 million in venture funding and has delivered over 4 million calls nationwide. In 2013, it was voted "DC's Hottest Showcasing Startup" by Tech Cocktail and a "Leading in Local Future Star" by BIA/Kelsey.

Manpreet’s philanthropic activities include his roles as a director of the LaKan Foundation, a charter member of TiE-DC, and a member of Summit Series since 2009.

Manpreet received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business in Entrepreneurship, Finance, and Real Estate. He also holds a B.S. in Finance with a citation in Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland, College Park.

 

Govind Shivkumar

Director, Investments

Omidyar Network

Govind Shivkumar, a director at Omidyar Network, oversees for-profit investments in late-stage AI and emerging tech companies and funds. He also stewards portfolios and grants in open source, data governance, and public interest AI initiatives. Some of his recent investments include Anthropic, EleutherAI, Stanford HAI, Skydeck VC Fund, and Humane Intelligence.

Govind specializes in structuring blended capital funds and has played a key role in establishing a series of risk and philanthropic funds, including CoDevelop, FOSS Sustainability Fund, Digital Infrastructure Fund, and Data Empowerment Fund.

Before joining Omidyar Network, Govind gained valuable experience investing in technology, healthcare, and financial services companies and funds during his decade-long tenure at the LGT Group. He also worked in investment banking at Unitus and Citigroup. Throughout his career at these firms, Govind executed transactions across North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

Govind is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and the University of Mumbai, and he is a qualified chartered accountant.

 

Grace Lovret

Managing Member, CIO

Franger LLC

Grace M. Lovret heads Franger LLC, a multi-generational family office, as Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer and owns GL Consulting Solutions LLC, a specialized tax practice.

A committed advocate for visionary and innovative entrepreneurship, she serves on the boards of several emerging ventures.

Her diverse entrepreneurial portfolio includes investments in finance, biotech, CPG, real estate, and the media. She is a partner in a production company and a film studio that champions independent creatives and extends to Broadway investments. She is a co-founder of MindArk, an AI company. Recently, she opened the first of nine  Brooklyn Dumpling Shop franchises in Vancouver. 

Ms. Lovret is deeply passionate about supporting and encouraging youth, dedicating her efforts to mentorship in financial literacy, mental health, educational reform, and sustainability. 

She believes in the transformative power of equipping the next generation with essential skills for social-emotional development. Grounded in purpose, she emphasizes philanthropy as integral to personal and professional growth.

 

4:05PM - Fireside Chat - "GovCon Studio - Real Government Efficiency in Practice”

  • Dipak Thakker, CEO Stellar IT/iDea Labs

  • Alexander Ritchie, Private Capital Investments, LLC

 
 

Dipak Thakker

CEO

Stellar IT/IDEA LABS

Dipak as the CEO of Stellar Venture Studio brings over two decades of experience in operations, management, general administration, and raising capital. Dipak has built a diverse career spanning information technology, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and government contracting. As a founder of a technology incubator - Stellar iDea Labs, Dipak accelerated new innovations through direct investment and explored market opportunities with strong intellectual property potential. The incubator has funded and launched five startups, each progressing through various lifecycle stages from seed to Series A. Earlier in his career, he served as a Director at FINRA, where he led research and development in predictive analytics for detecting insider trading and fraud in major US stock markets. Dipak holds an Executive Management Program certificate in Venture Capital and Private Equity from Columbia Business School. He also holds an MBA in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Maryland.

Featured Stellar IT/iDea Labs Companies:

greatEvent

Stellar GovTech Venture Studio

FoodBeacon

 

Alexander Ritchie

Private Capital Investments, LLC

Mr. Ritchie is principal and general counsel of PCI. He has extensive experience representing corporate and individual clients in their U.S. and international business and personal interests. He has sourced and structured deals and has performed on-site due diligence internationally for U.S. and international family offices, startups and entrepreneurs. He has assisted individuals with trusts and estates, as well as asset protection, recovery and estate liquidation. Past deals have focused upon direct investment and expansion opportunities including agriculture, hotel, hospitality, biotechnology, entertainment businesses, real estate, consumer products, manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure.

 

4:35PM - Panel: “Investing in National Security and Veterans”

  • Moderator: James Kahrs, Cherry Bekaert

  • Jeff Walker, Founder and General Partner, Waypoint Ventures

  • Guy Fillipelli, Managing Partner, Squadra Ventures

 
 

MODERATOR: James Kahrs

Director, Business Development

Cherry Bekaert

As a Business Development Director at Cherry Bekaert, James builds trusted relationships across the government contracting and technology sectors, helping clients navigate growth, policy shifts and emerging trends. He brings a global perspective and a strong network to every engagement.

With over a decade of international business experience, James has worked across Asia and Washington, D.C., blending public and private sector insight. His background spans government relations, market expansion and strategic partnerships, with a focus on connecting people and ideas to create lasting impact.

 
 
 
 

jeff Walker

Founder and General Partner

WayPoint Ventures

Prior to co-founding Waypoint Ventures, Jeff owned multiple businesses in the retail, restaurant and real estate industries.  As a solo GP, he built a successful track record of acquisitions, growth, profitability, and exits. Before entrepreneurship, Jeff spent seven years in personal finance, institutional finance, and investment banking roles with his most recent role as a Vice President at Software Equity Group, being primarily responsible for leading software industry M&A engagements and investments.

Jeff is an alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy serving as a surface warfare officer after graduation, and also holds an MBA in Finance from Old Dominion University.

 
 
 
 
 

Guy Filipelli

ManAGING pARTNER

sQUADRA vENTURES

Guy founded Squadra Ventures in 2019 with the goal of building the world-class venture fund and partner that he wished had existed when he was raising capital. He leads Squadra’s investment and portfolio operations efforts and serves as board member for Squadra’s portfolio companies.

He was the founder and CEO of Red Owl Analytics, a Baltimore cybersecurity analytics startup focused on mitigating insider threat risk, which was acquired by ForcePoint, a Raytheon subsidiary in 2017. He was also founder and CEO of Berico Technologies, a Virginia consulting firm that delivered innovative, technology-enabled cloud engineering, data analytics, and IT modernization solutions to customers in the Intelligence Community. Berico was acquired by Novetta in 2018.

He began his career as a US Army intelligence officer, serving in Korea, Italy, Germany, and Afghanistan, and at the NSA. Guy holds a B.S. in Economics from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, and received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.

He is Chairman of the Commit Foundation, a non-profit focused on veteran transition, and serves on the board of the National Cryptologic Foundation.

 5:05PM TO 7PM After Party - Dom Pérignon Sabering with hors d’oeuvres and drinks

Join us for a fun post conference party in the Astor Ballroom!