E246: Private Equity in 2025: Fees, Rates, and the Law of Large Numbers
Is private equity still worth it — or has the industry scaled its way into mediocre returns?
In this episode, I talk with Nolan Bean, CFA, CAIA, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Portfolio Management at FEG Investment Advisors, an independent, employee-owned firm advising on $90+ billion in assets for endowments, foundations, healthcare systems, and mission-driven institutions. We dig into the state of OCIOs, interval funds, private equity, and why Nolan believes the lower middle-market still offers the clearest path to real alpha.
Nolan also breaks down the coming wave of 401(k) access to private markets, why large-cap buyout is structurally challenged, and how FEG uses a “crisis playbook” to lean into markets without pretending to time them perfectly.
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E245: From $0 to Billions in a Regulated Market
How do you build a multibillion-dollar company from scratch, walk away at the peak, and reinvent your life around purpose, generosity, and impact?
In this episode, I talk with Pete Kadens, one of America’s most respected first-generation wealth creators and one of the leading philanthropists focused on closing education and opportunity gaps across the U.S. Today.
Pete and I dive into how he built Green Thumb Industries (GTI) into a multibillion-dollar cannabis company, the unsexy strategies that made it work, and why choosing overlooked markets and consumers unlocked massive profit. We cover the power of ownership cultures, transparency, discipline frameworks, and why giving equity and education to employees creates extraordinary performance. We also explore the character transformation that led him to retire at 40.
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51:35
E244: Structural Alpha vs. Storytelling w/Alan McKnight
What separates elite CIOs from everyone else?
In this solo-style deep-dive conversation, I sit down with Alan McKnight, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Regions Asset Management, to unpack how one of the industry's most respected allocators makes decisions across public and private markets. Alan oversees investment strategy, risk management, and portfolio construction across the firm's full platform — and brings decades of experience from leadership roles at Truist, SunTrust, Equitable, and Morgan Stanley.
We get into the realities of managing capital across different client types, how CIOs should think about illiquidity versus opportunity, where structural alpha truly comes from, and the process-driven framework Alan uses to separate skill from luck. If you're an allocator, founder, CIO, or LP, this episode lays out one of the cleanest mental models you'll hear on building durable long-term returns.
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E243: The Gift Hidden Inside The Biggest Crisis
What happens when you’re forced to face your biggest fear?
In this solo episode, David Weisburd shares a deeply personal reflection on how moments of crisis can become the crucible that forges strength, resilience, and clarity. Drawing inspiration from Lloyd Blankfein’s reflections on the 2008 financial crisis, David explores why confronting your greatest fears—rather than avoiding them—can transform you into a more powerful, anti-fragile version of yourself.
From Joe Rogan’s public reckoning to founders who rebuilt stronger after near-death moments, this episode unpacks the paradox of hardship: how the moments that almost break you often become the foundation for your greatest breakthroughs.
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E242: How an 18-Year-Old Harvard Dropout Raised $47M
Can a 23-year-old Harvard dropout build the next billion-dollar company?
In this episode, I talk with Steven Wang, founder and CEO of dub, a U.S. copy-trading platform that lets you automatically mirror the portfolios of real investors and traders. We get into why he thinks most retail investors won’t get good at stock picking, why the future is about picking people, not tickers, and how dub is trying to turn social-media-driven, mimetic trading into better financial outcomes. We also cover the retail trading boom, meme stocks, the “retail army,” what dub’s top creators actually do to generate alpha, and how a creator-led marketplace for strategies could reshape how the next generation builds wealth.
How I Invest with David Weisburd is a podcast that interviews the world's leading institutional investors. Previous guests include The Ford Foundation, Northwestern University Endowment, CalPERS, Stepstone, and other top limited partners.
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