Speakers & Topics
- Brett Hickey
Founder & Chief Executive Officer @ Star Mountain Capital
$5B AUMTopic will appear soon
Brett Hickey is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Star Mountain Capital, a specialized private investment firm with approximately $5 billion in assets under management focused exclusively on the U.S. lower middle-market. Since founding the firm in 2010, he has built Star Mountain into a differentiated investment platform spanning private credit, private equity and secondary solutions, with a focus on low market-correlated returns, alpha generation and tax-advantaged strategies. Under his leadership, Star Mountain has been recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work by Crain’s New York Business and Pensions & Investments and on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies list. - Greg Head
Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach to PE-Backed CEOs @ The Greg Head
$1B raised, 100+ M&A transactionsOperating Partners & the 100-Day Plan: creating value without multiple expansion
Greg Head spent over 25 years operating in private equity as a principal and Single-Family Office Founder & CEO. He has sat on both sides of 100+ M&A transactions, raised $1B in capital, served on 12+ PE or investor-owned PortCo boards as an Independent Director, and is Co-Chair of an Institutional Investment Fund. Today, he runs The Greg Head as a PE-Executive Whisperer, and he helps executives obtain roles in Private Equity as Operating Partners, Executives, and Board Directors - Benny Manasherov
Dealflow Partner @ LvlUp Ventures
$12.5B market value, 1000+ dealsGP vs LP: the carried interest, fee structures & alignment debate
Strategic Advisor to Elite Investors, Founders & Family Offices. I structure complex deals, unlock liquidity, and drive growth for those who move markets. Private Credit | M&A | Capital Strategy | Public-Private Structuring - Courtney Jones
Director of Investor Relations @ Sun TheoryLP Pulse Check: What Family Offices, Endowments & Pension Funds Actually Want from PE Managers in 2026
Accomplished Director of Investor Relations with over 5 years of experience driving capital growth and investor engagement within high-value, equity-based environments. Skilled at leading investor communications, fund management, financial analysis, and creating impactful marketing materials that convey fund value and foster investor confidence. With a strong foundation in fund operations, compliance, and multi-channel investor engagement, I’m passionate about building trusted investor relationships that support sustainable growth. - Jon Pesce
Partner @ Dimora CapitalThe Great Basis Reset, Multifamily Value-add Investments in High Growth US Markets
Jon Pesce is Vice President of Real Estate at Agman, a family-owned multi-strategy investment firm with over 90 years of operating history focused on generational investment opportunities in real estate. He specializes in the recapitalization of multifamily assets and arranging construction capital across US high-growth markets. Jon is also a Partner at Dimora Capital, a Midwest-focused multifamily investment firm, and has been featured on CNBC discussing the US commercial real estate market. He is the author of the newly published book "HIT IT OFF!" — released May 2026. - Lars Behrendt
CEO @ Granny&Smith
700+ growth projectsWhy PE Portfolio Companies Fail to Innovate — and What Operators Can Do in 5 Days Instead of 5 Years
Dipl.-Ing. Lars Behrendt founded the Granny&Smith innovation agency in 2006. Born in Northern Germany, he started his company as a creative engineering firm and quickly became an innovation insider to major corporations. Today, he works for 7 out of 9 of the most innovative German companies. He is also a co-developer and driver of numerous groundbreaking innovations and supported companies like IBM, Telekom, BMW or Volkswagen in their innovation processes. Together with his team he co-developed more than 50 startups and launched countless innovations with the world's most renowned companies. - Jeffrey Valenty
Managing Partner @ Fortuna CapitalTopic will appear soon
Jeff has extensive experience as a principal investor, financier and advisor in private equity funded transactions over his three-decade long career. In addition, Jeff has served as senior advisor and board member to portfolio companies and other organizations, including the family business, VB Cosmetics, Inc., the creator of Dazzle Dry®, a revolutionary non-toxic and quick-dry nail polish system. In 2001, Jeff founded Fortuna Capital, a New York City-based investment firm focused on leveraging financial capital, operational expertise, and global relationships to forge partnerships with founders and management teams of middle-market companies to drive long-term value creation via acquisitions and strategic growth initiatives. Prior to Fortuna Capital, Jeff was a managing director at CIBC World Markets, providing private equity investments, high yield financings and merger & acquisition advisory services totaling over $5 billion, including investments of $350 million in twelve companies. Jeff graduated in 1992 from Harvard University with an AB degree magna cum laude in International and Development Economics and was a Presidential Scholar. - Roger Vincent
Founder & CIO @ Summation Capital
$150M+ AUMThe cyclical vs. secular debate — are the distribution drought and underperformance just a cycle, or a permanent structural shift?
Summation Capital is a newly formed independent investment management firm focused on providing investors endowment-style exposure to the Private Equity asset class in a high-quality, low-cost, and aligned manner. Previously, Roger led the Private Equity portfolio of Cornell University’s $10 billion endowment. He had responsibility for the endowment’s Venture Capital, Growth Equity, and Buyout portfolios which he led for over a decade generating top returns among peers. Prior to Cornell, he was an investment partner at Founders Equity, a New York based private equity firm making control investments in lower middle market businesses. He began his career at DLJ where he was a principal investor in the Merchant Banking and Sprout Groups. - Alex Felman
General Partner @ Felman Family Office
$5M-10M checksPanel "How AI is changing PE deal sourcing, due diligence & portfolio operations"
Alex Felman is an entrepreneurial and family office professional. For 10+ years, he has been running his own family office, Felman Family Office, and works with family offices around the world through his family's multifamily group, MSF Capital Advisors. Using his expertise in Molecular Toxicology and Bio-entrepreneurship (B.A from the University of California -Berkeley, MBA from Copenhagen Business School), he advises them in biotechnology, healthcare, and other futuristic tech industries with the goal of maintaining long-term wealth through innovation. - Jordan Fink
Principal @ Fink Family Office
70 deals, $250K-1M checksPanel "How AI is changing PE deal sourcing, due diligence & portfolio operations"
Jordan Fink is FO principal, Former Client Service Executive/ with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industries. Skilled in Negotiation, Communication, Politics and Wealth Management. Also an avid investor in start ups, particularly disruptors in the Fintech life sciences spaces. - Joanne C.Chiu
Founding Partner @ Kreit & Chiu CPA, LLPPrivate Equity Hangover
Joanne Chiu has decades of experience as a CPA and is Founding Partner and Chair of the Board of Kreit & Chiu CPA LLP. Working from the firm’s New York City office, she provides a broad range of tax planning and consulting services for both private and public companies, high net worth individuals, including international clients. She has served many Global Fortune 500 companies. - John Nguyen
General Partner @ 5IR FundsHow AI is changing PE in 2026: deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio ops
Blockchain investor at BlockBook with 10+ years of experience. I empower Web3 and creator economy founders through strategic planning and SAFE investments. Board Observer at Heimdall Strategy Solutions, focused on disruptive innovation, governance, and long-term value creation in emerging tech.
Moderators & Program Partners
- Noah Miller
Executive Vice President @ Pensam Capital
$9.7B in dealsMultifamily PE Comeback: Where Bridge Lending, Preferred Equity & Direct Acquisitions Are Moving in 2026
- Melanie Santos Grant
Founder @ 2ndGenPartners LLCThe Private Equity Hangover: $5.3 Trillion Stuck and Nobody Wants to Say It Out Loud
- Christopher Voolaid
Chairman @ Veritas Civitas: House of Voolaid
€1-30M checksWhy deals fail pre & post-Investment, insights from Infrastructure, Sports & Private Equity
- Domenico Apollaro
Founder & Managing Partner @ Terra Maris Capital LLCRestructuring Your Way to Liquidity: Why the Exit Freeze Is a PE Opportunity in Disguise
- Hector Del Castillo
Co-Founder & CEO @ Byond LLCBeyond VCs and PE: How Family Offices Identify and Fund Deals
- Laurie Wiggins
Chief Product Officer @ Byond LLCBeyond VCs and PE: How Family Offices Identify and Fund Deals
- Kelston Smith
Founder @ Plantec VenturesProgram Partner
- Andrew Meadow
Chief Investment Officer @ Health Innovation CapitalHow We Raised Fund I in 2025–2026: What Actually Worked with LPs
- Uday Krishna
Business Advisor @ The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
€45B+ deployedGulf capital, Middle Eastern LPs & where global PE money is moving
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Feedback from paid participants of our events
- Greg Stoner (joined FoF & FO conf)Managing Director @ Twin Oak ETF CompanyIt helped us start to get integrated into the LinkedIn Family Office ecosystem, we ended up adding more than 85 contacts to our network, all of whom responded to a dialogue.
- Agnes Zoller (joined FO/FoF VC conf)Founder and CEO @ InnoGrant AdvisorsI joined Max Pog's FO/FOF VC Virtual Conf and Family Office Challenge and booked 16 calls with Family Offices in 3 weeks.
- Alexandra Vidyuk (joined Angel & Accel conf)Partner @ Beyond Earth TechnologiesWe’ve got 120+ new angels in our syndicate on AngelList working with the list of participants from your conference.
- Sebastien GuilbaudFounder & CEO @ IridaWe secured investment for our startup, launched through Post Urban Ventures (venture studio), via Max Pog's network on PitchCalls. The system was very nice and straightforward to use and we talked to several really compatible investors that we wouldn't have met otherwise
- Aleksander Buras (joined Capital Networking conf)Founder & Growth Architectr @ BEBURASThe Capital Networking Virtual Conference was absolutely incredible — I had the chance to meet so many inspiring people, gain actionable insights.
I'm incredibly honored to be among the 14 participants selected to receive a book for sending LinkedIn invitations — it truly means a lot to me and feels like a big recognition. I can’t wait for the book to arrive and dive into it!
Already looking forward to the next edition — if it’s even half as good as this one, it’ll still be top-tier! - Yevgeny Bebnev (joined LP, FO & FoF Conf)CIO @ Alaris CapitalThe Super Networking Spreadsheet has exceeded my expectations in terms of size and quality.
If you have 10K+, 50K+, or 100K+ email subscribers (private equity professionals, fund managers, LPs, and allocators), let me know at team@pe2026.com and I'll share our media partner perks.
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More than just content & networking.
See what our past events really look like
See what our past events really look like
Max Pog is a 4x entrepreneur. In 2023, he published his Big Startup Studios Research, which attracted the attention of hundreds of venture studios & VCs worldwide. He launched the Venture Studio Family community and began hosting virtual conferences for investors.
We’ve organized 20 virtual events for venture studios, family offices, LPs & GPs of VC & PE firms, angel investors, and startups. This is our 20th event dedicated specifically to LPs & GPs.
We’ve organized 20 virtual events for venture studios, family offices, LPs & GPs of VC & PE firms, angel investors, and startups. This is our 20th event dedicated specifically to LPs & GPs.
Our previous speakers
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Niches LLC is not a licensed broker-dealer, investment advisor, or financial consultant under the laws of Delaware or any other jurisdiction. We do not offer investment advice or recommendations regarding any securities, deals, or investments discussed at our events. Participation in our events does not constitute any form of financial, legal, or investment advice. Attendees are strongly advised to perform their own independent due diligence and consult with a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.
Investing in startups and early-stage companies carries a high level of risk, including the potential loss of all invested capital. Participants should be aware of the speculative nature of venture investments and understand that they could lose all or a substantial portion of their investment. Niches LLC does not assume any responsibility or liability for any financial losses or damages that may result from any transactions made by event participants.
Our platform serves solely as a venue for networking and informational exchange between startup founders and investors. Niches LLC does not facilitate, broker, or execute any investment transactions. All interactions, agreements, and transactions are conducted independently between the parties involved, and Niches LLC is not a party to these agreements.
Participants in Niches LLC events are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable local, state (including Delaware), national, and international laws and regulations, including securities laws. Niches LLC does not assume responsibility for ensuring that participants’ activities comply with these laws.
To the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, Niches LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and partners shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, including financial losses, loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses arising from or in connection with the use of our platform, participation in our events, or reliance on any information provided therein.
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