2025 Featured Speakers

Ryan Serhant

Ryan Serhant is one of the most successful and well-known real estate brokers in the world. He is the founder and CEO of SERHANT., a multidimensional real estate brokerage that sits at the intersection of media, entertainment, education, and technology, and is also an innovator, entrepreneur, producer, author, podcast host, public speaker, educator, content creator, and star of Owning Manhattan on Netflix and multiple Bravo TV shows, including the two-time Emmy-nominated Million Dollar Listing New York. Ryan has closed nearly $10B in sales and guided SERHANT. to become one of the fastest- growing real estate firms in the United States, with agents across 8 states and an audience of over 8 million across social platforms. He is on a mission to revolutionize the industry and share his formula for success with others. He is the author of three books: Sell It Like Serhant, Big Money Energy, and Brand It Like Serhant.

Michael Loeb

David Senra

David Senra is the host of Founders podcast. For the past 8 years David has intensely studied the life and work of hundreds of history’s greatest entrepreneurs. Every week he reads another biography and shares lessons on his podcast. David has lectured on entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and Notre Dame. Founders is one of the top business podcasts in the world and hundreds of thousands of founders, investors, and executives listen every week.

Pavel Chernyshov

Pavel Chernyshov is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the financial services sector. He co-founded Arkview Capital in 2020, a private equity firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, where he currently serves as a partner. Prior to establishing Arkview, Chernyshov was a Managing Director at Ziff Brothers Investments (ZBI), a private investment firm, where he held various leadership roles across multiple investment areas, including private markets and ventures. His responsibilities encompassed identifying, analyzing, and executing private investment opportunities across diverse market sectors and industries, as well as monitoring existing portfolio companies. Before joining ZBI in 2009, Chernyshov gained valuable experience at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), focusing on the technology and retail sectors, and at Morgan Stanley, where he was involved in acquisitions, restructurings, and financing transactions across various industry segments. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Economics from Amherst College, where he was an Osathanugrah Scholar and received the James R. Nelson Prize in Economics. Beyond his professional endeavors, Chernyshov is actively involved in philanthropic initiatives within his community, serving on the Board of Trustees of Fairfield Country Day School in Fairfield, Connecticut, and participating in committees for Amherst College.

Anthony Pompliano

Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano is a distinguished entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for Bitcoin and blockchain technology. He co-founded Morgan Creek Digital Assets, a venture capital firm specializing in blockchain and digital assets, where he serves as Partner. Before Morgan Creek Digital, he founded Full Tilt Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm later acquired by Morgan Creek Capital Management. Pompliano also held key roles at major tech companies—leading Growth & Engagement for Facebook Pages in 2014 and later starting and leading the Growth Team at Snapchat in 2015. Beyond investing, Pompliano is widely recognized for “The Pomp Podcast,” where he has interviewed industry leaders such as Chamath Palihapitiya, Cathie Wood, and Mark Cuban. The podcast has been downloaded over 50 million times, and his YouTube channel has over 480,000 subscribers. Additionally, he authors “The Pomp Letter,” a widely followed business, technology, and finance newsletter with over 230,000 subscribers. Through his content and investment expertise, Pompliano continues to be a key voice in the crypto and financial sectors.

Gunjan Banerji

Gunjan Banerji is the lead writer for The Wall Street Journal's live markets coverage and co-host of WSJ's Take on the Week podcast, a weekly show about money and investing. Her articles and videos have covered the biggest stories in financial markets of the past decade, spanning stocks, bonds and derivatives.

Mark Manduca

Mark is current the Chief Investment Officer at QXO (NYSE: QXO). Prior to his role at QXO, Manduca was the CIO of GXO Logistics, Inc and Jacobs Private Equity.

Imran Khan

Imran Khan is a distinguished technology executive, entrepreneur, and investor, renowned for his significant contributions to the tech and finance sectors. He is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Proem Asset Management, an investment firm specializing in the technology space. Additionally, Khan co-founded and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Verishop, an e-commerce platform.   Prior to these ventures, Khan was the Chief Strategy Officer at Snap Inc., where he played a pivotal role in scaling the company’s annual revenue run rate to $1.6 billion from zero in under four years. Before joining Snap, he served as Managing Director and Head of Global Internet Investment Banking at Credit Suisse, advising on over $45 billion in internet M&A and financing transactions. Earlier in his career, Khan held the position of Managing Director and Head of Global Internet Research at JPMorgan Chase.

Alec Hartman

Alec Hartman is a seasoned entrepreneur and technologist, renowned for his innovative contributions to the tech and real estate sectors. He co-founded DigitalOcean, a cloud infrastructure provider that went public in 2021, achieving a market capitalization of $10 billion at its peak. Additionally, Hartman founded TechDay, a series of technology events operating globally, which he successfully sold in 2017. His expertise has also been recognized by international bodies; he served on the advisory team to the Estonian government in developing its e-residency program and contributed to the advisory committee of the Bermuda Tourism Board.   Currently, Hartman is the CEO of Welcome Homes, an online platform revolutionizing the home-building process by allowing users to design their own homes and request bids from local builders. Under his leadership, Welcome Homes has expanded its operations across multiple states and has raised $29 million in Series A funding. Hartman’s vision with Welcome Homes is to streamline and modernize the path to new homeownership, making the process more accessible and efficient for the modern homebuyer.

Arjun Sethi

Arjun Sethi is currently the CEO of Kraken, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. He is a distinguished entrepreneur, investor, and executive renowned for his significant contributions to the technology and venture capital sectors. He co-founded Tribe Capital, a venture capital firm managing approximately $1.6 billion in assets, where he serves as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer. Prior to Tribe, Sethi was a partner at Social Capital, focusing on early-stage investments in consumer and enterprise sectors. His investment portfolio includes notable companies such as Front, Carta, Cloud Kitchens, and Relativity Space. Recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s top 100 angel investors, he has backed prominent startups like Snapchat, Lyft, Opendoor, and Gusto.

Philip Krim

Philip Krim is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Casper Sleep Inc., the company that revolutionized the mattress industry with its direct-to-consumer model. Founded in 2014, Casper quickly became a household name, disrupting traditional retail with its sleek branding, digital-first approach, and emphasis on sleep wellness. Under Krim’s leadership, the company expanded its product line beyond mattresses to include pillows, bedding, and sleep accessories, ultimately leading Casper to an IPO in 2020 before being acquired by private equity firm Durational Capital Management in 2022. Beyond Casper, Krim has remained an active investor and entrepreneur. He is a Founder and Managing Partner at Montauk Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on blockchain and consumer brands. He also serves as the CEO and CFO of Tailwind International Acquisition, a SPAC aimed at identifying and scaling high-growth businesses.

Brent Beshore

Brent Beshore is the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a private equity firm that takes a unique long-term approach to investing in family-owned businesses. Unlike traditional PE firms that rely on short-term exits, Permanent Equity focuses on patient capital with a 30-year investment horizon, prioritizing stability, sustainable growth, and preserving company culture. The firm has invested in a diverse range of industries, from manufacturing to business services, deploying over $400 million in capital without using debt.

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang is an American entrepreneur, attorney, and political figure, noted for his advocacy of universal basic income (UBI) and his 2020 Democratic presidential candidacy. Born on January 13, 1975, in Schenectady, New York, to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Yang earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. After a brief legal career, he transitioned into the startup world, eventually founding Venture for America (VFA) in 2011, a nonprofit organization aimed at fostering job creation in emerging cities by placing recent graduates in startups.   Yang’s political prominence rose during his 2020 presidential campaign, where he championed the “Freedom Dividend,” a proposal to provide every American adult with a monthly UBI of $1,000 to address job displacement due to automation. His campaign, bolstered by a dedicated support base known as the “Yang Gang,” emphasized the need for forward-thinking economic policies in the face of technological advancements. Although he suspended his presidential bid in February 2020, Yang continued his political endeavors, including a 2021 run for New York City mayor and the founding of the Forward Party in 2021, advocating for alternatives to the traditional two-party system.

Ted Fike

Ted Fike is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with extensive experience in technology and finance. He currently serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer at Gores Technology Partners Inc., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) under The Gores Group, a global investment firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions across various industries.  Prior to his role at Gores Technology Partners, Fike was a Partner at SoftBank’s Vision Fund, one of the world’s largest technology-focused investment funds, where he played a significant role in identifying and managing investments in innovative tech companies. His career also includes positions at other notable firms, reflecting a strong background in strategic investments and business development.

Tanay Tandon

Josh Childress

Josh Childress is a former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur, known for his impact both on and off the court. A standout at Stanford University, he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2004 before being selected 6th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks—the highest pick in Stanford history at the time. After his time with the Hawks, he went on to play for the Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, and New Orleans Pelicans, before later continuing his career in Australia and Japan. Beyond basketball, Childress transitioned into real estate investing, co-founding LandSpire Group, a firm focused on revitalizing under-resourced communities through commercial real estate and urban development. Alongside his former Stanford teammate Justin Davis, Childress launched LandSpire to promote equitable development, particularly in minority communities that have been historically overlooked by traditional investors. The firm has been involved in significant projects, including a 300-unit multifamily development in Las Vegas and a 75-unit affordable housing initiative in Compton, California. Childress has also been a strong advocate for minority representation in commercial real estate, funding an endowed scholarship at the University of California, Irvine to support students in the Black Management Association and the Center for Real Estate. His journey from the NBA to real estate showcases his commitment to long-term community impact and wealth-building opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Ken Nguyen

Bradley Tusk

Chelsea Peters

Chelsea Peters is a distinguished professional renowned for her expertise in strategy development and organizational impact. In September 2020, she was appointed Chief Strategy Officer at the Walton Family Foundation, where she leads strategic initiatives to enhance the foundation’s goals and drive meaningful outcomes. In this capacity, Peters serves as a key advisor to the Executive Director, supports board engagement, and collaborates with the leadership team to ensure the foundation’s actions achieve desired results.  Prior to joining the Walton Family Foundation, Peters served as Senior Vice President and Chief Regional Strategy and Operations Officer at UNICEF USA. In that role, she led strategic planning processes to scale revenue and advocacy outcomes across major U.S. markets, resulting in record-breaking fundraising, enhanced brand positioning, and significant policy changes. Peters holds a degree from Bucknell University and has studied diplomacy and international relations at the School for International Training.

Zach Graumann

Further Speakers to be Announced