Wealth Management EDGE Day 3 - US Eastern
- David Armstrong - Executive Director, Content and User Engagement, Wealthmanagement.com
AI promises to transform advisory firms—reducing time to revenue, streamlining operations, and delivering more personalized client service. But many firms quickly discover that without the right infrastructure, AI falls short. In this session, Dispatch CEO Rob Nance and Focus Financial co-founder Rajini K. unpack what’s really required to unlock AI at scale. They’ll explore how a data orchestration layer turns disconnected tools into a coordinated, intelligent engine—and why the most successful firms are solving for infrastructure before automation.
- Rajini Kodialam - Co Founder, Focus Financial Partners
- Rob Nance - CEO & Co-Founder, Dispatch
The RIA space continues to evolve, with firms taking diverse approaches to growth, structure, and advisor support. In this panel, industry leaders representing various distinct models will discuss their strategies, challenges, and visions for the future. From full integration to independent platforms, minority investments, and pure organic growth, this session will explore the strengths and trade-offs of each approach.
- Gabe Garcia - Head of RIA Client Strategy and Experience, SEI
- Kay Lynn Mayhue, CFP®, AEP®, RFC® - President, Merit Financial Advisors
- Nate Lenz - CEO and Co Founder, Concurrent
- Mark Bruno - Managing Director – Head of Strategic Advisory, Emigrant Partners, Emigrant Partners
Join David Nason, TIAA's Wealth Management & Advice Solutions CEO and former Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions for the U.S. Treasury during the 2008 financial crisis, and Neel Mukherjee, TIAA's Wealth Management CIO and frequent CNBC contributor, for a timely and engaging discussion on the forces shaping today’s wealth management landscape. Navigating the crosscurrents of evolving Fed policy, inflation, and mounting geopolitical risk, our speakers will share their unique perspectives on what’s driving the current investment climate – and what’s next.
Drawing on firsthand experience and real-time market commentary, they’ll break down key trends, policy implications, and portfolio strategies for 2025 and beyond.
Perfectly tied for mid-year planning, this conversation will arm you with the insight and clarity needed to navigate todays fast-moving financial environment.
- Alex Ortolani - Sr. Reporter, WealthManagement.com
- David Nason - CEO, TIAA Wealth Management & Advice Solutions
- Niladri 'Neel' Mukherjee - CIO, TIAA Wealth Management
Join leading female leaders in the ETF market to discuss the evolving ETF landscape and the new investment trends shaping its future.
- Shelby McFaddin - Senior Investment Analyst, Motley Fool Asset Management
- Krista Lynch - Vice President, ETF Capital Markets, Grayscale
- Aranya Mishra - ETF Sales Specialist,, T.Rowe Price
- Molly Landes - Head of ETF Capital Markets, Allspring Global Investments
Get ready for the plays that wealth management should've lifted years ago.
Auxesys founder John Swystun shares fundamentals borrowed from semiconductor, SaaS, manufacturing, automotive, and direct-to-consumer models; industries that iterate faster, scale smarter, and don't accept organic growth excuses.
You’ll leave with:
A dead-simple framework for innovating your business model
A look at SaaS that makes what's missing painfully obvious
A punch-in-the-gut understanding of the Innovator’s Dilemma (and how to avoid it)
A few questions that might change the way you hire, market, package, or lead
Industry cross-pollination so overdue it hurts.
You’ll walk out wondering why no one gave this talk 15 years ago.
- John Swystun - President & CEO, Auxesys Inc.
Advisor value is increasingly defined by the clients they serve—and today’s investors expect more than just market insights. They’re seeking advice that alleviates financial stress and builds confidence, a deeper understanding of what gives their life meaning, and personalized advice that directly aligns priorities with projected outcomes. Join us for a timely conversation on how technology can help advisors anticipate these needs and exceed evolving expectations
- Dr. Naomi Win - Behavioral Finance Analyst, Orion
Two visions for AI are competing for the minds of wealth advisors. In the first, AI accelerates the digitization of countless tasks, freeing time and resources to scale based on elevated client-to-advisor ratios and advisor replacement through process automation. By contrast, the second vision recognizes the actual history of our industry, one in which each technological advance has resulted in more advisors servicing fewer clients in more comprehensive ways. In this alternative vision, success banks less on efficiency and more on effectiveness. In this session, attendees can expect to walk away with a greater understanding of how AI's strengths and limitations create the opportunity for more effective and valuable client-to-advisor relationships through deeper human understanding.
- Jason Pereira, CFP - Senior Partner and Financial Planner, Woodgate Financial
- Brian Portnoy - Founder & CEO, Shaping Wealth
Discover how leading CMOs at RIAs are leveraging AI as a strategic growth partner to drive smarter, more effective marketing. This session will showcase real-world examples of how AI is optimizing client segmentation, personalizing outreach, and predicting investor behavior to fuel growth. Advisors will gain insights into what’s working in AI-driven marketing, from improving lead generation to enhancing client engagement. Walk away with actionable strategies to apply these proven techniques in your own practice.
- John Wernz - Entrepreneur In Residence, Great Hill Partners
- Michelle Winkles, MBA - Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, Mission Wealth
- Tina Powell - Partner, Chief of Community, Intention.ly
- Angela Giombetti - Chief Marketing Officer, Wealthspire Advisors
- David Bodamer - Editorial Director, WealthManagement.com
- Theodore Koenig - Chairman & CEO, Monroe Capital LLC
- Matt Camuso - Head of ETF Solutions, BNY
- Stephen Tuckwood, CFA® - Director of Investments, Modern Wealth Management
- Jamie Hopkins - Chief Wealth Officer, Bryn Mawr Trust
Following the flows – what's behind the growth of active management strategies? The ROI on active ETFs vs indexes
Panel picks for the best asset classes for active management and why
Blending active and passive strategies for the optimal portfolio
- Darren Hinshaw - Director of Research, NBC Securities
- Jennifer Hutchins - Co-Chief Investment Officer, Avantax Wealth Management
- John Davi - CEO & Founder, Astoria Portfolio Advisors
- Tyler Rosenlicht - Senior Vice President, Cohen & Steers
- Michelle Winkles, MBA - Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, Mission Wealth
- Joe Greco - Founder/ President, PALIO, inc.
- Mike Wunderli - Managing Director | Head of M&A, CAPTRUST
- Mary Kate Gulick, MA - Founder, MK Wealth Marketing
Step into the decision-maker’s seat during a 60-minute war game exercise designed to challenge your strategic thinking and crisis management skills. Participants will dive into a high-tension international incident, crafting responses to unforeseen developments with potential global consequences.
Guided by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Rick Waddell expert analysis of regional dynamics, teams will tackle escalating scenarios. You'll explore how first-response decisions, evolving variables, and the interplay of allied and adversarial strategies shape the path from crisis to resolution.
Whether you’re a policy enthusiast, a defense analyst, or simply curious about the complexities of modern geopolitics, this session promises to deliver actionable insights and a deeper understanding of how world events unfold.
- Lieutenant General (Ret.) Rick Waddell - Academy Geopolitical Intelligence Group Member, Academy Asset Management
- Mark Harvey - Portfolio Manager, Academy Asset Management
Pro bono financial advice can transform the lives of underserved people who otherwise could not afford expert guidance. But did you know it can also bolster advisors’ hard and soft skills, and that firms encouraging pro bono can gain a competitive advantage in today’s war for talent? In this session, hear about cutting-edge research on how pro bono can directly benefit your firm, and join a ‘fireside chat’ to learn about how Edelman Financial Engines has operationalized pro bono service at their firm.
How Pro Bono Financial Planning Benefits Advis
- Jon Dauphiné, Esq. - CEO, Foundation for Financial Planning
- Pammi Bhullar - Head of Corporate Citizenship, Edelman Financial Engines
Reviewing the growth of buffered ETF products and their best usage
Covered calls and structured notes as risk management alternatives – comparing and contrasting the pros and cons
Can you get the upside while protecting the downside?
How to educate and discuss risk management products with clients
Tips for matching protective products to client risk tolerances
- David Bodamer - Editorial Director, WealthManagement.com
- Brent Coggins - Chief Investment Officer, Triad Wealth Partners
- Mark Spindel - Senior Advisor, F/m Investments
M&A landscape for RIA and what it means for integrating new acquisition portfolios into your own models
Approaching personalization in a disciplined manner – how to help a client approach, express and optimize and an opportunity
Unwinding concentrated positions into a diversified portfolio
Balancing personalization with scalability for all clients – optimal wrappers and products to achieve this, UMAs vs SMAs
- Matt Harris - Head of Wealth Management Consulting, North America, Alpha FMC
- Gary Quinzel - Vice President, Portfolio Consulting, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services
- Nate Garrison - Chief Investment Officer, World Investment Advisors
Your firm’s future depends on the team you build today. This session dives into how leading RIAs are attracting next-gen talent, developing future leaders, and creating cultures that people don’t want to leave. Walk away with fresh ideas and real-world tactics to build—and keep—your dream team
- Diana Britton - Executive Editor, WealthManagement.com
- JC Abusaid - CEO and President, Halbert Hargrove
- Lauren Minch - CEO, CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth
- Jason Hanavan - President & CFO, VestGen Wealth Partners
Closing the deal is just the beginning—real success happens in integration.
Advisors sell for many reasons, but clients stay (or leave) based on the post-deal experience.
Culture eats strategy for breakfast—aligning teams is more important than any financial model.
The first 100 days set the tone—fail to act decisively, and you’ll be playing defense forever.
In this market, scale is power—but bad integration can kill a firm faster than a bad deal.
Tech is the backbone of M&A success—standardization drives efficiency, but flexibility keeps people happy.
The best acquirers don’t just buy firms; they build platforms that advisors want to be part of.
- Amy DeTolla - Founder and CEO, Aureus Advantage
- Jim Dickson - Founding Partner and CEO, Elevation Point
- Ed Friedman - Director of Business Development and Growth, Summit Financial LLC
- Sara Baker - EVP, Mergers & Acquisitions, Allworth Financial
At the Wealth Management EDGE conference, you’ll engage in a 45-minute, interactive session to help you integrate legacy, values, and estate planning into a truly human-centered wealth management process. Drawing on Wealth In The Key of Life (the Four Keys Framework: Identity, Values, Story, Well-Being), Lifestyle & Money Psychology Utility, and T. Rowe Price’s industry-leading intergenerational transfer research, you’ll leave equipped to deepen client bonds, secure next-gen assets, and accelerate practice growth.
Learning Objectives
By session’s end, you will be able to:
- Embed the Four Keys Framework into every legacy and estate-planning conversation.
- Leverage intergenerational transfer data (T. Rowe Price projects over $90 trillion will transfer in the next two decades) to position your practice for multi-generational relationships.
- Activate human-centered tactics—story prompts, values mapping, well-being metrics—to differentiate your advice and drive referrals.
Stop by the T. Rowe Price booth to:
- Claim bulk copies of Wealth In The Key of Life
- Activate a complimentary trial of T. Rowe Price’s digital legacy-planning toolkit
Let’s ensure your relationships—and your book of business—thrive for generations to come.
- Preston Cherry - Founder and CEO, Educator & Author, Concurrent Wealth Management
- Marie Swift - Founder & CEO, Impact Communications
- Michelle Odom - Founder & CEO, Ellevate
- John Connell - Co-Founder & CEO, Focal
- Ian McKenna - Founder & Director, Financial Technology Research Centre
Join an exclusive, invitation-only roundtable where billion-dollar+ RIA marketing leaders will explore cutting-edge growth strategies beyond traditional tactics. Led by the experts at Intention.ly, this focused discussion will decode the essential elements of sustainable growth—from advisor support models to tech stack optimization—designed specifically for elite wealth management firms.
- Joe Steuter - Chief of Client Strategy, Intention.ly
- Amanda Larson - Senior Director, Client Account Strategy, Intention.ly
Join an exclusive, invitation-only roundtable where billion-dollar+ RIA marketing leaders will explore cutting-edge growth strategies beyond traditional tactics. Led by the experts at Intention.ly, this focused discussion will decode the essential elements of sustainable growth—from advisor support models to tech stack optimization—designed specifically for elite wealth management firms.
- Joe Steuter - Chief of Client Strategy, Intention.ly
- Amanda Larson - Senior Director, Client Account Strategy, Intention.ly
RPAs and RIAs can leverage the convergence of wealth & retirement at the workplace to grow their business
This panel led by Fred Barstein Contributing Editor at WealthManagement.com’s RPA channel and CEO at TRAU/TPSU/401kTV explores the opportunities for RPAs and RIAs to win more 401k plans and gain additional wealth clients by meeting the demand of plan sponsors to offer financial planning services to their employees and access the 97% of 401k participants that do not have an advisor.
- Fred Barstein - Founder & CEO, TRAU, TPSU, & 401kTV
- Mitchell Starr, CPFA - President, Retirement & Wealth Management, South Florida, HUB International
- Eric Phillips - Head of Advisor Relationships, Betterment
Succession isn’t an exit—it’s your legacy in motion. This fast-paced session dives into what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to choosing successors, keeping clients confident, and making transitions seamless. Walk away with clear, proven strategies to future-proof your firm and lead with intention.
- David DeVoe - Founder and CEO, DeVoe & Company
- Bill Schultheis - Director, Financial Planning, Edelman Financial Engines
- Derrick Kinney - Founder, Success For Advisors
- Jessica Polito - Founder and Principal, Turkey Hill Management, LLC
Financial advice is more than just creating a plan—it’s about delivering personalized guidance, fostering deeper client relationships, and driving long-term growth. This session will explore how innovative technology enhances every aspect of the client experience, from personalized wealth management to proactive engagement and holistic financial wellness. Attendees will learn how leveraging the right tools can streamline operations, differentiate their services, and unlock new growth opportunities. Walk away with actionable strategies to elevate your impact and scale your practice with technology.
- Morgan Bell - Managing Director, Advisory, Constellation Wealth Capital, LLC
- Christian Haigh - CEO and Co-founder, Compound Planning
- David Ortiz - Founder & CEO, Advisor AI Partners
- John Mackowiak - CRO, Advyzon
- Shannon Rosic - Director of WealthStack Content & Solutions, Informa
- Verity Larsen - Founder & CEO, Versoft Consulting
- Stacy Orff - Vice President, Platform Marketing, Mercer Advisors
- Alison Dooher - Head of Digital Advisor Solutions, Charles Schwab
Get ready to rock out to the sounds of The Cougars. The NJ-based band has performed 100+ times all around the Jersey Shore for over 15 years. Dance and sing along to your favorites from the 80s, 90s and today…and if you're feeling particularly EDGE-y wear your favorite (leopard inspired) rock outfit!