15th Annual Sohn San Francisco Investment Conference to Convene Leading Investors and Support Local Nonprofits
Thank You for Attending.
Thanks to you, the 15th Annual Sohn San Francisco Investment Conference was a great success and raised more than $500,000 to support Bay Area nonprofits! The Bay Area financial community is proud to come together to help make a difference. We invite you to join us to learn more about these important community organizations and support them as they provide educational opportunities for underserved youth in the Bay Area and other strategic initiatives.
– 2024 Schedule –
SohnSF Leadership Brunch:
When Women Lead
Sponsored by:
JULIA BOORSTIN
CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent,
CNBC
In Conversation with:
LINDSAY COSTIGAN, CAIA
Managing Director,
BNP Paribas
Biography
She is the author of the bestseller, “WHEN WOMEN LEAD: What they achieve, Why they succeed, and How we can learn from them,” a book about female leaders that was published by Simon & Schuster’s Avid Reader Press in October 2022.
In 2013, Boorstin created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting the private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries. Additionally, she reported a documentary on the future of television for the network, “Stay Tuned…The Future of TV.” She also helped launch CNBC’s ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative covering the people and companies closing gender gaps, and leads CNBC’s coverage of studies on this topic.
Boorstin joined CNBC from Fortune magazine where she was a business writer and reporter since 2000. During that time, she was also a contributor to “Street Life,” a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News. In 2003, 2004 and 2006, The Journalist and Financial Reporting newsletter named Boorstin to the “TJFR 30 under 30″ list of the most promising business journalists under 30 years old. She has also worked as an intern for the State Department’s delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and for Vice President Gore’s domestic policy office.
She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history. She was also an editor of The Daily Princetonian.
Follow Julia Boorstin on X @jboorstin and on LinkedIn.
Biography
Lindsay Costigan is a Managing Director at BNP Paribas where she oversees Global Prime Finance Distribution across the Western U.S. She is responsible for sourcing and maintaining financing relationships with hedge funds and asset owners. Lindsay also plays a vital role in BNP Paribas’ DEI efforts and is passionate about creating the next generation of leaders in finance. Lindsay is an active participant in Women in Global Markets where she helps recruit and mentor summer interns, analysts and up-and-coming women at BNP Paribas.
Prior to BNP Paribas, Lindsay spent time at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Securities, and Jefferies, where she was responsible for Prime Brokerage Sales and Capital Introductions. Lindsay began her career as an analyst at US Trust and later in hedge fund due diligence at Wells Fargo Family Wealth.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Lindsay is a mother of two young children, and competes in the equestrian sport of show jumping at the Grand Prix level. Lindsay serves on the Excellence in Investing for Children’s Causes Foundation Board and the Pepperdine University Board where she helps recruit undergraduates into finance. She is involved in various other non-profit organizations that provide support to underrepresented Bay Area youth.
In 2022, Lindsay was named a Pepperdine Graziadio’s Best for the World Leader. She was a speaker and panelist at Villanova’s Presenting Opportunities for Women (POW) 2022 Conference and the emcee for BNP Paribas’ 2022, 2023, and 2024 Hedge Fund Executive Summits. Lindsay has been featured at Bloomberg’s Women’s Sell-Side network events in San Francisco, and was a featured speaker at Scale Global and the Sohn San Francisco Investment Conference in 2022/2023, and at MFA Network Miami and MFA Ops in 2024. Lindsay has also been featured on Mergermarket’s Influencers series, the Coached podcast, and The Chronicle of the Horse and was recognized by the Hedge Fund Journal as one of 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds (2023). Lindsay is also a member of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle (YLC) Los Angeles chapter.
Lindsay earned her BA in Economics from Occidental College and her MBA from Pepperdine University, she is also a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
EVAN SKORPEN
Partner, Public Markets,
Lead Edge Capital
Biography
Evan is a Partner on the investment team where he is the Portfolio Manager for the Firm’s Public Equity fund. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at Yext (NYSE: YEXT). Prior to joining Lead Edge in 2018, Evan was an investor at ValueAct Capital, and before that he previously held positions at Hellman & Friedman and Bain & Company.
SEAN BARRETT
Founder, Managing Partner & CIO,
Counter Global
Biography
Sean Barrett is the Founder, Managing Partner & CIO at Counter Global, L.P, which launched in April 2024. Sean was previously a partner and member of the investment committee at HMI Capital, where he worked from March 2010 to December 2023. During his time at HMI Capital, Sean led each of the firm’s sectors at various times, including Financial Services, Payments, Software, Internet & Media and Infrastructure Services. Prior to joining HMI Capital, Sean was an Associate at REGAL Capital Advisors and an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse. Sean graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Legal Studies & Business Ethics. Sean lives in Santa Monica with his wife, Natalie, and three children, Annabel, Warren, and Archie.
SOHN SAN FRANCISCO INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
SohnSF Welcome
SETH BLACKMAN
President, Excellence in Investment in Children’s Causes Foundation
Biography
Seth is a partner based in KPMG’s San Francisco office and serves as the Bay Area’s Asset Management Practice Leader. In his role, Seth is responsible for leading the firm’s hedge fund, venture capital, private equity, and real estate sectors in the Bay Area. Seth works with both domestic and international clients within the alternative investment sector, including fund of funds. He has extensive experience with various investment products, strategies and structures where he provides clients with key considerations and best practices. Seth is an audit partner and member of the firm’s national leadership committee contributing to the growth and development of its asset management practice.
JAMES SMITH
Founder & CIO, Palliser Capital
Biography
Prior to founding Palliser Capital in 2021, James Smith was the Head of Elliott’s Hong Kong office. James joined Elliott UK in 2001 where he focused on European investments before moving to Hong Kong and advancing to the roles of Portfolio Manager & Head of Office. Prior to joining Elliott and from 1999, James gained a variety of experience in the telecommunications sector with start-up company FirstMark Communications Europe. Prior to FirstMark, and following his graduation from Cambridge University in 1997, James held the role of Investment Analyst at Fleming Asset Management.
JEFF OSHER
Portfolio Manager, No Street Capital
Biography
Jeffrey B. Osher, CFA founded No Street Capital in 2018 and has been the Portfolio Manager of the Harvest Small Cap Partners Strategy since December 2005. Prior to founding No Street Capital, Mr. Osher was a Portfolio Manager at Harvest Capital Strategies from 2005 – 2018 and an analyst from 2002 – 2005. Prior to his tenure at Harvest Capital Strategies, Mr. Osher was an analyst at The Dowd Company where he focused on technology and emerging growth companies. Previously, he worked at Montgomery Securities in equity research. Mr. Osher holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Miami University of Ohio.
Mr. Osher has been recognized for numerous industry performance awards, including: the recipient of the Hedge Fund Intelligence Absolute Return Award in 2008 (Small Cap Equity), 2014 (Specialist Equity), and 2016 (Long Term Performance-10 years category), 2022 HFM US Performance Award for Global Equity under $1 billion, 2009 HFM Week Performance Award in the Long/Short Equity category, and 2009 Lipper Award for “Best 3-Year” Long/Short Equity Fund. Mr. Osher was also a Final nominee for the Specialist Equity Absolute Return Award (2009, 2011, 2013 & 2016), the Absolute Return Award in the Long Term Performance – 10 years category (2015), the HFM Week award in the Long/Short US Market Neutral category (2013 & 2014), ranked #5 in the Barclay Hedge Equity Long/Short category in 2021 and ranked #5 in the Barclay Hedge Equity Long/Short Past Three Years category for Q1 2022. Barron’s recognized Mr. Osher in its Top 100 Hedge Funds Edition #27 (2010), #81 (2015), and #46 (2016), and Bloomberg Markets ranked him as the #35 (2012) and #6 (2015) mid-size hedge fund in its annual special issue “The World’s 100 Richest Hedge Funds.” Additionally, Mr. Osher has been highlighted in publications including: HFM Week (“The Real Winners of 2008” 12/18/08, Issue 132), Barclay Managed Funds Report (“Barclay Roundtable“ 3rd Quarter 2009 edition), the Financial Times (“Five funds that show what the sector does best” 12/5/11), Absolute Return Magazine (November 2009) and Barron’s (“A Hedge Fund Thrives by Sensing Danger” 9/26/2015). In 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020, Mr. Osher was a keynote speaker at the Ira Sohn Conference (San Francisco). Mr. Osher currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mobile Infrastructure Corp. and the SEAL Family Foundation. Previously he served on the board for Green Dot Corporation from March 2020-July 2023.
TAL SIMON
Founding Partner, SoMa Equity Partners
Biography
Tal Simon is a founding partner and investment analyst at SoMa Equity Partners, a SF based TMT focused investment firm founded in 2016. Prior to joining SoMa, Tal was an analyst at Apex Capital working on the firm’s TMT portfolio. He spent the prior 10 years working at various investment firms in New York City, including Karsch Capital and George Weiss Multi-Strategy. Tal served for 4 years as a Lieutenant in the Israeli Air Force and graduated with honors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
iConnections Presents:
The Allocators Perspective
LAUREN JACOBSON
Chief Investment Officer,
Hamilton College
THOMAS P. LENEHAN
Chief Investment Officer,
The Wallace Foundation
STAN RA
Chief Investment Officer,
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Biography
Prior to joining HIERS, Ms. Burton served as Managing Director of the Quantitative Strategies Group at the Maryland State Retirement Agency. In this role, Ms. Burton was responsible for the $4.5B Absolute Return Portfolio and for risk management oversight of the $55B Plan. Ms. Burton joined the Agency in July 2016.
Previously, Ms. Burton owned William Street Advisory—a strategic advisory practice which she founded in 2013. Prior to that role, Ms. Burton was a Senior Economist and Expert Witness with Criterion Economics. Prior to that role, Ms. Burton was a Consultant at First Annapolis where she worked on M&A transactions and consulting the payments industry. Previous positions include: Co-Portfolio and Quantitative Risk Analyst with a South Africa-based fund of hedge funds, Trader (fixed income securities) for a risk management firm, and Portfolio Management Associate with a quant-focused fund of hedge funds.
Ms. Burton received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French, cum laude, from Washington and Lee University, and her MBA in Finance, Econometrics & Statistics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is a Trustee of The Hill School, a private boarding school. She is also a CAIA charter holder. Ms. Burton was named one of Chief Investment Officer Magazine’s Top-40-Under-40 in June 2017. In 2019 Ms. Burton received the Industry Innovation Award for <$20B plan by Chief Investment Officer Magazine and was listed in the Power 100 in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2020 she was added to the list of top 1% of institutional investors by The Trusted Insight.
Biography
Mr. Barton began his investment career in Brown University’s investment office before joining Old Square Capital, a New York-based investment firm. He moved to London in 2011, where he worked for Investec Asset Management, an institutional investment manager. Mr. Barton has a BA degree from Princeton University and an MA in International Relations from the University of Cape Town. Mr. Barton holds an Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK and the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Biography
Mr. Barton began his investment career in Brown University’s investment office before joining Old Square Capital, a New York-based investment firm. He moved to London in 2011, where he worked for Investec Asset Management, an institutional investment manager. Mr. Barton has a BA degree from Princeton University and an MA in International Relations from the University of Cape Town. Mr. Barton holds an Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK and the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
JAY KAHN
Founder and Managing Partner,
Flight Deck Capital
Biography
Jay Kahn founded Flight Deck in April 2020. Flight Deck is a fundamental long/short TMT crossover fund that invests in disruptive public and private companies across internet, software, and fintech. Prior to launching Flight Deck, Jay was a Partner at Light Street Capital from 2011-2020. At Light Street, Jay ran the firm’s internet, media, and consumer investments globally. In addition to managing Light Street’s public investments in these sectors, Jay also led or co-led 14 private deals across Light Street’s side pockets, SPVs, and later stage growth fund including: Unity, Uber, Lyft, Spotify, Pinterest, Everlane, Harry’s, Toast, EzCater, Madeira Madeira, SmartHR, and Slack. From 2006-2008, Jay was an Associate at Elevation Partners, where he evaluated late stage growth and buyout investments in internet, media, music, gaming, and sports. Prior to Elevation, Jay was a Senior Associate Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting from 2003 to 2006, where he advised on strategy, growth, and buyout deals in internet, media, and sports. Jay received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, and a B.A. magna cum laude in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University in 2002.
XIAOYING TIAN
Founder & CIO,
Saturn V Capital Management
Biography
Prior to founding Saturn V Capital Management, Ms. Tian spent four years at Farallon Capital Management investing in biotech companies with upcoming event catalysts. There she pioneered the statistical methods used to predict clinical trial outcomes for these catalysts. Using this data-driven approach, she applied fundamental and quantitative methods to underwrite clinical trials and position her portfolio based on the forecasted probabilities. The investment approach utilizes a combination of scientific analysis, financial modeling, and proprietary statistical methodologies to predict the outcomes of clinical trials pivotal to FDA approval. The strategy is differentiated in that we use advanced statistical methods to synthesize clinical data that is otherwise too noisy and complex to interpret to formulate our variant perception. The prediction and investment positioning are based on the outputs of these models in combination with our financial and scientific underwriting.
Xiaoying holds a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University where she collaborated extensively with Stanford Medical School while developing her statistically based, trial underwriting approach. Her work was published in top science and statistical journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ms. Tian also earned a BS in Mathematics from Fudan University, graduating top of her class and ranking 4th in the Chinese Undergraduate Mathematical Competition.
CHRIS HANSEN
President and Founding Partner,
Valiant Capital Management, L.P.
Biography
Chris Hansen is the President and Founding Partner of Valiant Capital Management, L.P. a global long/short public and private equity firm based in San Francisco. Valiant’s investment objective is to generate superior long-term, risk adjusted returns by employing a flexible mandate that allows the team to search the world for the best opportunities.
Prior to starting Valiant in 2008, Chris was a partner at Blue Ridge Capital LP from 2001 until January of 2008. Before Blue Ridge, Chris was a Principal and Senior Equity Research analyst at Banc of America Securities in San Francisco covering the Advertising Sector. Chris received his MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business in 1996 and holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from San Diego State University. He has four children and lives in Tiburon, CA with his wife Kimberly.
RAVI PAIDIPATY
Deputy Chief Investment Officer,
Freestone Grove Partners
Biography
Ravi Paidipaty is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for Freestone Grove Partners. Ravi has spent the last fifteen years holding various senior roles in the long/short equity industry. Prior to Freestone Grove Partners, he was a founding partner of XN, a hybrid public/private hedge fund. Before founding XN, Ravi was a Portfolio Manager at Surveyor Capital, working closely with Todd Barker. Prior to Surveyor, he worked for ten years in the equities group at Farallon Capital Management, where he was a Partner and served on the investment committee for the strategy. Ravi’s focus throughout his career has been on building and managing high performance investment teams and developing and refining rigorous, repeatable investment processes. Ravi has a BA in Ethics, Politics & Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
BENEFICIARY PRESENTATION
Lindsay Costigan, Excellence in Investing in Children’s Causes Foundation
Biography
Lindsay oversees Global Prime Finance Sales at BNP Paribas in the Western U.S. She is responsible for sourcing and maintaining financing relationships with hedge funds and asset owners. Prior to her current role, Lindsay spent time at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Securities, and Jefferies, where she was responsible for Prime Brokerage Distribution and Capital Introductions. Lindsay began her career as an analyst at US Trust and later in hedge fund due diligence at Wells Fargo Family Wealth. Lindsay earned her BA in Economics from Occidental College and her MBA from Pepperdine University. She is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
GLEN KACHER
Founder & CIO, Light Street Capital
Biography
Glen Kacher is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Light Street Capital. Light Street operates a family of funds investing in the technology and media companies. The funds include a public equity hedge fund, a long-only public equity fund, and a private growth equity fund. Light Street’s private investments include Chime, GitLab, Lyft, MadeiraMadeira, Pinterest, Slack, SmartHR, Solv Health, Toast, Uber, and Unity. Light Street is based in Palo Alto, California and San Francisco, California. Prior to forming Light Street, Glen joined Integral Capital Partners as a Principal in 1998 and served as a Managing Director from 2000-2010. Integral was one of the first crossover funds investing in both the public and private companies. Glen’s areas of investment focus at Integral included software, Internet, eCommerce, mobile hardware, PC hardware, security software, and networking. Glen led or co-led 46 of Integral’s venture investments during his tenure. Prior to joining Integral, Glen worked at Tiger Management in New York City from 1993 to 1996 as a full-time research analyst and from 1996 to 1997 as a part-time consultant while attending business school.
At Tiger, Glen focused on investments in the software, video game, PC hardware, Internet, and networking industry sectors. Glen holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, 1998, and a B.S. in Commerce with Distinction from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, 1993.
Glen is married to Amy Wardwell Kacher and they have three children. Glen and his kids are avid fans of the 49ers, Giants, Sharks, Warriors, and Stanford Football. Glen and Amy live with their family in Palo Alto, California. Glen enjoys golf with his two college aged sons. Unfortunately for Glen, his kids started beating him soundly when they were 10 years old. Glen’s daughter loves musical theater. Glen has offered 14 times to sing the duets with his daughter Emma in preparation for her roles. She thus far hasn’t taken him up on these offers.
– 2024 Schedule –
SohnSF Leadership Brunch: When Women Lead
Sponsored by:
JULIA BOORSTIN
CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent,
CNBC
Biography
Julia Boorstin is CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent based at the network’s Los Angeles Bureau. She is also a contributor to CNBC’s “TechCheck” franchise. Boorstin covers media and tech with a focus on their intersection and technological innovation, and delivers reporting, analysis, and interviews for the network. Previously, she was part of the ensemble for CNBC’s daily program, “TechCheck,” that ran from April 2021 to February 2023. She joined CNBC in May 2006 as a general assignment reporter and in 2007 moved to Los Angeles to cover media.
She is the author of the bestseller, “WHEN WOMEN LEAD: What they achieve, Why they succeed, and How we can learn from them,” a book about female leaders that was published by Simon & Schuster’s Avid Reader Press in October 2022.
In 2013, Boorstin created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting the private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries. Additionally, she reported a documentary on the future of television for the network, “Stay Tuned…The Future of TV.” She also helped launch CNBC’s ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative covering the people and companies closing gender gaps, and leads CNBC’s coverage of studies on this topic.
Boorstin joined CNBC from Fortune magazine where she was a business writer and reporter since 2000. During that time, she was also a contributor to “Street Life,” a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News. In 2003, 2004 and 2006, The Journalist and Financial Reporting newsletter named Boorstin to the “TJFR 30 under 30″ list of the most promising business journalists under 30 years old. She has also worked as an intern for the State Department’s delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and for Vice President Gore’s domestic policy office.
She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history. She was also an editor of The Daily Princetonian.
Follow Julia Boorstin on X @jboorstin and on LinkedIn.
In Conversation with:
LINDSAY COSTIGAN, CAIA
Managing Director,
BNP Paribas
Biography
Lindsay Costigan is a Managing Director at BNP Paribas where she oversees Global Prime Finance Distribution across the Western U.S. She is responsible for sourcing and maintaining financing relationships with hedge funds and asset owners. Lindsay also plays a vital role in BNP Paribas’ DEI efforts and is passionate about creating the next generation of leaders in finance. Lindsay is an active participant in Women in Global Markets where she helps recruit and mentor summer interns, analysts and up-and-coming women at BNP Paribas.
Prior to BNP Paribas, Lindsay spent time at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Securities, and Jefferies, where she was responsible for Prime Brokerage Sales and Capital Introductions. Lindsay began her career as an analyst at US Trust and later in hedge fund due diligence at Wells Fargo Family Wealth.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Lindsay is a mother of two young children, and competes in the equestrian sport of show jumping at the Grand Prix level. Lindsay serves on the Excellence in Investing for Children’s Causes Foundation Board and the Pepperdine University Board where she helps recruit undergraduates into finance. She is involved in various other non-profit organizations that provide support to underrepresented Bay Area youth.
In 2022, Lindsay was named a Pepperdine Graziadio’s Best for the World Leader. She was a speaker and panelist at Villanova’s Presenting Opportunities for Women (POW) 2022 Conference and the emcee for BNP Paribas’ 2022, 2023, and 2024 Hedge Fund Executive Summits. Lindsay has been featured at Bloomberg’s Women’s Sell-Side network events in San Francisco, and was a featured speaker at Scale Global and the Sohn San Francisco Investment Conference in 2022/2023, and at MFA Network Miami and MFA Ops in 2024. Lindsay has also been featured on Mergermarket’s Influencers series, the Coached podcast, and The Chronicle of the Horse and was recognized by the Hedge Fund Journal as one of 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds (2023). Lindsay is also a member of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle (YLC) Los Angeles chapter.
Lindsay earned her BA in Economics from Occidental College and her MBA from Pepperdine University, she is also a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
SohnSF Investment Conference
Next Wave
EVAN SKORPEN
Partner, Public Markets,
Lead Edge Capital
Biography
Evan is a Partner on the investment team where he is the Portfolio Manager for the Firm’s Public Equity fund. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at Yext (NYSE: YEXT). Prior to joining Lead Edge in 2018, Evan was an investor at ValueAct Capital, and before that he previously held positions at Hellman & Friedman and Bain & Company.
SEAN BARRETT
Founder, Managing Partner & CIO,
Counter Global
Biography
Sean Barrett is the Founder, Managing Partner & CIO at Counter Global, L.P, which launched in April 2024. Sean was previously a partner and member of the investment committee at HMI Capital, where he worked from March 2010 to December 2023. During his time at HMI Capital, Sean led each of the firm’s sectors at various times, including Financial Services, Payments, Software, Internet & Media and Infrastructure Services. Prior to joining HMI Capital, Sean was an Associate at REGAL Capital Advisors and an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse. Sean graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Legal Studies & Business Ethics. Sean lives in Santa Monica with his wife, Natalie, and three children, Annabel, Warren, and Archie.
SOHN SAN FRANCISCO
INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
SohnSF Welcome
SETH BLACKMAN,
President, Excellence in Investment in Children’s Causes Foundation
Seth Blackman, Excellence in Investment in Children’s Causes Foundation
Seth is a partner based in KPMG’s San Francisco office and serves as the Bay Area’s Asset Management Practice Leader. In his role, Seth is responsible for leading the firm’s hedge fund, venture capital, private equity, and real estate sectors in the Bay Area. Seth works with both domestic and international clients within the alternative investment sector, including fund of funds. He has extensive experience with various investment products, strategies and structures where he provides clients with key considerations and best practices. Seth is an audit partner and member of the firm’s national leadership committee contributing to the growth and development of its asset management practice.
JAMES SMITH
Founder & CIO, Palliser Capital
Biography
Prior to founding Palliser Capital in 2021, James Smith was the Head of Elliott’s Hong Kong office. James joined Elliott UK in 2001 where he focused on European investments before moving to Hong Kong and advancing to the roles of Portfolio Manager & Head of Office. Prior to joining Elliott and from 1999, James gained a variety of experience in the telecommunications sector with start-up company FirstMark Communications Europe. Prior to FirstMark, and following his graduation from Cambridge University in 1997, James held the role of Investment Analyst at Fleming Asset Management.
JEFF OSHER
Portfolio Manager, No Street Capital
JEFF OSHER - Portfolio Manager, No Street Capital
Jeffrey B. Osher, CFA founded No Street Capital in 2018 and has been the Portfolio Manager of the Harvest Small Cap Partners Strategy since December 2005. Prior to founding No Street Capital, Mr. Osher was a Portfolio Manager at Harvest Capital Strategies from 2005 – 2018 and an analyst from 2002 – 2005. Prior to his tenure at Harvest Capital Strategies, Mr. Osher was an analyst at The Dowd Company where he focused on technology and emerging growth companies. Previously, he worked at Montgomery Securities in equity research. Mr. Osher holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Miami University of Ohio.
Mr. Osher has been recognized for numerous industry performance awards, including: the recipient of the Hedge Fund Intelligence Absolute Return Award in 2008 (Small Cap Equity), 2014 (Specialist Equity), and 2016 (Long Term Performance-10 years category), 2022 HFM US Performance Award for Global Equity under $1 billion, 2009 HFM Week Performance Award in the Long/Short Equity category, and 2009 Lipper Award for “Best 3-Year” Long/Short Equity Fund. Mr. Osher was also a Final nominee for the Specialist Equity Absolute Return Award (2009, 2011, 2013 & 2016), the Absolute Return Award in the Long Term Performance – 10 years category (2015), the HFM Week award in the Long/Short US Market Neutral category (2013 & 2014), ranked #5 in the Barclay Hedge Equity Long/Short category in 2021 and ranked #5 in the Barclay Hedge Equity Long/Short Past Three Years category for Q1 2022. Barron’s recognized Mr. Osher in its Top 100 Hedge Funds Edition #27 (2010), #81 (2015), and #46 (2016), and Bloomberg Markets ranked him as the #35 (2012) and #6 (2015) mid-size hedge fund in its annual special issue “The World’s 100 Richest Hedge Funds.” Additionally, Mr. Osher has been highlighted in publications including: HFM Week (“The Real Winners of 2008” 12/18/08, Issue 132), Barclay Managed Funds Report (“Barclay Roundtable“ 3rd Quarter 2009 edition), the Financial Times (“Five funds that show what the sector does best” 12/5/11), Absolute Return Magazine (November 2009) and Barron’s (“A Hedge Fund Thrives by Sensing Danger” 9/26/2015). In 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020, Mr. Osher was a keynote speaker at the Ira Sohn Conference (San Francisco). Mr. Osher currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mobile Infrastructure Corp. and the SEAL Family Foundation. Previously he served on the board for Green Dot Corporation from March 2020-July 2023.
Tal SIMON
Founding Partner,
SoMa Equity Partners
Biography
Tal Simon is a founding partner and investment analyst at SoMa Equity Partners, a SF based TMT focused investment firm founded in 2016. Prior to joining SoMa, Tal was an analyst at Apex Capital working on the firm’s TMT portfolio. He spent the prior 10 years working at various investment firms in New York City, including Karsch Capital and George Weiss Multi-Strategy. Tal served for 4 years as a Lieutenant in the Israeli Air Force and graduated with honors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
SOHN SAN FRANCISCO INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
SohnSF Investment Conference
IConnections presents: The Allocators Perspective
iConnections presents:
The Allocators Perspective featuring:
LAUREN JACOBSON
Chief Investment Officer, Hamilton College
Biography
Lauren Jacobson is the Chief Investment Officer of Hamilton College’s $1.4 billion endowment. In this role she oversees the investment team, asset allocation and manager selection. Prior to joining Hamilton in 2022, Lauren was a Managing Director at Columbia Investment Management Company (Columbia University’s $13bn Endowment). She was co-head of Columbia’s $8bn marketables asset classes and a member of the Portfolio Construction Committee after spending several years as a generalist Managing Director investing across private and public asset classes. Prior to joining Columbia in 2017, Lauren spent eight years at the Rockefeller Foundation’s $5 billion endowment where she was a Director and member of a three-person team focused on marketable assets. Her primary focus was managing Rockefeller’s $1 billion hedge fund portfolio. Lauren began her career at Goldman Sachs as an Analyst on the convertible bond desk. Lauren graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2007 with a B.B.A. in Finance and was a member of the varsity track team. Lauren resides in Rumson, New Jersey with her husband, Matt, and three children, Michaela, Emma and Jack.
THOMAS P. LENEHAN
Chief Investment Officer, The Wallace Foundation
Biography
Tom Lenehan became the second-ever Chief Investment Officer of The Wallace Foundation in January 2021. Prior to joining Wallace, Tom served as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of The Rockefeller University since 2011, helping to manage all aspects of the $2.4 billion endowment. Prior to Rockefeller, Tom worked in various investment roles as a limited partner and a general partner at Commonfund Capital in Wilton, CT, Vista Equity Partners in San Francisco, CA and Marsh & McLennan Capital, Inc. (aka, Stone Point Capital) in Greenwich, CT. Tom began his career as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the Investment Banking Division in both New York and London. Lenehan has long been committed to working with educational and other nonprofit institutions. He currently serves on the Investment Committee of the Stony Brook Foundation, and he chairs the Investment Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He also serves on the board of The Investment Fund for Foundations Investment Program (TIP). Previously, he served on the Board of Trustees and Investment Committee of The Wenner-Gren Foundation. In 2019 and 2020, Lenehan was selected as a Top 30 University Endowment Chief Investment Officers by Trusted Insight. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration in 1992 from Georgetown University, where he graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian, and an M.B.A. in 1997 from Stanford University, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.
STAN RA
Chief Investment Officer, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Biography
Stan Ra is the Chief Investment Officer at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Since joining as the hospital’s first dedicated investment professional in 2016, Stan has established the investment office and oversees all management aspects of the organization’s investment portfolios. Prior to joining Seattle Children’s, Stan served as Vice President at Mill Creek Capital Advisors where he led the hedge fund investment program. Earlier in his career, Stan was an analyst within the Investment Management Unit at SEI Investments focused on researching global equity strategies. Stan earned his B.S. from Drexel University and is a CFA charterholder.
SOHN SAN FRANCISCO INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
JAY KAHN
Founder and Managing Partner,
Flight Deck Capital
Biography
Jay Kahn founded Flight Deck in April 2020. Flight Deck is a fundamental long/short TMT crossover fund that invests in disruptive public and private companies across internet, software, and fintech. Prior to launching Flight Deck, Jay was a Partner at Light Street Capital from 2011-2020. At Light Street, Jay ran the firm’s internet, media, and consumer investments globally. In addition to managing Light Street’s public investments in these sectors, Jay also led or co-led 14 private deals across Light Street’s side pockets, SPVs, and later stage growth fund including: Unity, Uber, Lyft, Spotify, Pinterest, Everlane, Harry’s, Toast, EzCater, Madeira Madeira, SmartHR, and Slack. From 2006-2008, Jay was an Associate at Elevation Partners, where he evaluated late stage growth and buyout investments in internet, media, music, gaming, and sports. Prior to Elevation, Jay was a Senior Associate Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting from 2003 to 2006, where he advised on strategy, growth, and buyout deals in internet, media, and sports. Jay received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, and a B.A. magna cum laude in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University in 2002.
XIAOYING TIAN
Founder & CIO, Saturn V Capital Management
Biography
Prior to founding Saturn V Capital Management, Ms. Tian spent four years at Farallon Capital Management investing in biotech companies with upcoming event catalysts. There she pioneered the statistical methods used to predict clinical trial outcomes for these catalysts. Using this data-driven approach, she applied fundamental and quantitative methods to underwrite clinical trials and position her portfolio based on the forecasted probabilities. The investment approach utilizes a combination of scientific analysis, financial modeling, and proprietary statistical methodologies to predict the outcomes of clinical trials pivotal to FDA approval. The strategy is differentiated in that we use advanced statistical methods to synthesize clinical data that is otherwise too noisy and complex to interpret to formulate our variant perception. The prediction and investment positioning are based on the outputs of these models in combination with our financial and scientific underwriting.
Xiaoying holds a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University where she collaborated extensively with Stanford Medical School while developing her statistically based, trial underwriting approach. Her work was published in top science and statistical journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ms. Tian also earned a BS in Mathematics from Fudan University, graduating top of her class and ranking 4th in the Chinese Undergraduate Mathematical Competition.
CHRIS HANSEN
President and Founding Partner,
Valiant Capital Management, L.P.
Biography
Chris Hansen is the President and Founding Partner of Valiant Capital Management, L.P. a global long/short public and private equity firm based in San Francisco. Valiant’s investment objective is to generate superior long-term, risk adjusted returns by employing a flexible mandate that allows the team to search the world for the best opportunities.
Prior to starting Valiant in 2008, Chris was a partner at Blue Ridge Capital LP from 2001 until January of 2008. Before Blue Ridge, Chris was a Principal and Senior Equity Research analyst at Banc of America Securities in San Francisco covering the Advertising Sector. Chris received his MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business in 1996 and holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from San Diego State University. He has four children and lives in Tiburon, CA with his wife Kimberly.
RAVI PAIDIPATY
Deputy Chief Investment Officer,
Freestone Grove Partners
Biography
BENEFICIARY PRESENTATION
Lindsay Costigan, Excellence in Investing in Children’s Causes Foundation
Biography
Lindsay oversees Global Prime Finance Sales at BNP Paribas in the Western U.S. She is responsible for sourcing and maintaining financing relationships with hedge funds and asset owners. Prior to her current role, Lindsay spent time at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Securities, and Jefferies, where she was responsible for Prime Brokerage Distribution and Capital Introductions. Lindsay began her career as an analyst at US Trust and later in hedge fund due diligence at Wells Fargo Family Wealth. Lindsay earned her BA in Economics from Occidental College and her MBA from Pepperdine University. She is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
GLEN KACHER
Founder & CIO, Light Street Capital
Biography
Glen Kacher is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Light Street Capital. Light Street operates a family of funds investing in the technology and media companies. The funds include a public equity hedge fund, a long-only public equity fund, and a private growth equity fund. Light Street’s private investments include Chime, GitLab, Lyft, MadeiraMadeira, Pinterest, Slack, SmartHR, Solv Health, Toast, Uber, and Unity. Light Street is based in Palo Alto, California and San Francisco, California. Prior to forming Light Street, Glen joined Integral Capital Partners as a Principal in 1998 and served as a Managing Director from 2000-2010. Integral was one of the first crossover funds investing in both the public and private companies. Glen’s areas of investment focus at Integral included software, Internet, eCommerce, mobile hardware, PC hardware, security software, and networking. Glen led or co-led 46 of Integral’s venture investments during his tenure. Prior to joining Integral, Glen worked at Tiger Management in New York City from 1993 to 1996 as a full-time research analyst and from 1996 to 1997 as a part-time consultant while attending business school.
At Tiger, Glen focused on investments in the software, video game, PC hardware, Internet, and networking industry sectors. Glen holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, 1998, and a B.S. in Commerce with Distinction from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, 1993.
Glen is married to Amy Wardwell Kacher and they have three children. Glen and his kids are avid fans of the 49ers, Giants, Sharks, Warriors, and Stanford Football. Glen and Amy live with their family in Palo Alto, California. Glen enjoys golf with his two college aged sons. Unfortunately for Glen, his kids started beating him soundly when they were 10 years old. Glen’s daughter loves musical theater. Glen has offered 14 times to sing the duets with his daughter Emma in preparation for her roles. She thus far hasn’t taken him up on these offers.
4:12 PM
JOE BOU-SABA
Founder, Alta Park Capital
Biography
Joe co-founded Alta Park Capital in 2013. Prior to that, he was one of the founding partners of Partner Fund Management (PFM) in 2004, where he worked through 2012. During his tenure, Joe was responsible for the Global Internet, Media and Telecom sectors. Prior to PFM, Joe covered the Media, Internet, Software and Services sectors at Andor Capital Management (2001 – 2004) and Pequot Capital Management (2000 – 2001). Joe spent the early part of his career in investment banking performing Mergers & Acquisitions advisory work for the Technology sector at Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group and Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Technology Group (1996 – 2000). Prior to that, he worked in Mergers & Acquisitions at Wasserstein Perella (1995 – 1996) and as a Management Consultant at Andersen Consulting (1994). Joe received a B.A. in Economics from Duke University in 1993, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude.
THE BIG PITCH – Cal vs. Stanford
Sponsored by:
FRANKLIN PARLAMIS
Portfolio Manager and CIO, Aequim Alternative Investments
Biography
Franklin Parlamis began his career as an attorney with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where he was part of a small team representing the Russian government on its 1998 debt default and restructuring. Franklin also worked on domestic bankruptcies. In early 2000, Franklin joined an internal trading group at hedge fund manager Paloma Partners, which would shortly spin out and form Amaranth Advisors. At Amaranth, Franklin was responsible for roughly $1 billion in AUM, co-managing the convertible arbitrage and credit arbitrage portfolios and sole managing a book of convertible asset swaps and related structured finance packages. He was an early active participant in the credit default swap market. Franklin left Amaranth in 2005 and relocated with his family to Hawaii. In 2007, the family relocated again to the San Francisco Bay area, where he founded and managed the west-coast office for hedge fund manager Pine River Capital Management. At Pine River, Franklin oversaw roughly $600 million in AUM. He served as Portfolio Manager of the Pine River Convertibles Fund from 2009-2017, and also managed capital directly within the firm’s flagship multi-strategy product, the Pine River Fund, as well as additional capital in single-investor funds and the firm’s fixed-income specialty product, the Pine River Fixed Income Fund. Franklin was named a partner at Pine River in 2010 and departed the firm in 2017. He founded Aequim Alternative Investments in January 2018 where he also serves as Portfolio Manager and CIO. Franklin earned a BA in Mathematics and a Certificate in Russian Studies from Princeton University in 1993, a JD from Yale Law School in 1997 and an MA in Statistics from Yale School of Graduate Studies in 1997. He is married with 3 children and lives in Mill Valley, California, where Aequim’s office is located.
JOE BOU-SABA
Founder, Alta Park Capital
Biography
THE BIG PITCH – Cal vs. Stanford
Sponsored by:
FRANKLIN PARLAMIS
Portfolio Manager and CIO, Aequim Alternative Investments
Biography
SohnSF Closing
SETH BLACKMAN,
President, Excellence in Investment in Children’s Causes Foundation
Seth Blackman, Excellence in Investment in Children’s Causes Foundation
Seth is a partner based in KPMG’s San Francisco office and serves as the Bay Area’s Asset Management Practice Leader. In his role, Seth is responsible for leading the firm’s hedge fund, venture capital, private equity, and real estate sectors in the Bay Area. Seth works with both domestic and international clients within the alternative investment sector, including fund of funds. He has extensive experience with various investment products, strategies and structures where he provides clients with key considerations and best practices. Seth is an audit partner and member of the firm’s national leadership committee contributing to the growth and development of its asset management practice.
RECEPTION
Sponsored by:
Thank You to Our 2024 Sponsors
Over $3 Million Donated
to support Bay Area organizations focused on improving educational opportunities and life outcomes for underserved youth.
