As an entrepreneur or a private equity investor, you may be involved with businesses that are in their early growth stages and transitioning from “founder-led” to “professional management.”
In this episode, Connee Sullivan speaks with Amanda Eisel, the CEO of Zelis, who has significant experience in private equity and working with founders. Amanda discusses how these transitions affect businesses and the real impact of the founder’s dilemma (the question of when or if you should step aside for an outside CEO).
Amanda discusses:
Why businesses experience founder’s dilemma
Whether the founder’s dilemma should be a key consideration in private equity investments
What new CEOs entering founder-led businesses ought to know
Leadership insights to improve your company’s team dynamics
Amanda Eisel has focused the last 20 years of her career at the intersection of healthcare and technology. She has been deeply involved in creating and scaling multiple growth technology companies including Waystar, Applied Systems and Viewpoint. Amanda has been a member of the Zelis team since 2019, playing a leadership role across Zelis’ growth, operational and talent strategies. Amanda started her career at McKinsey & Company, where she spent nearly a decade advising consumer companies. Prior to Zelis, Amanda was an Operating Partner at Bain Capital focused on technology and healthcare IT companies.
The private market space has been around for a long time. But recently, it has been gaining interest from family offices and high-net-worth individuals.
SineCera Capital remains highly committed to finding the right private investment managers who can be trusted with clients’ capital.
In this episode, Kevin Kaylakie sits down with Alexander Schoenbaum, CEO of CrowdOut Capital, a leading private investor in lower-to-middle-market companies. Alexander shares how CrowdOut Capital makes private investment opportunities easily accessible to family offices and individual investors.
Alexander discusses:
The growth of private debt investments as an asset class
The impact of COVID-19 on the private investment space
How CrowdOut enables clients to participate in funds as well as individual deals
Valuable advice for families and individuals new to private investing
Alexander Schoenbaum co-founded CrowdOut Capital after more than a dozen years of direct lending, private equity, and investment banking experience. He has provided financial and strategic advisory services to many growing middle market companies across a range of industries including: consumer, retail, telecom, media, manufacturing, technology, financial services, oil & gas, and industrials. Collectively, Alexander has completed more than $3 billion of transactions, including both debt and equity placements.
In working with clients on their philanthropic goals, SineCera Capital brings the same rigorous analytic approach as it does with investments.
In this episode Connee Sullivan highlights one of the Austin non-profits that best fits this model. LifeWorks is on a mission to end youth homelessness, and does so with a focus on data-driven results.
Since launching in October 2018 with a goal to end youth homelessness in Central Texas, LifeWorks has transitioned almost 1,000 youth from literal homelessness to permanent housing, and done so with an 80% success rate.
In this episode, Connee Sullivan, Head of Family Office Services at SineCera Capital, interviews Susan McDowell, CEO and executive director at LifeWorks. They discuss the measures that LifeWorks is undertaking to end youth homelessness and help these youth build lives of self-sufficiency.
Susan discusses:
LifeWorks’ data-driven approach to systematically tackle youth homelessness
Success stories of homeless people who have ‘made it’ in life
Shelter opportunities in the hot real estate market
Susan McDowell is the CEO of LifeWorks, a youth and family service organization in Austin, Texas that helps transition-aged youth achieve self-sufficiency through housing, education and mental health support. Susan is active in numerous civic organizations and regional planning efforts. She has been awarded “Austinite (Under 40) of the Year,” and “Central Texas Social Entrepreneur of the Year,” by Ernst and Young. She participated in the 2007 Marshall Memorial Fellowship Program and was awarded the Anita and Earl Maxwell Lifetime Achievement Award through the Ethics in Business and Community Awards. Susan holds a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas-Austin, respectively.
In 2021, we experienced a spike in inflation rates, bond tapering by the Fed, and increased popularity of cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
How did SineCera Capital’s all-weather portfolio perform through it all?
Find out in this episode, as Kevin Kaylakie and Adam Packer provide insight on the impact of various economic factors and market trends on our all-weather portfolio in 2021.
Adam discusses:
Why U.S. treasuries are a strong portfolio diversifier
Effective inflation-hedging asset classes
The impact of inflation, both when it is transitory and long-term
The future scope of cryptocurrencies and NFTs in our all-weather portfolio
Asset Allocation may be used in an effort to manage risk and enhance returns. It does not, however, guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Increase in real interest rates can cause the price of inflation-protected debt securities to decrease. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities can be unpredictable. Index returns are unmanaged and do not reflect the deduction of any fees or expenses. Index returns reflect all items of income, gain and loss and the reinvestment of dividends and other income. You cannot invest directly in an Index. Investing in commodities’ entail significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. The price of Digital Assets is affected by many factors, including, but not limited to, global supply and demand, the expected future prices, inflation expectations, interest rates, currency exchange rates, fiat currency withdrawal and deposit policies at cryptocurrency exchanges, interruptions in service or failures of major cryptocurrency exchanges, investment and trading activities of large investors, monetary policies of governments, regulatory measures that restrict the use of cryptocurrencies, global political, economic, or financial events. Pricing also might be influenced by efforts at market manipulation by certain participants. Drastic or even gradual changes in price of cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives could materially affect the value of the Client’s Digital Assets. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee returns or eliminate risk in any market environment. Although bonds generally present less short-term risk and volatility risk than stocks, bonds contain interest rate risks; the risk of issuer default; issuer credit risk; liquidity risk; and inflation risk. Risk associated with equity investing include stock values which may fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. There are risks associated with investing in Real Assets and the Real Assets sector, including real estate, precious metals and natural resources. Investments can be significantly affected by events relating to these industries. All investments include a risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. The principal risks of SineCera Capital strategies are disclosed in the publicly available Form ADV Part 2A.
All great businesses begin with an idea. But what’s the secret behind turning an idea into a thriving enterprise?
Find out in this episode, as Kevin Kaylakie speaks with Kim Overton, the founder and CEO of SPIbelt. Kim reveals how SPIbelt went from a small, local startup to a globally successful company with sales in over 40 countries. She also shares the biggest mistakes that she made during her entrepreneurial journey — and how she overcame them.
Kim discusses:
How the idea for SPIbelt was born
Key organic growth strategies that she used during SPIbelt’s first year
How SPIbelt ended up getting significant media coverage (including the QVC television network!)
Kim Overton is the Founder and CEO of SPIBelt (small personal item belt). In 2006, Kim went for a run and faced a problem familiar to runners, where to stash her keys. Frustrated but motivated, Kim purchased the materials for the initial prototype, and began creating an answer. Soon, Kim had assembled the first belt and quickly knew she was onto something, officially launching SPIbelt at the Austin Marathon in February of 2007. Today, you can find SPIbelt products in over a thousand stores across the US and in over 40 countries!
With every dollar you save in taxes, you have the opportunity to spend more on the betterment of your community.
Are you ready to get the biggest charitable bang for your buck?
In this episode, Kevin Kaylakie speaks with Brandon O’Neill, CFP®, CAP®, a charitable planning consultant for Fidelity Charitable. They unpack strategies to help you amplify your charitable impact through donor-advised funds (DAFs). Brandon also shares ways in which Fidelity Charitable® helps donors make tax-efficient contributions to their favorite charities.
Brandon discusses:
The benefits of DAFs over private foundations and Charitable LLCs
How to know if DAFs are ideal for you
Reasons to donate appreciated assets (including cryptocurrency!) instead of cash
Unique gift planning ideas to improve tax deductibility
Brandon O’Neill, is a Charitable Planning Consultant for Fidelity Charitable, an independent public charity that has helped donors support more than 328,000 nonprofit organizations with nearly $51 billion in grants since its inception in 1991. In this role, Brandon serves as a premier resource for charitable planning in the South Central Region of the United States. Where it is his responsibility to build relationships with financial advisors, to discuss ways to incorporate charitable giving into clients’ overall financial and wealth management plans. Brandon has held the Certified Financial Planner designation since 2011 and is also a Charter Advisor in Philanthropy holder.
Electric, natural gas, hydrogen, and nuclear energy. You probably don’t realize how much you rely on them until they are no longer there.
General Ken Eickmann is a senior research fellow and deputy director at the Center for Energy Security at the University of Texas. Among his many accomplishments, he has chaired committees for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council on energy efficiency and reducing U.S. dependence on foreign fuel.
In this episode, Kevin Kaylakie talks with Ken about building energy for the future. Ken explains the level of dependence the United States has on electric power and whether we have the infrastructure to support the growing demand for electric power. He also discusses how the electric power grid operates and advocates for why we should have a more coordinated approach to how we deal with power issues.
Ken discusses:
The U.S. dependence on electric power
What he believes is the future of energy production
His thoughts on small modular reactors (SMR)
How a large well-functioning power grid could support the economy
Advice for the next generation of leaders in the United States
General Kenneth E. Eickmann is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading energy experts. He is a Senior Research Affiliate with the Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin and works to bring the emerging knowledge and expertise of the University to bear on the technological needs of the Department of Defense. At the request of the US Air Force and the Department of Defense, Gen. Eickmann chaired three committees for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council focused on energy efficiency. He also facilitated a National Forum to identify strategic energy goals for the US Air Force and the nation. In addition, Lt. Gen. Eickmann chaired an Air Force Installation Energy Study designed to determine how best to ensure our nation’s military installations have energy for mission-critical capabilities. As a follow-up to that study, he chaired a national workshop at the National Academy of Sciences focused on energy and water reduction in the industrial processes at Department of Defense laboratories, test centers, and depots. General Eickmann spent 6 years on the Air Force Science & Technology Board (now the AF Studies Board) and several years on the Military Advisory Board for the Center for Naval Analysis which published studies laying out the National Security Imperative to Reduce U.S. Oil Dependence, the National Security Implications of Global Climate Change, and a review of the link between National Security & Assured Electrical Power. More recently he worked with the Center on an assessment of the strategic implications of limited access to clean water around the world.
During his active duty career, General Eickmann completed 22 assignments, including serving as the Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the largest military industrial complex in the United States, and later as Commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, where he led the nation’s largest center of excellence for research, development, and acquisition of aircraft, aeronautical equipment, and munitions. Prior to those assignments, General Eickmann served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for two of the Air Force’s Major Commands; the Pacific Air Forces and Air Force Materiel Command. In addition, the General played an integral role in the rescue and recovery efforts for several disasters including, the San Francisco Earthquake, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, and the Oklahoma City Bombing. The State of Oklahoma declared July 11, 1995, as “General Ken Eickmann Day” in recognition of his leadership and assistance to Federal and State rescue and recovery efforts following the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. General Eickmann also served for a number of years as the State Vice Chairman of the Texas Engineers Task Force for Homeland Security.
General Eickmann is a Registered Professional Engineer and is certified as an Acquisition Professional in Logistics, Program Management, and Systems Planning, Research, Development & Engineering. He is also a recognized expert in propulsion technology and has published several papers in technical journals in the U.S. and overseas. He is a graduate of the University of Texas, the University of Michigan Executive Business Program, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the Air War College, and the National Defense University.
Ultra-high-net-worth families need a trusted collaborative partner who will bring clarity, instill confidence, and help align their wealth with well-defined goals.
This is what Kevin Kaylakie and his team at SineCera Capital work to provide each and every client.
In this episode, SineCera Capital’s Chief Investment Officer, Adam Packer, joins Kevin to discuss this framework and how they apply it to the due diligence and management of alternative investments.
Adam & Kevin discuss:
An introduction to the SineCera Capital process
Three types of investment clients
How SineCera Capital approaches education with their clients on the alternative investment due diligence process
Adam Packer is the CIO for SineCera Capital in Austin, Texas. He is responsible for overseeing the due diligence and investment selection process for all investments, both public and private, for SineCera Capital. Adam earned his BA in Business Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), with minors in Accounting and Philosophy. He is both a CFA and CAIA charterholder.
The pharmaceutical and biotech industry is facing a major challenge: How to effectively scale and distribute drugs.
This is partially due to outdated software tools in the industry— and that is exactly what CherryCircle Software’s co-founder, CEO, and product visionary, Yash Sabharwal, wants to solve.
In this episode, Kevin Kaylakie welcomes Yash to explore his story of entrepreneurship with CherryCircle and why he believes they are creating a powerful solution for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry’s biggest digital challenges. In addition, he explains why the concept of reinvention is important to him and how he has evolved over the years.
Yash discusses:
The problem with antique software tools
How CherryCircle Software solves common software issues
How he learned about the business side of running a company and applied it to his entrepreneurial ventures
Why building a strong culture within your business is so important
Co-founder, CEO, and Product Visionary at CherryCircle Software, Yash Sabharwal, is a successful serial entrepreneur tackling complex problems in the life sciences. Yash started CherryCircle in 2017 to develop the QbDVision knowledge management platform for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Prior to starting CherryCircle, Yash was a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Xeris Pharmaceuticals. During his tenure at Xeris, Yash was responsible for the manufacturing process development and scale-up activities related to the lead drug development program. While managing these activities, Yash became acutely aware of the limitations of the current solutions for the aggregation and analysis of all the data generated over multiple years of development. Further discussions with industry veterans confirmed the need for a solution like QbDVision.
Prior to starting Xeris in Austin, Yash co-founded Optical Insights in 1997 to solve imaging challenges in biomedical applications. Optical Insights was acquired by Roper Industries in 2005. Xeris Pharmaceuticals completed its IPO in 2018 and the products Yash helped launch are now FDA-approved products.
Over the years, he has been a mentor to budding entrepreneurs within the Austin community including support of many local incubators. From 2014 to 2017, Yash was a director on the board of the Austin Technology Council. He also served as an advisor to the Texas Health Catalyst program of the University of Texas Dell Medical School.
Yash has a B.S. in Optics from the University of Rochester and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona.
The labyrinth of estate planning involves navigating goals, assets, taxes, investments, and the future. Flexibility is key.
In this episode, Kevin Kaylakie is joined by Doug Paul of McGinnis Lochridge law firm. Doug shares several tax planning tools you can apply to your estate plan. He also explains why he believes this is the golden period of estate planning and how potential changes from Congress will impact the future of estate planning.
Doug discusses:
The most common questions he hears about estate planning
Simple tax planning tools and techniques such as donor advised funds and qualified charitable distributions (QCD)
More complex tax planning tools like Roth IRA conversions
What it means when people are getting assets out of their estate
Doug focuses his practice on estate planning through the use of trusts, family business entities, and life insurance. His experience includes charitable planning, asset protection planning, and planning to mitigate transfer tax and income tax. He is an expert in charitable planning, asset protection planning, and planning for mitigation of transfer tax and income tax.
Doug is a frequent speaker at various estate planning organizations and associations including: Austin Financial Planners Association, Texas Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Victoria Estate Planning Council, and the National Business Institute-CPA/CLE, Austin Chapter of CPAs.
