OUR 15th ANNUAL Conference will be on

March 20, 2025

Conference Registration Pricing Details

General Registration — $1,095
NASP Member — $995

Contact Jennifer Gibbs at jgibbs@naspsocal.org for NASP Member discount code.
Trustees and Staff — Complimentary

Trustee/staff please refer to your company's pension plan policy for conference attendance. We have a prorated registration option available if needed.
Sponsor Registration —Included with Sponsorship Donation

NOTE: Sponsorship includes registration for the event. See levels for more information.

Attendees Will Include

Trustees: public and corporate pensions, foundations, endowments
Investment staff: public and corporate pensions, foundations, endowments, and family offices
Fund-of-funds managers
Separate account managers specializing in private equity

Consulting firms: private equity specialists, full retainer general pension consultants
Legal counsel: in-house counsel for public and corporate pensions, foundations, endowments and family offices
Fund formation counsel
Outside counsel to institutional investors

Prior Attendees

Below is a partial list of limited partners, fund-of-funds managers, consulting firms, and family offices that have attended our prior events:

Aksia LLC
Alameda County Employees Retirement Association
Baltimore Employees Retirement System
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS)
California Institute of Technology
Cambridge Associates
Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association
Cliffwater LLC
Employees’ Retirement Fund of the City of Dallas
Fireman’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago
Grosvenor Customized Fund Investment Group
Hamilton Lane
Houston Municipal Employees Pension System
Howard University
Kaiser Permanente
LA84 Foundation
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS)
Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)
Los Angeles County Treasury
Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions
Meketa Investment Group
New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association (NM PERA)
North Carolina Department of State Treasurer
Oregon State Treasury
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System
SAG-Producers Pension Plan
San Bernadino County Employees Retirement Association
San Diego County Treasurer
San Francisco Employees Retirement System (SFERS)
Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Stanford Management Company (SMC)
State University of Illinois Retirement System
The California Endowment
Top Tier Capital Partners
UCLA Investment Company
USC Investment Office
Washington State Investment Board
Wilshire Private Markets Group

Conference Schedule

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

(Private Event — Sponsors, Trustees and Staff Only)

5:00 PM

PRE-CONFERENCE RECEPTION

6:30 PM

PRE-CONFERENCE DINNER

Honoring Jonathan Grabel, CIO — Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)

Thursday, March 20, 2025

7:30 AM

REGISTRATION OPENS & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Begins

7:45 AM

GENERAL SESSION SEATING BEGINS

8:00 AM

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Norice R. Rice, President — National Association of Securities Professionals — Southern California Chapter

8:15 AM

NASP National Overview

Miguel Thames, President & CEO — National Association of Securities Professionals

8:30 AM

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Gordon Johnson, Economist GLJ Research, LLC

9:00 AM

GENERAL SESSION I – PRIVATE EQUITY I

Private Markets Outlook for 2025 – Is there a fundamental shift in the investment landscape of 2025?

Headwinds and Tailwinds – Highlighting the biggest events of 2024 that may impact the investment landscape of 2025.

Moderator:

Leona Bridges, Trustee — San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS)

Panelists:

Logan Allin, Managing Partner & Founder — Fin Capital

Thomas Casarella, CFA, Managing Director & Assistant Portfolio Manager — Oaktree Capital

Joseph Haslip, Managing Director — Valor Equity Partners

Gary Reaves, Managing Partner — First Reserve

Rob Ross, Senior Portfolio Manager — California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

Christopher Salley, Managing Director — Auldbrass Partners

9:45 AM

NETWORKING BREAK I

10:00 AM

GENERAL SESSION II – VENTURE CAPITAL

From Innovation to realization!

We will discuss today’s megatrends in AI, cybersecurity, energy, the digital economy and healthcare. How can the excitement in new technologies and continued investment in early‑stage companies translate to liquidity for investors?

Moderator:

Michael Silva, Associate Investment Manager — California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)

Panelists:

Jamie Brush, General Partner & Portfolio Manager — Frazier Life Sciences

Stephen Cammock, Managing Director, Private Equity Investments — GCM Grosvenor

Shaun Hawkins, Managing Partner — Pier 70 Ventures

Michael Jones, Managing Director — Science Ventures

Aakar Vachhani, Managing Partner — Fairview

10:45 AM

GENERAL SESSION III – PRIVATE CREDIT

The Role, Returns, and Risks of Private Credit Investing

Our seasoned panel of professional investors will discuss the evolving landscape of Private Credit strategies and the role the asset class increasingly plays in investment portfolios.

Moderator:

Laura Basua, Trustee — Fresno County Employees’ Retirement Association (FCERA)

Panelists:

Akhil Bansal, Managing Director, Partner, Head of Asset Backed Finance — Carlyle

Jeri Harman, Founder / Chairman — Avante Capital Partners

Colin Meadows, Managing Partner — o15 Capital Partners

Sengal Selassie, CEO/Managing Member — Brightwood Capital Advisors

Eric Smith, Chief Executive Officer — Locust Point Capital

Shundrawn Thomas, Managing Partner — The Copia Group, LLC

11:30 AM

NETWORKING BREAK II

12:00 PM

LUNCHEON SERVICE BEGINS

12:15 PM

15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Sponsors, Trustees and Staff Recognitions
Special Recognition – Los Angeles Fire and Police

12:45 PM

Fast-Track Program

Fast-Track Program Presentation

1:30 PM

NETWORKING BREAK III

1:45 PM

FIRESIDE CHAT I

Discussion on Inclusive Excellence

Moderator:

Patrick Jones, Board of Investments Vice Chair — Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)

Speakers:

Maggie Coleman, Chief Investment Officer — Manulife Investment Management

Jonathan Grabel, Chief Investment Officer — Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)

André Rice, President — Muller & Monroe Asset Management, LLC

2:15 PM

Fireside Chat II

Navigating the New Geopolitical Frontier: Bridging National Security and Private Sector Innovation

Moderator:

Paul Denning, CEO and Founder — Denning & Company, LLC

Speakers:

Michael A. Brown, Partner — Shield Capital

Brooke Coburn, Co-Founder / Partner — Capitol Meridian Partners

2:45 PM

Fireside Chat III

How Institutional Investors Are Transforming Private Equity

Moderator:

Darren W. Cohen, Managing Director — Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Speakers:

Anton Orlich, Managing Investment Director, Private Equity — California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)

3:15 PM

GENERAL SESSION IV – CIO ROUNDTABLE

Risk Management in Uncertain Times

CIO’s will share insights around the effective risk assessment, management and implications related to private investments.

Moderator:

Harry Keiley, Investment Committee Chair — California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

Panelists:

Justin Barton, Chief Investment Officer — UCLA Investment Company

Kurt L. Braitberg, CFA, CAIA, Managing Director, Public Markets — San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS)

Bryan Fujita, Chief Investment Officer — Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions (LAFPP)

Angela Miller-May, Chief Investment Officer — Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)

Michael Shackelford, Chief Investment Officer — Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA)

4:00 PM

GENERAL SESSION V – PRIVATE EQUITY II

Sector Spotlight – The Unexpected

Private Markets continue to give rise to new and unexpected investment opportunities. This panel covers strategies that reflect the ingenuity of fund managers and have the potential to generate alpha from far-flung corners of the market.

Moderator:

Gina Sanchez, Board Member — Cedars Sinai

Panelists:

John Bailey, Managing Partner — Knox Lane

Henry Heeney, Partner and Co-Founder — Heeney Capital Resource Partners

Gennell Jefferson, Partner, Investor Relations — The Vistria Group

Jason Howard, Managing Partner — New Catalyst Strategic Partners

Adele Oliva, Founding Partner — 1315 Capital

4:45 PM