CAIS Unveils Final Speaker Lineup for 2026 Summit, Bringing 1,250+ to Beverly Hills for Fifth Annual Event

Speakers include Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State; Robert M. Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011; and Mark Messier, NHL Hall of Famer, ESPN NHL Analyst, and Entrepreneur, joining leaders from across alternatives and wealth management

New York, NY – October 7, 2026 – CAIS, the leading alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors, today announced the final speaker lineup and agenda for its fifth annual CAIS Alternative Investment Summit (“CAIS Summit” or “the event”), the industry’s marquee gathering of financial advisors and alternative asset managers, taking place October 12–15 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

The 2026 CAIS Summit comes amid continued growth in alternative investment allocation across independent wealth, with the CAIS platform seeing a 53% year-over-year increase in transaction volume and a 55% increase in total platform assets in 1H 2026. The event will convene over 1,250 independent advisors, leading alternative asset managers, and bank issuers to examine how a rapidly evolving geopolitical, technological, and investment landscape is reshaping private markets and portfolio construction.

“As AI and technology reshape our industry, the need for trusted relationships and in-person connectivity has only grown,” said Matt Brown, Founder and CEO of CAIS. “The CAIS Summit brings the independent wealth and alternative investment communities together to learn from one another, share ideas, and build the connections that move our industry forward. Technology will continue to change how we work, but education, dialogue, and human connection remain central to helping advisors serve their clients well.”

In addition to closed-door sessions, case studies, and asset class-specific CAIS Talk sessions, attendees will benefit from general sessions, including:

Power, Policy, and the Future of America

• Secretary Condoleezza Rice, 66th Secretary of State

• Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense (2006–2011)

• Michael Williams, Founder & President, The Williams Group (Moderator)

Rebuilding Asset Management: How Scale and Strategy Are Reshaping the Industry

• Marc Lipschultz, Co-CEO, Blue Owl Capital

• Douglas Sieg, CEO & Managing Partner, Lord Abbett

• Jennifer Prosek, Managing Partner, Prosek Partners (Moderator)

Redefining Access to Private Markets: A Convergence of Leadership and Innovation

• Rob Sharps, Chair of the Board, CEO, T. Rowe Price

• Glenn R. August, Founder & CEO, Oak Hill Advisors

• John Waldron, President & COO, Goldman Sachs

• Maneet Ahuja, Editor-at-Large, Forbes and Founder, ICONOCLAST (Moderator)

From Margin to Opportunity: Investing Across the AI Stack

• Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Vista Equity Partners

• Rodrigo Liang, CEO, SambaNova Systems

• Dani Burger, Anchor, Bloomberg TV (Moderator)

The Trillion Dollar Digital Infrastructure and Real Assets Opportunity: Powering the Global Economy

• Brandon Freiman, Partner, Head of North America Infrastructure, KKR

• Mike Forman, Head of Americas Acquisitions & Global Head of Digital Infrastructure for Real Estate and CIO of BXDC, Blackstone

• Jessica Bailey, Global Head of Infrastructure, Nuveen

• Romaine Bostick, Anchor, Bloomberg TV (Moderator)

The 2026 Allocation Playbook: Constructing Portfolios Across Public and Private Markets

• Ken Lantigua, Managing Director, BlackRock

• Dave Donahoo, CFA, Head of Private Markets, Americas Wealth Management, Franklin Templeton

• Venu Krishnamurthy, Head of Global Private Wealth, HarbourVest Partners

• Diana Sands, Managing Director, Apollo

• Brad Walker, Co-President, CAIS (Moderator)

Fireside with Harvey Schwartz, Featuring a Special Lifetime Achievement Presentation to David Rubenstein

• Harvey Schwartz, CEO, Carlyle

• David Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Carlyle

• Matt Brown, Founder & CEO, CAIS

• Scott Wapner, Anchor, CNBC (Moderator)

The Credit Reset: Private Capital and the Rewiring of Global Lending

• Ted Koenig, Chairman & CEO, Monroe Capital

• Dan Loeb, CEO, Third Point

• Drew McKnight, Co-CEO and Managing Partner, Fortress Investment Group

• Dani Burger, Anchor, Bloomberg TV (Moderator)

Control the Platform, Control the Audience: The New Power Structure in Sports and Media

• Lee Solomon, Partner, Private Equity & Co-Portfolio Manager for Apollo Sports Capital (ASC)

• Kort Schnabel, Co-Head of U.S. Direct Lending and Sports, Media & Entertainment, Ares, and CEO, Ares Capital Corporation

• Dean Zayed, CEO & Founder, Brookstone (Moderator)

The DNA of Greatness

• Todd Boehly, Chairman and CEO, Eldridge

• Mark Messier, NHL Hall of Famer, ESPN NHL Analyst and Entrepreneur

• Surprise Guest

• Darren Fisk, Founder & CEO, Forum Investment Group (Moderator)

The CAIS Summit will also give advisors an early look at how CAIS is continuing to evolve its technology and platform experience. Through the CAIS Tech Lab, live demonstrations, and conversations with CAIS leaders, attendees can explore new platform enhancements, AI tools, and integrations designed to streamline the alternative investment experience.

"Private markets can be a valuable tool for advisors to help clients reach their financial objectives. Realizing that potential requires access, education, and real dialogue between the asset management and wealth management communities. We are proud to work with CAIS to help advisors capture the opportunities in private markets as the industry continues to evolve,” said Doug Krupa, Partner and Head of Global Wealth Solutions in the Americas at KKR.

Learn more about the CAIS Summit here: https://www.caisgroup.com/events/cais-summit

View the agenda for the 2026 CAIS Summit here: https://info.caisgroup.com/2026-cais-summit/agenda

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