Key Takeaways
- • CAIS announced the final speaker lineup for its fifth annual CAIS Alternative Investment Summit, taking place October 12–15, 2026 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, with more than 1,250 attendees expected.
- • Headline speakers include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, and NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier.
- • CAIS reported a 53% year-over-year increase in transaction volume and a 55% increase in total platform assets in 1H 2026.
- • Panels feature senior leaders from Blue Owl, Goldman Sachs, T. Rowe Price, Blackstone, KKR, BlackRock, Apollo, Carlyle, Fortress and Ares, among others.
Summary
CAIS, which describes itself as the leading alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors, announced the final speaker lineup and agenda for its fifth annual CAIS Alternative Investment Summit, according to a Business Wire release. The event runs October 12–15, 2026 at the Beverly Hilton and will convene over 1,250 independent advisors, leading alternative asset managers and bank issuers.
The company said the event comes amid continued growth in alternative investment allocation across independent wealth. CAIS reported a 53% year-over-year increase in transaction volume and a 55% increase in total platform assets in 1H 2026. The agenda is organized around geopolitical, technological and investment shifts reshaping private markets and portfolio construction.
The general sessions include a power and policy panel featuring Condoleezza Rice and Robert M. Gates, moderated by Michael Williams of The Williams Group. Other sessions cover asset management scale with Marc Lipschultz (Blue Owl) and Douglas Sieg (Lord Abbett); private market access with Rob Sharps (T. Rowe Price), Glenn R. August (Oak Hill Advisors) and John Waldron (Goldman Sachs); AI infrastructure investing with Robert F. Smith (Vista Equity Partners) and Rodrigo Liang (SambaNova Systems); and digital infrastructure with executives from KKR, Blackstone and Nuveen. An allocation panel includes representatives from BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, HarbourVest and Apollo. A fireside chat with Carlyle's Harvey Schwartz includes a lifetime achievement presentation to co-founder David Rubenstein. Credit-focused sessions feature Monroe Capital, Third Point and Fortress Investment Group.
CAIS CEO Matt Brown said that as AI and technology reshape the industry, the need for trusted relationships and in-person connectivity has grown. Doug Krupa, Partner and Head of Global Wealth Solutions in the Americas at KKR, said realizing private markets' potential requires access, education and dialogue between asset management and wealth management. The agenda also includes CAIS Tech Lab demonstrations of platform enhancements and AI tools.
CAIS, founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, says it serves more than 2,500 wealth management firms supporting over 65,000 advisors overseeing approximately $8.5 trillion in end-client assets.
The company said the event comes amid continued growth in alternative investment allocation across independent wealth. CAIS reported a 53% year-over-year increase in transaction volume and a 55% increase in total platform assets in 1H 2026. The agenda is organized around geopolitical, technological and investment shifts reshaping private markets and portfolio construction.
The general sessions include a power and policy panel featuring Condoleezza Rice and Robert M. Gates, moderated by Michael Williams of The Williams Group. Other sessions cover asset management scale with Marc Lipschultz (Blue Owl) and Douglas Sieg (Lord Abbett); private market access with Rob Sharps (T. Rowe Price), Glenn R. August (Oak Hill Advisors) and John Waldron (Goldman Sachs); AI infrastructure investing with Robert F. Smith (Vista Equity Partners) and Rodrigo Liang (SambaNova Systems); and digital infrastructure with executives from KKR, Blackstone and Nuveen. An allocation panel includes representatives from BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, HarbourVest and Apollo. A fireside chat with Carlyle's Harvey Schwartz includes a lifetime achievement presentation to co-founder David Rubenstein. Credit-focused sessions feature Monroe Capital, Third Point and Fortress Investment Group.
CAIS CEO Matt Brown said that as AI and technology reshape the industry, the need for trusted relationships and in-person connectivity has grown. Doug Krupa, Partner and Head of Global Wealth Solutions in the Americas at KKR, said realizing private markets' potential requires access, education and dialogue between asset management and wealth management. The agenda also includes CAIS Tech Lab demonstrations of platform enhancements and AI tools.
CAIS, founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, says it serves more than 2,500 wealth management firms supporting over 65,000 advisors overseeing approximately $8.5 trillion in end-client assets.
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