Key Takeaways
- • ADISA, described as the nation's largest trade association for the alternative investments industry, announced recipients of its 2026 industry awards, including four new award categories introduced this year.
- • The Bowman Law Firm won Difference Maker of the Year, while MDS Energy Development won Sponsor Champion of the Year.
- • Concorde Investment Services (firm) and Douglas Blake of Kingswood U.S. (individual) won the Allocator Champion awards.
- • The awards were presented at ADISA's 2026 Annual Conference & Trade Show, held Oct. 5–7 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, attended by around 1,000 professionals.
Summary
ADISA, the Indianapolis-based trade association representing the non-traded alternative investment space, announced the recipients of its 2026 industry awards, according to a Business Wire release. The association introduced four new award categories this year, designed to recognize product sponsors, allocator firms and professionals, and individuals or firms whose innovations have affected the industry.
The inaugural winners were The Bowman Law Firm, named Difference Maker of the Year for an idea, structure, technology or process that has meaningfully changed how the industry operates; MDS Energy Development, named Sponsor Champion of the Year for leadership, transparency, investor stewardship and commitment to industry education; Concorde Investment Services, named Allocator Champion (Firm) for advancing due diligence infrastructure and advisor education; and Douglas Blake of Kingswood U.S., named Allocator Champion (Individual) for advocacy, education and mentorship.
Runners-up included VENTURE.co, American Estate & Trust, Prospect Capital Management, Creative Capital Wealth Management Group and Cove Capital Investments in the Difference Maker category, and CEDARst Companies, ExchangeRight Real Estate, Griffin Capital Company and several others in Sponsor Champion. The President's Award, selected by the president of ADISA's board, went to Sydney Hockaday of Concorde Investment Services and Katie Shook of Eagle Point Securities. The Foundation Award, recognizing support for the ADISA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that funds scholarships and special projects, went to Dobbs Ackermann of Ackermann Group.
ADISA CEO Jade Miller said the honorees' contributions, spanning sponsorship, due diligence, education, advocacy and innovation, are helping advance the industry. The awards were presented at the association's 2026 Annual Conference & Trade Show, held Oct. 5–7 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. ADISA, founded in 2003, has about 5,000 members, and according to the release, its sponsor members have raised more than $200 billion in equity and serve over 1 million investors.
The inaugural winners were The Bowman Law Firm, named Difference Maker of the Year for an idea, structure, technology or process that has meaningfully changed how the industry operates; MDS Energy Development, named Sponsor Champion of the Year for leadership, transparency, investor stewardship and commitment to industry education; Concorde Investment Services, named Allocator Champion (Firm) for advancing due diligence infrastructure and advisor education; and Douglas Blake of Kingswood U.S., named Allocator Champion (Individual) for advocacy, education and mentorship.
Runners-up included VENTURE.co, American Estate & Trust, Prospect Capital Management, Creative Capital Wealth Management Group and Cove Capital Investments in the Difference Maker category, and CEDARst Companies, ExchangeRight Real Estate, Griffin Capital Company and several others in Sponsor Champion. The President's Award, selected by the president of ADISA's board, went to Sydney Hockaday of Concorde Investment Services and Katie Shook of Eagle Point Securities. The Foundation Award, recognizing support for the ADISA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that funds scholarships and special projects, went to Dobbs Ackermann of Ackermann Group.
ADISA CEO Jade Miller said the honorees' contributions, spanning sponsorship, due diligence, education, advocacy and innovation, are helping advance the industry. The awards were presented at the association's 2026 Annual Conference & Trade Show, held Oct. 5–7 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. ADISA, founded in 2003, has about 5,000 members, and according to the release, its sponsor members have raised more than $200 billion in equity and serve over 1 million investors.
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