Bringing together the alternative investment community through technology and events.
iConnections presents a new model for the alternative investment industry, connecting a global network of allocators with a diverse range of fund managers via the iConnections platform and bespoke events. Our vision is to provide the industry a stronger path to investment success.
iConnections presents a new model for the alternative investment industry, connecting a global network of allocators with a diverse range of fund managers via the iConnections platform and bespoke events. Our vision is to provide the industry a stronger path to investment success.
A pre-vetted network of leading endowments, foundations, family offices, pensions, fund of funds, and consultants.
A diverse network of alternative investment funds investing in hedge, private, and long only markets.
The industry's key players within prime brokerage, accounting, legal, tax, and fund administration.
Our technology enables members to build connections with the world’s leading global fund managers, institutional allocators, thought leaders, and service providers.
The world’s largest cap intro event features a full day of thought leadership and networking followed by two days of dedicated one-on-one meetings. Become an iConnections member to attend.
NOV 11 – 14
JAN 27 – 30, 2025
The Glasshouse, NYC
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Miami Convention Center, Miami Beach
A global thought leadership forum encompassing finance, technology, and geopolitics followed by two days of one-on-one cap into meetings.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Join over 1,000 asset allocators, investment managers and entrepreneurs for two full days of one-on-one cap intro meetings and panel discussions encompassing finance, technology and public policy.
The Glasshouse, NYC
The largest cap intro event in the world. Schedule face-to-face meetings with the allocators and managers you want to meet with the most.
JAN 27 – 30, 2025
Miami Convention Center, Miami Beach
Amplify your next event with iConnections, the most advanced networking and capital introduction platform, enabling attendees to interact and schedule meetings with one easy-to-use software.
New York, February 14, 2024 – In the ever-evolving landscape of the alternative investment community, the need for seamless, efficient, and impactful connections between managers and investors has never been greater. iConnections, at the forefront of technology-driven solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its 2024 Q2 updates: ‘Roadshows’ and ‘Investor Portal’. These features are set to redefine the standards of strategic capital raising and investment processes, offering unprecedented ease and efficiency.
Understanding the intricate challenges managers face during roadshows, iConnections introduces ‘Roadshows’ – your fundraising companion designed to maximize efficiency and focus on building meaningful relationships. “We recognized the extensive planning and effort our clients were putting into roadshows. Our solution is crafted to alleviate these challenges, making fundraising efforts more fruitful and less taxing,” said Ron Biscardi, CEO & Co-Founder of iConnections. Create and manage your roadshow with ease, schedule meetings effortlessly, and let the platform handle logistics, syncing with third-party calendars to ensure seamless scheduling. The intelligent calendar feature considers travel times, sends timely notifications, and aids in rescheduling, ensuring you’re always prepared and punctual.
The ‘Investor Portal’ introduces a new era of document management, providing managers and investors with a secure, centralized platform for seamless document sharing and real-time updates. Managers can effortlessly upload documents, control access levels, and keep investors in the loop with automatic notifications. Investors enjoy a unified hub for accessing and downloading necessary documents, simplifying the investment tracking process.
iConnections is committed to continuous innovation, evident in our latest enhancements that further enrich our platform:
“In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, we stay ahead by ensuring our platform not only meets but exceeds the needs of the alternative investment community. These updates reflect our dedication to innovation, driven by the feedback and aspirations of our valued clients,” Ron Biscardi added, emphasizing the future-focused vision of iConnections.
Experience the future of alternative investment networking by joining the waitlist for ‘Roadshows’ and activating your ‘Investor Portal’ profile today. Visit https://iconnections.io/q2-release/ for more information. iConnections Roadshows Investor Portal
iConnections is a financial technology platform connecting asset allocators and investment managers. The iConnections desktop and mobile app allow allocators to evaluate and engage with relevant managers, who share company information securely on the platform. iConnections hosts its own conferences and powers myriad third-party global investor events. In an increasingly digital world, iConnections has reimagined how the investment industry connects. Visit iconnections.io to learn more.
Kaitlin Malin, COO, iConnections | Discover ’50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds 2023′ in partnership with EY, celebrating industry diversity and trailblazing achievements.
This edition marks the eleventh edition of our 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds report and is published in association with EY for the tenth time. We thank EY for their continued support for this inspiring report and thank our industry network for continuing to provide nominations for exceptionally talented high achievers in the hedge fund industry.
We first published this report in 2009 and continue to receive nominations for women who have featured before over the past fourteen years, but we restrict the number of repeats to special circumstances such as significant promotions or other milestones; one repeat this year is Lone Pine’s COO Kerry Tyler who is celebrating a 25 year anniversary with the company.
Five firms are featuring for the first time: alternative credit manager, 400 Capital Management; managed futures multi-manager, Abbey Capital; illiquid alternatives specialist, Fiera Private Markets; alternatives allocator, Hedonova; digital currency manager Nickel Digital’s multi-strategy Constellation Fund; systematic cryptocurrency hedge fund Strix Leviathan; and multi-strategy equity market neutral sector specialist, Woodline Partners.
The remaining firms namely Balyasny, Bridgewater, Brevan Howard, Caxton Associates, Citco, Citadel and its affiliates, Citadel Securities, D.E. Shaw Group, Dechert, Indus Capital, Lone Pine, Maples Group, MFA, Marshall Wace, Millennium Management, Moore Capital, Mudrick Capital, Point72 and affiliate Cubist, Schonfeld Strategic Advisers, Sculptor, Schulte Roth & Zabel, Seward & Kissel, Sidley Austin, Simmons & Simmons, Surveyor Capital, Taconic Capital Advisers, Tudor Investment Corporation, Verition and Wellington Management have featured at least once before and some more frequently (if not necessarily featuring in every single report). These firms provide serial honourees because they boast a broad and deep bench of senior female professionals – who are also getting promoted. The giant multi-strategy platforms have a big presence because they employ such large teams – Millennium Management has more than 5,000 employees.
Nearly eighty percent of the women in this report work for hedge fund or other alternative managers (including some that have returned external capital and are strictly speaking family offices); twelve work for service providers; one for a trade association; and one for a specialist networking platform and conference organiser.
Most work for medium sized or larger firms, though we are open to those founding their own firms or units within firms. Sadie Raney co-founded Strix Leviathan, and Natalie Faye Smith has co-founded a number of businesses within Brevan Howard, including BH Digital.
The report illustrates a spectrum of senior investment and non-investment job functions.
Ten women are in investment or trading roles covering areas such as equities, fixed income, commercial mortgage-backed securities and global macro trading. Fourteen are in sales, marketing, business development, investor relations or client servicing roles, often dealing with many of the world’s largest institutional investors. Six are in human resources (where hiring portfolio managers can also be dubbed “business development” inside multi-strategy funds), which is often driving forward the diversity of teams. Twelve are lawyers, working either as in-house counsel or in private practice: some of whom have expertise in ESG. Five are in operational and/or financial roles. There is a broker relations specialist and an industry advocate.
Some are wearing multiple hats: one individual combines responsibility for trading and execution with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
Some 80% of this year’s honourees are based in North America, mainly the US, with two in Canada and one in the Cayman Islands, which reflects the US-heavy industry asset breakdown. In Europe, seven are based in the UK, one in France, and one in Ireland. In Asia, three honourees are based in Hong Kong. Many of the women based in North America have come from other countries, such as Albania, Australia, China and Ireland.
Many honourees participate in multiple women’s groups inside and outside their firms, such as formal women’s affinity groups or networks at BNP Paribas, D. E. Shaw, Exodus Point, Millennium Management and Tudor; while Bridgewater’s Melody Rollins co-founded a wider industry group, Women of Color in Investments. Mentoring is also receiving more attention as firms seek to increase the diversity of their internships, university recruitment and lateral hires, and more broadly entrepreneurship in and around the industry. Some women mentor those from their alma mater schools or colleges, while others broaden it out to encourage first time university applicants. Citadel has a Thrive Scholars program for students of colour from low income communities interested in careers in finance. One individual in this report is mentoring incarcerated people on their business ideas.
Gender equalit is attracting ever more attention. The 2023 Nobel prize for Economic Sciences was awarded to Claudia Goldin of Harvard University, for her work on women’s earnings and labour market participation over the centuries, which included documenting the gender pay gap. Female participation has been climbing up the right hand side of a U-shaped curve since the services sector started to dominate over manufacturing in the early twentieth century. Some professional services firms, such as a law firm in Hong Kong, now have more female than male trainees. Elsewhere in the industry, there is much further to go, but hedge fund managers are traveling along a positive trajectory for diversity.
– Hamlin Lovell, Editor, The Hedge Fund Journal
Jared Kushner, Founder, Affinity Partners
Moderator: Ron Biscardi, CEO, iConnections
Discover the intriguing conversation between Jared Kushner, founder of Affinity Partners, and Ron Biscardi, CEO of iConnections at Global Alts 2024, as they dive into the distinctions between business dealings and political negotiations. Gain insights into Kushner’s entrepreneurial journey with Affinity Partners, his strategic approach to investments, and his perspective on global trends like artificial intelligence. Explore the intersection of politics and business in this thought-provoking discussion.