Duke Fuqua Private Capital Conference 2026
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Location | Fuqua - Geneen Auditorium
Conference | 12:30PM - 5:30PM EST
Networking | 5:30PM - 8:00PM EST
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Attending Firms | Registration| Agenda | Conference Planning Committee | Duke Faculty & Advisors | Corporate Sponsors
Attending Firms
Registration
Current Fuqua Students
Current Fuqua MBA students can register and RSVP for the conference using the Fuqua Connect link above. Registration is free for current Fuqua students and includes access to all conference sessions and the networking happy hour.
All Others
Alumni, professionals, and students outside of the current Fuqua MBA program can register using the Eventbrite link above. The registration fee is $50 and includes access to the conference and the networking happy hour following the event. Please use this link to register and RSVP if you are not a current Fuqua MBA student.
Agenda
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Registration and Sign-In
Attendees will check in, receive event materials, and have time to network before the conference begins
1:00 PM - 1:10 PM
Welcome Address
Opening remarks from the conference organizers to welcome attendees and provide an overview of the conference agenda and sessions.
1:10 PM - 1:40 PM
Opening Keynote
Jeff Robinson
Former Global Head of Special Situations at Bain Capital Special Situations, will share perspectives on private credit markets, distressed and special situations investing, and how investors navigate market cycles and investment opportunities in private capital.
1:40 PM - 2:20 PM
Panel: Secondaries
Discussion on trends in the private equity secondaries market, including liquidity solutions, LP portfolio management, and the evolving role of secondaries in private markets.
Kade Kenlon
Vice President
A&M Capital
Jonathan Roth
Co-President
Round2 Investment Partners
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM
Break / Intermission
Coffee and snacks will be provided. Guests are invited to relax, network, and recharge before the program resumes.
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
Breakout Session 1
Private Equity
Private equity professionals will share perspectives on the private equity industry, current trends in private markets, and their experiences working in private equity, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
Kade Kenlon
Vice President
A&M Capital
Meahgan (O’Grady) Martin
Head of Business Development
Palladium Equity Partners
Ben Roberts
Vice President
Ironsides Asset Advisors
Venture Capital
Venture capital investors will share perspectives on venture investing, startup investing, and trends in venture capital and innovation, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
William Crowder
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Aperture VC
Gregg Bordes
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Front Porch Venture Partners
Lohita Chamarti
Investment Associate
RevTech Labs Capital
LP Perspectives
Limited partners and institutional investors will share perspectives on allocating capital to private markets, evaluating funds and managers, and trends in institutional investing, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
Evelysse Vargas
Investment Partner
BEA Venture Fund
Hannah Menachem
Portfolio Manager
North Carolina Investment Authority
Matt Underwood
Head of Research & Portfolio Management, Chief Compliance Officer
Global Strategic NextGen OCIO
Jake Thomsen
Managing Partner
Sovereign’s Capital
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Break / Intermission
Coffee and snacks will be provided. Guests are invited to relax, network, and recharge before the program resumes.
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Breakout Session 2
Private Credit
Private credit professionals will share perspectives on private credit and direct lending markets, current trends in credit investing, and their experiences working in private credit, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
Doug Breeden
William W. Priest Professor of Finance at Duke
Jose Velasco
Senior Vice President
Arena Investors LP
Jeff Robinson
Former Global Head
Bain Capital Special Situations
Real Estate
Real estate investment professionals will share perspectives on real estate investing, market trends across real assets, and their experiences working in real estate investing, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
Nathan Scuderi
Director
The Widewaters Group
Peter Cvelich
Senior Investment Manager
Integral Group
John Barker
Founder & Managing Director
Liberty Investment Partners
Healthcare
Investors will share perspectives on investing across the healthcare landscape, including providers, services, life sciences, and healthcare technology. The discussion will explore key themes such as value creation, regulatory and reimbursement dynamics, and emerging areas of innovation, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.
Erica Marshburn
Duke MBA ‘26
Patrick Jordan
Managing Partner
NovaQuest Capital Management
Drew Cutshaw
Principal and Medical Officer
Pappas Capital
4:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Panel: AI in Private Markets
Discussion on how artificial intelligence is impacting private markets, including industry trends, investment implications, and how firms are adapting to new technologies.
Ben Thomason
Managing Director
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Duke I&E
Sam Payton
Senior Vice President
Vista Equity Partners
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Closing Keynote
Campbell R. Harvey
Campbell Harvey is a Professor of Finance at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Partner at Research Affiliates. His keynote will focus on financial markets, asset allocation, innovation in finance, and how emerging technologies such as AI and decentralized finance are shaping the future of investing.
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Ending Remarks / Networking
Post-conference networking reception for attendees, speakers, and professionals to connect and continue conversations following the conference.
*Note that this agenda is preliminary and is subject to change
Conference Planning Committee
-
Jason Doan
Outgoing Co-President
MBA ‘26 -
Nazreen Nazeer
Outgoing Co-President
MBA ‘26 -
Jay Pandit
Incoming Co-President
MBA ‘27 -
Willem Boelhouwer
Incoming Co-President
MBA ‘27 -
Miguel Ibanez
Organizer
MBA ’26 -
Erica Marshburn
Organizer
MBA ‘26 -
Bret Izzo
Treasurer
MBA ‘26 -
Tory Kim
Marketing & Operations
MBA' ‘26 -
Spencer Karrington
Marketing & Operations
MBA ‘26
Duke Faculty & Staff Advisors
-
Ben Thomason
Managing Director
Private Equity & Venture Capital -
Jack Oakes
Sector Director
Finance & Investment Banking -
Josh Cohen
Senior Director
MBA Entrepreneurship Programs & Startup Recruiting -
David Robinson
Professor & Research Director
Duke I&E -
Stephen Windham
Director
Student and Corporate Relations
Corporate Sponsors
