Improving Alpha: Innovation in Investing, ESG and Technology

How do the United States and Asia approach the expansion of artificial intelligence for the future? On one side of the world, you have frontier model development requiring massive compute and content ingestion, while the other side is looking at their internal strengths and figuring out where AI can have the greatest impact. As investors, how can we figure out a true ROI to place our bets on across regions of the world? In this latest episode of the Improving Alpha podcast, host Michael Oliver W

How can philanthropies and charitable organizations structure capital layers to maximize private, public, and government funding? In this episode, we explore whether society’s core pillars—governments, financial markets, and local communities—must be brought back into balance to drive sustainable growth for impact-driven organizations. The Improving Alpha podcast welcomes Zita Cobb, Founder and CEO of Shorefast, a Canadian charity driving community and economic development across Fogo Island. Ho

When looking at the latest oil and gas headlines across the United States, many immediately think of Texas. North Dakota ranks #3 among the largest oil-producing states in the nation and is home to the $9BN North Dakota Trust Lands sovereign wealth endowment. This streamlined team generates revenue from oil royalties and taxes and is one of the healthiest institutions in the nation. So what’s their secret against a world with higher inflation, volatility, and more? In this episode of the Improvi

Are investors handing over too much power to artificial intelligence and thereby sacrificing critical decision-making skills in an effort to get easy answers? What happens to cognitive biases or thinking mistakes when we treat AI queries like a transaction rather than a conversation? The Improving Alpha podcast welcomes Cheryl Einhorn, Founder and CEO of Decisive, Author, and Columbia University Professor, to discuss her perspectives around AI and how quickly critical thinking frameworks can ero

Why are companies like SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI delaying going public, and can this phenomenon be traced back to regulatory changes of the nineties? Can private market funding essentially dry up, leaving no alternative? How do these firms approach regulatory thresholds and what is the impact to stratgeic allocations by today’s leading LPs? Michael Ewens, David L. and Elsie M. Dodd Professor of Finance, Finance Division and Co-director Private Equity Program, Columbia Business School, joins

Institutional investors seeking strategic opportunities around the world today need to be aware of how extreme political shifts, government corruption, asset volatility, and other factors can affect their portfolios. Taking the center stage of this discussion is the play on critical minerals and mining, and what sort of innovations or alternative ecosystems can be developed to help improve investment strategies. In this episode of the Improving Alpha podcast, host Michael Oliver Weinberg welcome