Robert Akeson is managing director at Riverside Management Group (“RMG”), a boutique investment bank. At RMG, he focuses on advising asset managers, broker-dealers, fintech companies, and their supporting ecosystems on financial transactions. In addition, he is Managing Member of Solidus Advisors, LLC (“Solidus”), which advises asset managers and broker-dealers on start-up, operational, business, and succession planning matters.

Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer and Co-Head of Prime Brokerage at Mirae Asset Securities (USA) and was on the firm’s Management Committee. Also, Mr. Akeson ran Neuberger Berman’s prime brokerage, correspondent clearing, and related agency execution business. While at the firm, Mr. Akeson, served on the firm’s Operating Committee and on the SIA’s Clearing and Membership Committees. Additionally, Mr. Akeson has held management positions at Morgan Stanley, ICBC, and Broadridge’s predecessor, ADP BISG. He also has General Partner and Advisory Board level experience with small money management firms.

Mr. Akeson’s experience includes P&L management, corporate strategy, business development, operations, IT, compliance, risk management, due diligence, balance sheet and liquidity management. He also has extensive experience with FINRA New Member and Continuing Membership Applications for businesses including prime brokerage and portfolio margin. In addition, Mr. Akeson has led successful efforts to become self-clearing working with FINRA and clearinghouses, including DTCC, FICC, and OCC.

Mr. Akeson has been a member of the DTCC Systemic Risk Task Force and Chairman of the Business Management Interest Group of the CFA Society New York. He currently serves on the Management Committee of the New York Alternative Investment Roundtable, where he hosts a podcast. In addition, he is a member of the Economic Club of New York. Mr. Akeson earned an MBA from New York University and a BA from Washington College. He holds the following licenses/ registrations, SIE, 7, 9, 10, 24, 63, 79, and 99.

Marc Weiss, CIO and Co-Founder of Open Field Capital, boasts more than 30 years of experience within the investment industry. He is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Open Field Capital and has been focused on investing in AI and AI-related opportunities across both the public and private markets for more than eight years. Open Field and its investment group have been investing in what they see as the next generation of hardware and software, as well as companies using AI as a disruptive force in growing their businesses.

Ron Insana is CEO of iFi.AI and a senior analyst and contributor for CNBC, where he covers the most pressing economic and market issues of the day and contributes economic commentary and analysis to MSNBC, as well. For four decades, Insana has been a highly respected business journalist and money manager, who began his career at the Financial News Network in 1984 and joined CNBC when FNN and CNBC merged in 1991. Insana is well-known for his high-profile interviews and moderated conversations, which included Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; government officials from Former Treasury Secretaries Nicholas Brady to Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers, to Federal Reserve Chairs, from Paul Volcker to Alan Greenspan to Ben Bernanke and other leading cabinet officials, billionaires and business luminaries over the last several decades. Insana was named one of the “Top 100 Business News Journalists of the 20th Century” and was nominated for a news and documentary Emmy for his role in NBC’s coverage of 9/11. He has authored four books on Wall Street and is a highly regarded lecturer on domestic and global economics, financial markets and economic policy issues