Evolve ETFs: The Innovators Behind Disruption with Raj Lala Evolve ETFs

Episode length: 26 min 49 sec

EPISODE #47 – Innovation, Infrastructure & AI with Amit Monga

In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we explore innovation, infrastructure and artificial intelligence with keynote speaker, Dr. Amit Monga.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening remarks and introductions

2:04 Infrastructure evolving into smart infrastructure

4:25 Adoption of technology from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic

8:47 Sustainability and autonomous vehicles in Canada

15:41 The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI)

20:38 Applications of AI in the finance industry

23:28 Predictions on important technological developments over the next decade

26:05 Closing remarks

GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Amit Monga – Member, Board of Directors, Infrastructure Ontario

Dr. Amit Monga has over 20 years of investment banking, venture capital, and corporate governance experience in the technology, media, telecom, and life sciences sectors. Most recently, he was Managing Director, Technology and Innovation, Global Investment Banking, at one of Canada’s largest bank-owned investment banks.  He is an active angel investor and advisor to venture capital and PE funds, and frequently consults with public and private companies on maximizing shareholder value and adoption of disruptive technologies.

Dr. Monga serves on the boards of Infrastructure Ontario and University of Toronto Press. He has previously served on the Innovation Council at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the boards of both the Canadian Medical Foundation and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta, where his research focused on solving complex reliability-based design problems using genetic algorithms. An expert in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, his research has been published in top peer-reviewed academic journals such as Computers and Industrial Engineering, Advances in Engineering Software, Computers and Operations Research, and International Journal for Quality, Reliability and Safety Engineering.

HOSTED BY: Raj Lala - President & CEO, Evolve ETFs

Episode length: 17 min 53 sec

EPISODE #46 – Empowering Female Investors with Julie Shipley-Strickland

In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we explore female investors from the point of view of a female investment advisor, keynote speaker, Julie Shipley-Strickland.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening remarks and introductions

0:50 About the practice, focusing on female business owners

3:30 Similarities & differences between male & female investors

5:25 Being educated in investments

7:22 How risk tolerance differs between males & females

8:49 Female empowerment and approach towards investing

10:37 Navigating the current market environment

15:06 Investment opportunities in technology

17:17 Closing remarks

GUEST SPEAKER:

Julie Shipley-Strickland - Senior Wealth Advisor, Wellington-Altus Private Wealth

Passionate, forthright and dynamic, Julie Shipley-Strickland builds strong relationships with her valued clients by understanding their goals, supporting their concerns and providing thoughtful and strategic solutions. As a Senior Wealth Advisor with Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, Julie provides independent investment advice, financial planning, insurance solutions and clear guidance to entrepreneurs, executives and their families. As one of the few female investment and insurance advisors in Canada, Julie is paving the way for future females in finance with her strong leadership and dedication to women-led businesses in the community.

HOSTED BY:

Raj Lala - President & CEO, Evolve ETFs

Prior to founding Evolve ETFs, Mr. Lala served as Head of WisdomTree Canada – a division of WisdomTree Investments Inc., one of the world’s largest ETF issuers. Prior to this, Mr. Lala was Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Markets for Fiera Capital Corporation, a prominent Canadian investment management firm with over $100 billion in assets under management. Mr. Lala co-founded and served as President and CEO of Propel Capital Corporation (which was acquired by Fiera Capital Corporation in September 2014). Propel raised approximately $1 Billion in structured products in its five years of operation. Prior to Propel, Mr. Lala worked with Jovian Capital. Mr. Lala held several roles at Jovian including President of JovFunds Inc., an asset management division of Jovian Capital. Mr. Lala holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.

EPISODE #45 – Cryptocurrency Investing with David Abner

In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we explore cryptocurrencies and investment opportunities in crypto with keynote speaker, David Abner.



TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening remarks and introductions

1:36 About Gemini

6:18 ETFs and the beginnings of bitcoin ETFs

10:38 Why invest in bitcoin?

13:19 Bitcoin as a hedge to inflation

17:23 Cryptocurrency adoption

21:40 Regulation, volatility and other obstacles to crypto adoption

26:44 Growth drivers for cryptocurrencies in the coming years

31:16 Closing remarks



GUEST SPEAKER:

David Abner - Global Head of Business Development, Gemini

David Abner is the Global Head of Business Development at Gemini. In this role, David oversees the expansion of Gemini’s institutional business and leads the relationships with major institutional partners and high-net-worth individuals on a global scale. Prior to joining Gemini, David spent the last 20 years focusing on driving the growth of the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) industry. He was instrumental in bringing ETFs from a fringe arbitrage trading tool to an investment product utilized by institutional asset managers, reaching more than 7 trillion in assets under management. His most recent book, The ETF Handbook (Wiley Finance) describes the inner workings of ETFs and how to achieve efficient portfolio implementation and execution. Most recently, David was the CEO of the European Division of WisdomTree Asset Management  and a member of their global executive committee. He joined the firm as a startup and helped it grow to more than $60 billion in assets under management. Prior to that he held Managing Director roles at BNP Paribas and Bear Stearns & Co, Inc.

EPISODE #44 - Investing in Disruptive Innovation with Scott Bullis

In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we explore disruptive technologies and investment opportunities in disruptive innovation with keynote speaker, Scott Bullis.



TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening remarks and introductions

0:55 Dot com era

2:33 Growth and adoption of disruptive technology

3:50 Looking for investment opportunities for investors

6:10 Pandemic accelerating technologies

8:50 Disruption in the finance industry

10:22 Cryptocurrency & payment systems

13:22 Views on the metaverse

15:20 Social concerns on technologies

16:50 Top predictions for the next five years

18:59 Closing remarks



GUEST SPEAKER:

Scott Bullis - Portfolio Manager, IA Private Wealth

Scott Bullis brings a wide range of skills to the team. As well as having an MBA in finance (Ivey - University of Western Ontario), he has an engineering degree (Queen's University) and has held both Professional Engineer and Project Management Professional designations. He has taught a range of business courses at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), York University (Toronto) and Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops) in the areas of Family Business, Small Business Management, Marketing and Strategy. Before becoming an advisor, Scott held senior roles in a silicon valley during the dot com boom, ran a 450 person offshore engineering firm and was a director of Canada's National Quality Institute. Scott is a fully licensed Portfolio Manager. He holds both the CIM (Chartered Investment Manager) and PM (Portfolio Manager) designations.



DISCLAIMER:

Scott Bullis is a Portfolio Manager for iA Private Wealth®. Opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the Portfolio Manager only and do not necessarily reflect those of IA Private Wealth. The information contained in this podcast comes from sources we believe reliable, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy or reliability. The opinions expressed are based on an analysis and interpretation dating from the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. Furthermore, they do not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any of the securities mentioned. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors. The Portfolio Manager can open accounts only in the provinces in which they are registered.

iA Private Wealth is a trademark and business name under which iA Private Wealth Inc. operates. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. Clayline Wealth is a personal trade name of Scott Bullis.

EPISODE #43 - Everything Crypto with Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano

In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we explore the current cryptocurrency landscape and what’s next for bitcoin and ether with Elliot Johnson and keynote speaker, Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano.



TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening remarks

1:53 Key opportunities and challenges in bitcoin

7:25 Nation-state adoption of bitcoin & regulations

18:33 Bitcoin adoption in industries

19:35 US ETFs

22:53 Canadian cryptocurrency ETFs

27:40 Institutional adoption of cryptocurrency

33:26 Financial advisors & investing in cryptocurrency

41:24 Closing remarks



GUEST SPEAKERS:

Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano, Entrepreneur and Technology Investor – The Pomp Podcast

Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano is an entrepreneur and technology investor. Most people simply call him “Pomp.” Pomp currently manages an investment portfolio valued at more than $500 million, including investments in many of the largest companies across the bitcoin and crypto industry. He also hosts the popular podcast “The Pomp Podcast,” which has been downloaded more than 20 million times. He writes a daily letter that is read by more than 150,000 investors each morning. Pomp’s interests lie at the intersection of finance, technology, entrepreneurship, and economics, which he tweets about extensively to his more than 1.1 million followers.

Elliot Johnson, CIO & COO - Evolve ETFs

Elliot is Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operation Officer at Evolve ETFs. Prior to joining Evolve ETFs, Elliot was Senior Vice President, Retail Markets at Fiera Capital Corporation, a prominent Canadian investment management firm. Elliot has been a featured guest on BNN Bloomberg and featured in top publications such as, Toronto Star, Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, Investment Executive, Wealth Professional and Motley Fool. Elliot is also a frequent guest on various industry webinars, ETF panels, wealth and cryptocurrency podcasts, including Jessica Moorhouse and BTC Media.

EPISODE #42 - Midyear ETF Industry Update with Eric Balchunas
In this episode of The Innovators Behind Disruption, we chat with Bloomberg senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas on the ETF market thus far in 2021.

TIMESTAMPS:


0:00 Opening remarks
1:20 This year so far
3:30 How is growth spread between DIY and advisors?
6:50 What are the biggest trends that are being seen now?
12:05 Why ESG investing could be on the up
16:50 Bullish on Clean Energy ETFs
20:05 Overall thoughts on disruptive tech from Eric
22:00 Making sense of retail-driven purchases
30:00 Competing with the big boys of disruptive tech
32:30 Predictions of when crypto ETFs will hit the US market
37:20 Predictions for the first-day volume of Bitcoin ETFs in the US
43:55 Favourite tickers
49:50 Closing remarks

GUEST SPEAKER:

Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst - Bloomberg