PE & Venture: Positioning Portfolios for the Next Cycle

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Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit

February 20, 2026 • 12PM – 1PM ET

After years of limited liquidity, private equity and venture capital markets are entering a new phase as exit activity accelerates and investor access expands. As client interest grows, advisors are re-evaluating how private markets fit into portfolios today.

In this session, you will learn:

How venture capital models are shifting as AI enables leaner teams and lower capital needs
What renewed exit activity means for valuations, timing, and portfolio construction
How secondary markets are being used to manage liquidity and exposure
Whether tech-heavy allocations should be balanced with increased exposure to industrials and asset-backed businesses

Lessons/Sessions to be included:

• PE & Venture: Positioning Portfolios for the Next Cycle

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Speakers

Brett Graffy, CAIA

Managing Director,
Aksia

Brett is a Managing Director on the Pan-Alts team in the Americas and has over 14 years of industry experience. Brett works with Aksia’s global institutional clients on private markets portfolio strategy and construction and related investment advisory activities.

Prior to joining Aksia in 2023, Brett was the Associate Director at Marquette Associates, where he was a member of the Research Team, and led coverage of private credit, private equity, growth equity, and venture capital investments for the firm’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Marquette, Brett was a director at a New York City-based financial technology start-up. He previously held roles in the Institutional Groups at Invesco, Deutsche Bank, and Sentinel Investments where he led relationship development for the firm’s largest clients. Prior to embarking on his corporate career, Brett played professional baseball with Chicago White Sox.

Brett graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in History and holds an MBA from Yale School of Management. He holds the CAIA designation.

Phil Bauer, CFA, CAIA

SVP, Portfolio Specialist,
Calamos

As a member of the firm’s portfolio specialist team, Phil focuses on our private market strategies. He is responsible for communicating our investment process and strategy, asset-class perspectives, strategy performance and positioning to clients. In addition, Phil works closely with investors on private markets research, education, and portfolio construction. Phil has more than 13 years of industry experience, including roles at Fort Washington Investment Advisors and Mercer. Prior to joining Calamos in 2024, Phil served as Principal, Private Markets at Mercer where he led coverage of private credit and helped manage the firm’s institutional private markets fund-of-funds offering. Before embarking on his corporate career, Phil played professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds organization. Phil graduated from Xavier University with a BA in Accounting. In addition to being a CFA charterholder, he holds the CAIA designation.