Derek M. Oliver, Jr.

Trish Spurlin: Investments Director: Babson College, shares how a VC investor clarifies that decisions should be made case-by-case. They share the importance of playing the long game to give a 10x return, rather than taking chips off the table early. Venture capital is about the long-term vision. #venturecapital #investing #finance #longterm #returns

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I’ve spoken to over 2 dozen MDs at PE firms I can confidently say that the arb of figuring out how to implement Vertical AI at portfolio companies is very real right now It will fundamentally change underwriting for those who can do it predictably and unlock generational returns. Most are aware they need to act. Very few have.

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ASVLP 2026 | EMERGING FUND MANAGERS ROUNDTABLE Navigating the 2026 VC Cycle: Opportunities, Constraints & Competitive Edge for Emerging Fund Managers Raising and deploying capital as an emerging fund manager in 2026 is no longer about momentum. It’s about positioning, credibility, and structural advantage. LP expectations have tightened. Capital formation is slower and more selective. And differentiation is no longer declared — it’s demonstrated. At ASVLP — Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview, this high‑signal roundtable brings together experienced investors, capital allocators, and ecosystem leaders to unpack what it truly takes to compete — and survive — as a new fund manager in the current cycle. This is not a discussion about starting funds. It is a candid examination of how capital is actually being allocated, where emerging managers face real constraints, and what separates those who scale institutional credibility from those who stall. Speakers Emmie van Halder — @/MPower Netherlands Varun Turlapati — Chaanakya Capital Abiola Adediran, MBA, FCA, FIMC, CMC, M.CIoD — GENEA FAMILY OFFICE Emmanuel Adegboye — Madica Mope Abudu — AfriGloCal VC Zachariah George — Launch Africa Ventures Amb. Dr. Dunston P. — Private Office of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Faisal Al‑Qassimi Moderator Maha M. — COREangels MEA The conversation will explore: • What LPs are truly underwriting in emerging managers today • Where structural constraints — not talent — limit fund performance • How new managers can build defensible edge in portfolio construction, signalling, and partnerships • What must change for emerging funds to graduate into durable institutions Who should attend Emerging fund managers, LPs, DFIs, and ecosystem builders focused on shaping Africa & MENA’s next generation of venture capital — with discipline, not hype. ASVLP 2026 Participation is FREE but strictly by invitation. To join: Repost and comment #ASVLP2026 — your registration link will be sent via DM. This Session is Powered by COREangels MEA

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PE - The Future of PE Investing - With so much capital (AUM) in PE, it’s much harder to generate acceptable returns - PE can’t count on underwriting exits at even higher multiples - The future of PE is about differentiated internal / proprietary expertise in growing businesses - Charles Redlick, Warburg Pincus LLC (From Private Equity International 2025) #pe #privateequity #pei

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Company building in energy is shaped by early decisions that compound over time—how capital is structured, how technical risk is absorbed, and how teams prepare for scale well before it arrives.    Much of my work with founders centers on navigating those choices as deep science becomes real businesses. The details differ across power, materials, and industrial systems, but the challenge is consistent: building companies that can operate, adapt, and grow over long horizons.  You can see that work taking shape across the Breakthrough Energy portfolio. https://lnkd.in/eXd72trE

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Houlihan Lokey Chief Executive Scott Adelson tells CEO North America how alternative assets helped lift Houlihan Lokey to the top of Investment Bank league tables. Houlihan Lokey’s financial-restructuring practice is the largest of any investment banking firm in the world. Today, the company's revenue has hit $2.39 billion, and its CEO, Adelson, is guiding the 53-year-old Los Angeles-based institution toward worldwide growth.  “We plan to continue on a path of growing organically through internal promotions and hiring talented individuals that we think are a strong cultural fit and bring a degree of expertise.” According to the London Stock Exchange, Houlihan Lokey advised the most global mergers and acquisition deals in 2024, outpacing rivals including No. 2 Rothschilds, No. 3 Goldman Sachs, No. 4 JP Morgan and No. 5 Morgan Stanley. “As the single largest advisor to the alternative asset class of any investment bank, we really like the position that we have in the world.” Read our exclusive interview here: https://lnkd.in/e-j-v8Qj

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Valuation discipline remains central to how corporate M&A teams assess risk, test assumptions, and validate deal theses. Donna M. Hitscherich, Senior Lecturer of Finance at Columbia Business School, will lead the Institute’s 2026 M&A Valuation Master Class on March 13, examining how valuation judgments are formed and applied in complex corporate transactions. Registration details are available in the comments. #mergersacquisitionsdivestitures #mergersandacquisitions #corporatedevelopment

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