Exclusive Access to the Top Allocators and Investment Executives in the Industry.

Name: Dakota Way Sales Conference 2026
Start: 2026-05-18T11:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-05-18T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Pier 60, Chelsea Piers

DateMonday, May 18th, 2026

FormatOne-Day Conference

VenuePier 60, Chelsea Piers, New York City

Speakers14 Confirmed Allocators

Join sales leaders, industry experts, and fundraising professionals for a day of direct access to the allocators you are trying to reach. Hear what they are allocating to in 2026, what earns their attention, and what sets the best salespeople apart.

May
18

Conference Date

14+

Confirmed Speakers

$795

GENERAL Registration

$995

Late Registration

Pier 60 Chelsea Piers, New York City

General Access — Expires April 17

$795

Late Access — Expires May 17

$995

About the Conference

One Day. Direct Access. The Allocators You Need to Reach.

The Dakota Way Allocator Conference is built around a single idea: give investment sales professionals direct, structured access to the allocators they are trying to reach. Not panels of consultants discussing trends. Not keynotes from vendors.

Actual allocators, the CIOs, investment directors, and senior decision-makers at RIAs, family offices, foundations, banks, and consulting firms, speaking candidly about what they are allocating to, how they evaluate managers, and what genuinely differentiates the salespeople they choose to work with.

The day is organized around two Allocator Interview Series sessions, and a full networking reception with views of the Hudson from Pier 60. Small enough to make real connections. Curated enough to make every session worth your time.

This conference brings together sales leaders, industry experts, and fundraising professionals to hear leading allocators share their insights on what asset classes they are allocating to in 2026, and what separates the salespeople who earn their trust from those who don't.

Gui Costin — CEO & Founder, Dakota

Why Attend

→Hear directly from RIAs, family offices, foundations, banks, and consultants about their 2026 allocation priorities, information you normally spend months of meetings trying to piece together

→Learn what allocators say captures their attention, and what turns them off, in a format that is candid and unscripted

→Understand what the top sales leaders in the investment industry look for in high-performing fundraising professionals

→Build relationships with fellow sales professionals working in the same channels, a network that pays dividends long after the conference

→Spend the closing reception at Pier 60 with some of the most active allocators and distribution professionals in the business, in one of New York's most iconic event spaces

→Leave with a clearer, more informed picture of what it takes to raise capital in the current environment, from the people who actually write the checks

Preliminary Agenda

A Full Day Built Around Direct Access and Real Conversations.

Schedule is subject to change. All sessions take place at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, New York City.

11:00 AM
12:00 PM

Arrival

Registration & Networking Lunch

Settle in, grab lunch, and begin connecting with fellow investment sales professionals before the sessions begin. One of the most valuable hours of the day, use it.

12:00 PM
12:30 PM

Opening

Opening Remarks — Gui Costin, CEO, Dakota

Gui shares his perspective on what it means to be a sales leader in today's fundraising landscape, and how embracing leadership and continuous development drives long-term success in investment sales.

12:30 PM
1:30 PM

Allocator Access

Allocator Interview Series — Session One

Direct interviews with allocators from RIAs, family offices, foundations, banks, and consultants. They will share what captures their attention, what turns them off, and what genuinely sets the best salespeople apart, in their own words, without a script.

1:30 PM
2:00 PM

Break

Networking & Coffee Break

A structured opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and the Dakota team in a relaxed setting. Continue the conversations that started in the first session.

2:00 PM
3:15 PM

Leadership

Distribution Leadership Interviews

Conversations with top sales leaders from across the investment industry, how they build, manage, and inspire high-performing fundraising teams. Topics include leadership philosophy, the evolving role of technology and data in distribution, and the traits that separate consistently great fundraisers from the rest.

3:15 PM
4:00 PM

Break

Networking & Coffee Break

Second structured networking opportunity. Compare notes on what you heard in the morning sessions. Build relationships with the allocators and distribution leaders who will be in the room.

4:00 PM
5:00 PM

Allocator Access

Allocator Interview Series — Session Two

A second round of direct allocator interviews, different voices, different firms, different perspectives. The afternoon session digs deeper into the 2026 allocation outlook and the evolving relationship between allocators and the sales professionals they choose to partner with.

5:00 PM
7:00 PM

Reception

Dakota Cocktails — Pier 60 Closing Reception

Wrap up the day with drinks, conversation, and views of the Hudson River from one of New York's most iconic event spaces. Continue the day's conversations in a relaxed setting, and build the relationships that matter most.

Confirmed Speakers

14 Allocators & Distribution Leaders. One Room. One Day.

Every speaker is an active practitioner, CIOs, investment directors, senior allocators, and distribution leaders from across the RIA, family office, foundation, consultant, and institutional channel.

Jon Henshue

Johnson Financial Group

VP Director, Alternatives Strategy

Angela Williams

CIBC Private Wealth

Senior Vice President

Jen DeSisto

CW Advisors

Chief Investment Officer

Jack Mahoney

Simon Quick

Managing Director & Client Advisor

Pier Friend

Focus Partners Wealth

Co-Head of Investment Research

Margaret Belmondo

NEPC

Partner & Public Fund Team Leader

Andrew Krei

Crescent Grove Advisors

Co-Chief Investment Officer

Carolyn Patton

TIFF

MD, Head of Private Market Client Solutions

Jim Dunn

Verger

Chief Executive Officer

Chris Winiarz

Stable Asset Management

Chief Investment Officer

Rob Noe

Wilshire Associates

Managing Director

Greg Stumm

American Beacon

President & CEO

Paul Cavazos

American Beacon

CIO & Senior Vice President

Michael Fredericks

Riskbridge Advisors

Head of Multi-Asset, Senior PM

The Venue

Pier 60, Chelsea Piers — New York City

Pier 60, Chelsea Piers

One of New York City's most iconic waterfront event venues, with panoramic views of the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline. An environment that matches the caliber of the conversations happening inside it.

Location & Access

Chelsea Piers, West 23rd Street, New York City. Accessible from all major Manhattan transit hubs. Nearby hotels include The High Line Hotel, 1 Hotel Manhattan, and The Standard.

Evening Reception

The Dakota Cocktails closing reception runs from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on the pier, a two-hour opportunity to continue conversations with allocators and fellow attendees in one of the most memorable settings in New York.

Save Your Seat Before April 17th.

General registration is $795 per attendee and expires on April 17, 2026. After that date, late registration pricing of $995 applies through May 17th. Both tiers include full conference access, all sessions, networking receptions, meals, and the Dakota Cocktails evening reception.

Early Bird — General Access

$795

Rate expires April 17, 2026

✓Full access to all sessions and speakers

✓Networking receptions and meals

✓Dakota Cocktails evening reception

✓Conference materials

Late Access

$995

Rate expires May 17, 2026

✓Full access to all sessions and speakers

✓Networking receptions and meals

✓Dakota Cocktails evening reception

✓Conference materials

Exclusive Access to the Top Allocators and Investment Executives in the Industry.

One Day. Direct Access. The Allocators You Need to Reach.

A Full Day Built Around Direct Access and Real Conversations.

14 Allocators & Distribution Leaders. One Room. One Day.

Pier 60, Chelsea Piers — New York City

Save Your Seat Before April 17th.

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