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Chicago · June 23, 2026 Attucks · Est. 2001
&
The Attucks eMergeAlpha Conference 2026

The speakers.

The allocators, consultants, economists, and emerging managers shaping a single collaborative day in Chicago.

Welcome & keynote

Opening the day.

10:50 AM welcome · 11:50 AM luncheon keynote
WelcomeLes Bond

Les Bond

Chief Executive Officer, Attucks Asset Management

Co-Founder of Attucks Asset Management, the Chicago-based manager-of-emerging-managers firm founded in 2001. Opens the conference by framing the day's narrative and the firm's twenty-five-year track record of allocating to emerging managers on behalf of institutional clients.

WelcomeMelissa Conyears-Ervin

Melissa Conyears-Ervin

Chicago City Treasurer

As Treasurer, oversees the City of Chicago's investment portfolio and banking relationships. Offers opening remarks on the role of public capital and the place of emerging managers in a modern, well-governed allocation program.

KeynoteDr. Davis Schneiderman

Dr. Davis Schneiderman

President, Ringling College of Art & Design

President of Ringling College of Art and Design, following more than two decades at Lake Forest College, where he served five years as Provost and Dean of the Faculty. Most recently the founding Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities, connecting creative practice, technology, and public engagement, and the leader of three major Mellon Foundation grants. His keynote frames AI as a challenge, a cycle of hype, and a structural opportunity.

Panel I · 1:00 PM

Private markets & the next frontier.

Where emerging managers are building capacity
PanelistNadia Oumata

Nadia Oumata

Investment Officer, Municipal Employees' Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago

Investment Officer at the Municipal Employees' Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago, where she oversees a $5+ billion portfolio and leads manager oversight, strategic asset allocation, and risk across public and private markets. Fifteen years of investment experience, with prior roles at the Laborers' & Retirement Board Employees' Fund, the Illinois State Board of Investment, and Aiperion. A licensed CPA in Illinois.

PanelistRashaun Williams

Rashaun Williams

Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Harbinger Sports Partners · Guest Shark, ABC's Shark Tank

Co-founder of Harbinger Sports Partners, a fund investing in US professional sports teams launched alongside Mark Cuban and Steve Cannon. With more than 170 investments and 50-plus exits, he was an early backer of Robinhood, Coinbase, Lyft, and Dropbox through Queensbridge Venture Partners, and was named Black Enterprise's Investor of the Year. A CNBC contributor, minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and graduate of Morehouse College.

PanelistArlene Shaw

Arlene Shaw

Managing Director, Brightwood Capital Advisors

Managing Director and Treasurer at Brightwood Capital Advisors, where she structures and executes collateralized loan obligations, lines of credit, and other financing. She joined Brightwood in 2016 from Schulte Roth & Zabel, where she focused on middle-market credit facilities and acquisition financing. She holds a BA, summa cum laude, from SUNY Albany and a JD, cum laude, from Tulane Law School.

PanelistZeb McLaurin

Zeb McLaurin

CEO & Founder, McLaurin Development Partners

Founder of a real-assets and development-focused firm building institutional-quality strategies from the ground up. Speaks to the operational realities of standing up a differentiated platform as an emerging manager.

ModeratorKaren Mair

Karen Mair

Managing Director, Attucks Asset Management

Head of Fixed Income, including Private Credit, responsible for the assessment of investment management firms and portfolio construction for Attucks. Moderating a practical conversation on where the opportunity set is widening for nimble, specialist managers in private markets.

Panel II · 1:55 PM

The macro landscape & this moment.

Why structure favors emerging managers now
PanelistClaudia Sahm

Claudia Sahm

Chief Economist, New Century Advisors

A widely cited expert on monetary and fiscal policy with years advising decision-makers at the Federal Reserve, White House, and Congress. She developed the Sahm rule, a closely followed recession indicator. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree from Denison University.

PanelistSarah Scranton

Sarah Scranton

Principal & Portfolio Manager, Longfellow Investment Management

A CFA charterholder with over thirty years of industry experience, Sarah manages short, intermediate, and broad-market strategies at Longfellow, which she joined in 2017. She previously spent seventeen years as a founding principal and senior portfolio manager at Freedom Capital Management. She earned a BBA from the University of Michigan.

PanelistRonald Holt

Ronald Holt

Portfolio Manager, Channing Global Advisors

Portfolio manager of Channing Global's International Developed, ACWI ex USA, and Global Equity strategies, with more than twenty-five years in the industry. He founded PREMIS Capital Partners and previously served as portfolio manager and Director of Research at Hansberger Global Investors. He holds an MBA from NYU and a BA in economics from Columbia, and is a CFA charterholder.

ModeratorVennie Lyons

Vennie Lyons

Managing Director & CTO, Attucks Asset Management

Head of Global Equity, responsible for investment manager research, portfolio construction, and proprietary platform development. He will moderate on how the global macro environment, equity market concentration, and geopolitical risk are shaping opportunities and challenges for active and emerging managers.

Panel III · 2:55 PM

Inside the allocation decision.

What gets an emerging manager selected
PanelistSamantha Grant

Samantha Grant

Senior Principal, Cerity Partners

A CFA and CAIA charterholder and Senior Principal in Cerity Partners' Chicago office, advising institutional plan sponsors on strategic asset allocation, manager structure, and selection, and serving on the firm's institutional investment committee. She joined through Cerity's 2026 merger with Verus, with prior roles at Marquette Associates, Mesirow Financial, and Northern Trust. She holds a BS and MBA from Florida A&M University.

PanelistDeAnna Jones

DeAnna Jones

Senior Consultant, NEPC

A senior consultant at NEPC with over twenty years in the industry, advising public fund and endowment and foundation clients on asset allocation, portfolio construction, and implementation. She co-chairs the firm's Emerging & Diverse Manager Committee. She previously led community investments at BMO Harris and began her career at the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund. She earned a BS in economics from Northern Illinois University.

PanelistJamie Wesner

Jamie Wesner

Partner, Marquette Associates

A partner and owner of Marquette Associates with twenty-six years of investment experience, serving as primary consultant on several client relationships and a member of the firm's OCIO and DEI committees. He previously worked in debt capital markets at Banc of America Securities, Nuveen, and PwC. He holds a BBA from Notre Dame and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School, and is a CFA charterholder.

ModeratorRosa Perez

Rosa Perez

Managing Investment Officer II, IMRF

Leads diversity program initiatives and Total Portfolio work at the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Named to Pensions & Investments' 2025 Influential Women in Institutional Investing. Rosa will moderate a candid discussion on what it takes for emerging managers to move from consideration to allocation, the common disqualifiers, and how managers should engage consultants versus plan sponsors directly.

The full agenda, times, and sessions live on the conference page.

View the agenda →
Presented by Attucks Asset Management