Private Market Talks: Conversations and insights on the private markets with private capital’s leading figures.

In this episode of Private Market Talks, CEO and co-founder of Novata, Alex Friedman helps contextualize the evolving conversation around ESG and demystifies how companies and their investors assess ESG compliance and goals.

During our conversation, Alex talks about how Novata is working to develop objective data so that companies and their investors can set ESG goals, track progress and unearth how they’ve fared – all relative to their peers. He discusses how Novata’s proprietary database aims to allow CEOs and investors to begin to set ESG benchmarks, which help public and private companies identify ESG risk factors and develop mitigation strategies.  

Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO of Imagine Learning, has been an executive, an owner, a founder, and a growth investor. In episode seven of Private Market Talks, Jonathan takes us through his history as CEO and Chairman of Kaplan; founder of Weld North; partnerships with KKR, Silverlake and Onex; and management and investment in Imagine Learning, which today is the largest provider of K-12 digital curriculum to U.S. school systems.

Jonathan also shares his thoughts about assessing talent, and what it takes to be a successful operator and investor, including why the things that go wrong are just as important as those that go right. 

In this episode, Jason Shuman, General Partner at Primary VC, gives us a window into his world of early-stage venture capital investing and discusses the multitude of stars that must align to lead to success. Jason shares his perspective on the venture investment landscape, what he looks for in founders when making a “go/no go” investment decision, the importance of the founder-investor relationship, and where he sees opportunities, challenges, and strategies for early-stage venture investing. He also takes us into the room and describes how one venture fund dealt with the days leading up to and immediately following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.

As capital allocators look out at the global and domestic landscape, escalating geopolitical risks cannot be ignored. Change is happening rapidly and capital allocators are looking for new ways to understand and assess these risks. This is why we are thrilled to welcome Tina Fordham, Founder of Fordham Global Foresight, to Private Market Talks.

As private credit lenders move up market, Mike Ewald, partner at Bain Capital Credit, joins the Private Market Talks podcast to discuss how big the market might get, when – and if – the syndicated market comes back, and what competition between banks and direct lenders might look like in the future. In the wide-ranging discussion, Mike also shares his thoughts on the shrinking denominator effect, rising interest rates and what he sees in the private equity industry as a credit investor.

On Episode 3 of Private Market Talks, Carlyle’s Justin Plouffe, managing director and deputy chief investment officer for Global Credit, talks about opportunities for credit investors in the current environment and what he’s keeping his eyes on in the coming months. From what’s powering growth in the market to how he assesses deals, Justin’s unique perspective is a must-listen for investors, borrowers and others across the private capital landscape.

In this installment of Private Market Talks, Brent Humphries, President and Founding Member of AB Private Credit Investors, speaks with us from his home in Austin, Texas. Over the course of the episode, Brent shares his thoughts on the connection between driving Alpha and platform design, the resiliency of software/SaaS companies in the middle market and much, much more.