Absolute Return Podcast

#257 - Crypto Treasury Companies with Upexi’s CSO Brian Rudick and Meteora’s CIO Vik Mittal

On today’s show we welcome special guests, Upexi’s Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Rudick and Meteora Capital’s Chief Investment Officer, Vik Mittal. Brian and Vik have been involved in the creation of crypto treasury companies and are experts in the space. Upexi is a Solana Treasury Company. On the show, we discuss:

• What is a crypto treasury company and how do they create value long term?
• Why should investors buy a crypto treasury company instead of buying the crypto themselves or through an ETF?
• How are SPACs and RTOs involved in this dynamic?
• How has the regulatory environment changed in the U.S. around digital assets?
• And more!

#255 - Trends in Private Credit with Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's President Michael Occi

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's President Michael Occi. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) seeks to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns by investing primarily in directly originated senior secured loans issued by U.S. middle market companies. On the show, we discuss:

• Why investors should consider an allocation to private credit
• What explains the significant market share growth of private credit in financing buyouts
• MSDL’s defensive approach to lending, with a focus on first lien loans
• His thoughts on the current market environment for private credit loans
• And more

#253 - The Nuclear Revolution with Mirion Technologies CEO Tom Logan

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Mirion Technologies CEO Tom Logan. Mirion designs, manufactures, and provides radiation detection, measurement, analysis and monitoring products to the nuclear power and medical markets. On the show, we discuss:

• The path from private equity ownership to the public markets
• The macro bull case for the nuclear industry
• Mirion’s approach to mergers and acquisitions
• His learnings as a long-tenured CEO
• And more

#252 - State of the Markets: Navigating Q4 and Beyond

On today’s show, listen to Julian and Mike have a live discussion on the State of the Markets: Navigating Q4 and Beyond.

On the show, we discuss:

• The opportunities within global equities, including the sector we are most bullish on
• Why investors should stay away from fixed income and which investments allocators should use for yield
• The outlook for mergers and acquisitions along with a potential positive catalyst
• Why gold is a must own asset and may outperform bitcoin
• And more

A point of disclosure, Accelerate funds may have long or short positions in the securities discussed in this episode.

#250 - Navigating the Real Estate Market with Whitestone REIT CEO Dave Holeman

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Whitestone REIT CEO Dave Holeman. Whitestone REIT is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that primarily owns, operates, and redevelops retail community-centered properties in Texas and Arizona. On the show we discuss:

• The thesis behind Whitestone’s focus on community and neighborhood centers
• The challenges and opportunities in real estate due to the dramatic increase in interest rates
• Keys to success in the real estate industry
• Which segment of the real estate market he is most bullish on
• And more

#249 - SPAC Market Update with Meteora Capital Founder and CIO Vik Mittal

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Meteora Capital Founder and CIO Vik Mittal, his second time on the podcast. Meteora Capital is an investment firm specializing in SPAC-related instruments in both public and private companies.

On the show, we discuss:

• What has happened in the SPAC market over the past 24 months
• Meteora’s approach to investing in the SPAC market
• A look into Canna-Global Acquisition (CNGL)
• What he thinks is next for the SPAC market
• And more

Absolute Return Podcast #247: Racehorse Investing and Wagering with EQB Founder Jeffrey Seder

On today’s podcast we welcome special guest Jeffrey Seder, founder of EQB, a company that provides thoroughbred racehorse buying, selling, breeding, and racing management services. On the show, we discuss:

• What got him into the business of thoroughbred racehorse buying, selling, and breeding
• The basics of horse racing betting
• A look into the advanced analytics used by professional horse racing bettors
• The ideal outcome for an investment into a racehorse
• And more

#245 - Institutional Real Estate Investing with Hodes Weill Founder Doug Weill

December 17, 2023 - On today’s episode we welcome special guest, Hodes Weill Managing Partner and Co-founder, Doug Weill. Hodes Weill is a leading, global capital advisory firm focused on the real estate and real assets investment and funds management industry. On the show, we discuss:

• How real estate plays a role in investment portfolios
• Which segments of the real estate market are most favourable, and which investors should avoid
• The biggest risk facing real estate investors currently
• His real estate “top pick”
• And more!

#244 - The Future of Generative AI with Zapata AI Co-Founder and CEO Christopher Savoie

October 24, 2023 - On today’s show we welcome special guest, Zapata AI Co-Founder and CEO Christopher Savoie. Zapata AI is an industrial generative AI software company developing solutions and applications to solve enterprises’ hardest problems.On the show we discuss:

• How Christopher went from getting his PhD in a medical field to founding several tech startups
• A deep dive into what artificial intelligence is and what it can accomplish
• Some use cases for industrial generative AI
• How the company offers faster, cheaper, and more accurate generative AI
• And more

 

#243 - Bitcoin’s Future with Bitcoin Depot CEO Brandon Mintz

August 14, 2023 -  On today’s show we welcome special guest, Bitcoin Depot CEO Brandon Mintz. Bitcoin Depot operates the largest bitcoin ATM network in the world. On the show, we discuss:

• Brandon’s “bitcoin moment” and what initially got him interested in the cryptocurrency
• His entrepreneurial journey and where he got the idea to start the company
• Why their customers use ATMs instead of online exchanges to buy bitcoin
• Bitcoin Depot’s growth initiatives, including their approach to M&A
• What he believes is in store for the future of bitcoin