Walter Kortschak is a veteran venture capitalist and former managing director of Summit Partners, where he helped establish the firm’s West Coast presence and backed a long list of technology winners over more than two decades. After joining Summit in 1989, he built a reputation for high-conviction growth investing, with standout bets in companies such as McAfee, Finisar, and Xylan. He later helped launch SignalFire and now invests privately in early-stage technology, extending a career that has made him one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring investors.

Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital and global head of its real assets platform, helped build one of the most important institutional franchises in private real estate and infrastructure income strategies. As founder of Oak Street, the predecessor to Blue Owl’s real assets business, Zahr developed a reputation for pairing durable cash-flow assets with long-term capital, then scaled that strategy inside Blue Owl into a major platform spanning net lease real estate and digital infrastructure. Known for disciplined underwriting and institutional execution, he has become a central figure in the rise of asset-backed alternatives.

Doug Ostrover, cofounder, co-CEO, and chairman of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the most influential private credit platforms of the modern era by scaling Owl Rock into a global alternative asset manager. A former senior executive at Blackstone and cofounder of GSO Capital Partners, Ostrover launched Owl Rock in 2016 with a focus on direct lending and institutional-scale private credit, then helped transform it into Blue Owl through a landmark merger. Known for disciplined underwriting, permanent-capital strategy, and deep institutional relationships, he has become a central figure in the rise of private credit as a core asset class.

Marc Lipschultz, co-chief executive officer of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the most influential private credit firms of the modern era by scaling Owl Rock into a global alternative asset manager. A former senior dealmaker at KKR, Lipschultz co-founded Owl Rock in 2016, then helped merge it into what became Blue Owl, a publicly traded firm spanning credit, GP stakes, and real assets. Known for disciplined underwriting, institutional relationships, and a sharp focus on permanent capital, he has played a central role in Blue Owl’s rise as a major force in private markets.

Steven Klinsky is the founder and CEO of New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm that manages over $50 billion in assets and focuses on high-growth, non-cyclical businesses. Before founding his firm in 1999, he was a pioneer in the industry at Goldman Sachs and a general partner at Forstmann Little, where he helped develop the strategy of business-building over financial engineering. Klinsky is also a major figure in education reform, having established the Modern States Education Alliance, which provides free college-level courses and credit to hundreds of thousands of students globally.

Michael Patterson, cofounder and senior managing director of HPS Investment Partners, helped build one of the world’s leading private credit and alternative investment platforms serving institutional investors globally. With a background in leveraged finance and capital markets, Patterson played a central role in shaping HPS’s strategy across direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic investments. Known for disciplined underwriting and long-term capital partnerships, he has helped scale the firm into a major force in modern private credit and asset-based financing.

Scot French, cofounder and managing partner of HPS Investment Partners, helped build one of the world’s leading private credit platforms by applying rigorous underwriting and institutional-scale risk management. A former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, French co-launched HPS and played a central role in expanding the firm across direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic strategies for global institutional clients. Known for disciplined execution and deep capital markets expertise, he has been instrumental in establishing private credit as a core alternative asset class.

Scott Kapnick, CEO of HPS Investment Partners, is a veteran credit investor who helped build one of the world’s leading alternative asset managers focused on direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic financing. A former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, Kapnick co-founded HPS and guided its expansion into a global platform managing tens of billions for institutional investors. Known for disciplined underwriting and deep capital markets expertise, he has played a central role in shaping modern private credit as a core asset class.

Ramzi Musallam, CEO of Veritas Capital, built one of the most powerful private equity platforms focused on mission-critical software, defense, healthcare, and government services. Since taking the helm in 2012, Musallam has scaled Veritas through a disciplined strategy of acquiring complex, data-rich businesses with long-term contracts and high barriers to entry, then driving transformation through operational modernization and technology upgrades. Known for high-conviction dealmaking and deep sector specialization, he has positioned Veritas as a leading buyer of strategic assets at the intersection of technology and national infrastructure.

Lawrence Golub, founder and CEO of Golub Capital, built one of the largest private credit firms in the United States, specializing in direct lending to middle-market companies and providing financing for private equity buyouts. Since launching the firm in 1994, he has overseen the growth of a multibillion-dollar platform known for consistent performance, deep sponsor relationships, and disciplined risk management. Golub Capital has become a key player in leveraged finance, rivaling major banks in unitranche and senior loan markets. Beyond business, Golub is active in philanthropy, public policy, and education, serving on nonprofit boards and donating to health and academic institutions.

Holden Spaht, managing partner at Thoma Bravo, is a leading figure in private equity with a focus on software and technology investments. Since joining the firm in 2005, he has played a key role in building Thoma Bravo into one of the world’s largest and most successful software-focused buyout firms, managing over $130 billion in assets. Spaht has overseen major deals across enterprise software, cybersecurity, and fintech, earning a reputation for his disciplined investment approach and ability to scale technology businesses.

Hartley Rogers, chairman of Hamilton Lane, has guided the investment management firm into a global leader in private markets solutions. With decades of experience in private equity and alternative investments, he helped scale Hamilton Lane’s platform to manage and advise on hundreds of billions in assets for institutional clients worldwide. Known for his strategic leadership and deep industry expertise, Rogers has positioned the firm at the forefront of private markets investing, while also serving on boards and engaging in philanthropic initiatives.

David Lichtenstein is a self-made real estate billionaire who founded The Lightstone Group in 1988. He began with a single multifamily unit and grew his firm into a diversified empire—owning 25,000 apartments and over 15 million sq ft of retail, industrial, hotel & life-sciences properties across 25+ states, with more than $9 billion in managed assets. He led major deals such as acquiring Prime Retail malls ($638 M) and Extended Stay Hotels ($8.1 B) and is active in civic service and board leadership across New York institutions.