2024 SPRING
Surveying the Global Investment Landscape: Unearthing Opportunities, Avoiding Landmines

April 26, 2024
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

2023 SPRING
Navigating the Energy Transition: How to Invest in Energy Today, Tomorrow, and in the Future

Friday, May 19, 2023
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

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2023 FALL
AI Unleashed: Transforming Economies Globally Navigating the Future of Investments in Artificial Intelligence

Friday, November 17, 2023
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

2022 SPRING
Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and Digital Assets: Navigating Asset Allocation in the Cyberspace

Friday, May 20, 2022
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

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2022 FALL
The Fed, Rates, and Inflation, Please, Can we be Finished Yet?

Friday, November 18, 2022
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

2021 FALL
A Hot Economy, the Fed and Markets’ Response: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Inflation

Friday, November 3, 2021
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

2020 FALL
Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and the Fed’s Great Intervention: Implications for the Economy and Asset Allocation

Friday, December 4, 2020
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

2019 SPRING
Ten Years Since the 2009 Investment Bottom, What Asset Classes Have Worked and What Asset Classes Have Lagged: Where Are we in the Investment Cycle Now?

Friday, May 10, 2019
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

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2019 FALL
What Outcomes Could Come from a Slowing Economy, Excess Capital, and Negative Yields Around the World?

Friday, December 6, 2019
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

2018 SPRING
Tactical Asset Allocation in Changing Environment

Friday, May 11, 2018
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

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2018 FALL
Everything You Need to know About Illiquidity Premiums, But You Haven’t Asked!

Friday, November 16, 2018
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the program PDF

2017 SPRING
Impact Investing: Can we, should we, and how?
A Conversation Between Programs and Investments

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of how to approach a different conversation between programs and investments.

8:30am – 12:00pm

L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

View the PDF program

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2017 FALL
Active vs. Passive Investing: Opportunities, Risk and Trends

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of the active and passive forms of investing. We proudly introduce speakers Timothy R. Bruce, katie Nixon, and Gregory M. Dowling.

8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L.V. Eberhard Center
301 Fulton Street W
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

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2016 SPRING
Man vs. Machine: How Behavioral Finance Impacts Tactical Investment Decisions

The West Michigan Foundation Endowments & Family Offices Spring seminar will address the differences between “quant” strategies managed by computers and discretionary strategies managed by humans, and how much overall market is driven by quant/model strategies.

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of Man vs. Machine.

May 04, 2016
8:30am – 12:00pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

View the program PDF

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2016 FALL
Asset Allocation and Spending Policies: Managing Expectations in a Stormy Environment

Like an old brick Victorian house in the eye of the storm, the Central Bank maintains a safe, low impact strategy while politics and markets create mayhem around it. To achieve the expected returns, foundations, endowments and family offices are sometimes taking divergent approaches. What is the best policy—stay the course, modify asset allocations, change spending policies or keep looking for a better approach.

Friday, December 2nd, 2016
8:30am – 12:00pm

L.V. Eberhard Center
Grand Valley State University
301 Fulton Street West
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

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2015 SPRING
International Equity Allocation: Overcoming Home Country Bias

Recently, some U. S. investors have started to focus on international and emerging markets because of the growing global economy and potentially higher investment returns. According to the IMF’s April 2014 “World Economic Outlook” analysis, the emerging market’s share of global GDP hit 50.4% in 2013 laying the foundation for greater international growth for years to come. However, for many U.S. investors, the thought of investing outside of their country is outside of their comfort zone.

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of
international investing. A panel of international investment experts will discuss the opportunities
and challenges, asset allocation models, international investment anchors, volatility, currency, due
diligence, and risk mitigation followed by a question and answer period.

May 8, 2015
8 am – 12pm

Grand Valley State University
L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave SW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

View the program PDF

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2015 FALL
Finding Alpha in Low Growth Environment Using Non Directional “absolute” return Strategies

We are proud to host the following speakers including Neal A. Graziano, Director of Investments for W.K Kellogg Foundation. As well as Michael R. Haessler, Manager of Investments at the University of Michigan, and Mary McLean, Chief Investment Officer of Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Lastly, Philip Zeacher, Ph.D, Senior Advisor to the President of investments at Michigan State University.

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of finding alpha in low growth environments.

November, 20th 2015
8:30 am – 12pm

Grand Valley State University
L.V. Eberhard Center
301 Fulton Street W.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

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Changing Federal Reserve Bank Policy and it’s Impact on Asset Allocations

We are proud to present the following speakers at this event. Dennis A. Johnson, CFA-Chief Investment Officer of Comerica Bank, Thomas Smitt-Jeppesen, CFA, Managing Director, of Cabridge Associates LLC, Dorothy C. Weaver, Principal, CEO, Chairman & Co-Founder of Collins Capital Investments, LLC, and lastly Michael Wilson Chief Investment Officer Of Morgan Stanley & Co.

Please join West Michigan FEFO (“Foundation, Endowment & Family Offices”) for an overview of the changes in the federal reserve bank policy, and the impact it has on today’s asset allocation.

Friday, November 21, 2014
8 am – 12pm

Grand Valley State University
L.V. Eberhard Center
301 Fulton Street W.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

View the program PDF