Featured speakers

Eric Balchunas is an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence focused on exchange-traded funds.

Mr. Biegeleisen is a member of the investment committee. He served with Steve Cucchiaro on the investment committees for both Windward and Windhaven Investment Management, Inc. His research effort is focused on discovering and exploring the interconnectedness of the global capital markets through quantitative and qualitative analyses, including utilizing machine learning algorithms. He is experienced in investment modeling, implementing efficient trading practices and has significant ETF industry experience. Prior to joining 3EDGE, Mr. Biegeleisen was the Director of Quantitative Research and Portfolio Manager at Beaumont Capital Management. He was the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of Broadmeadow Capital, LLC an investment firm which he co-founded in 2014. Prior to this, he worked for Windhaven Investment Management as a Senior Investment Analyst and then Director of Research, leading the firm’s quantitative modeling, product due diligence and portfolio structuring. Before joining the investment industry, Mr. Biegeleisen was an engineer for General Dynamics and Textron, working to develop next-generation communications and defense solutions. Mr. Biegeleisen has a BS in electrical engineering from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, an MS in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. He became a CFA® charterholder in 2011 and is an active member of the CFA Society Boston.

As Chief Marketing Officer, David Buzo leads all marketing strategy, branding, and execution efforts for Independent Advisor Alliance. His primary mission has been two-fold: strengthening the IAA brand to support recruiting efforts and partnering with advisors to leverage IAA's services and grow their individual practices. David brings extensive leadership experience from firms including LPL Financial, MetLife, and MassMutual. He earned his B.S. in Marketing from the University of Toledo and his MBA from the University of Arizona.

Kirsten Chang is a Senior Industry Analyst at VettaFi. She previously worked at CNBC for over ten years as a Markets Producer on the New York Stock Exchange. In that role, she collaborated with Bob Pisani on market coverage and helped launch CNBC's "ETF Edge" show, podcast, and newsletter. Before that, she worked on CNBC's "Squawk Box," where she booked and pre-interviewed various financial leaders.

Marguerita (Rita) Cheng helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. As a Certified Financial Planner® professional Rita helps people meet their life goals through the proper management of financial resources. She is passionate about helping them navigate some of life’s most difficult issues—divorce, death, career changes, caring for aging relatives—so they can feel confident and in control of their finances. Rita is a regular columnist for Kiplinger and MarketWatch, and a past spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign. Rita volunteers her time as a SoleMate, or charity runner for Girls on the Run, raising money for scholarships for girls.

John Davi has over 25 years of experience spanning across Macro ETF Strategy, Quantitative Research & Portfolio Construction. Before starting Astoria, he was the head of Morgan Stanley’s Institutional ETF Content and advised many of the world’s largest hedge funds and asset managers on ETF portfolio construction. John published hundreds of reports in his research career across a variety of topics from ETFs, indices, futures, and structured products. John’s research has been recognized and featured in ETF.com, ETFTrends.com, Institutional Investor Magazine and he is a regular contributor to CNBC, Bloomberg, and other media outlets.

Nate is President of NovaDius Wealth Management, an ETF-focused registered investment advisor providing comprehensive wealth management. He also hosts the weekly podcasts “ETF Prime” and “Crypto Prime”, is Co-Founder of The ETF Institute, and offers ETF perspectives at The ETF Educator blog. Nate regularly contributes to major financial media outlets including Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s.

Roxanna Islam, CFA, CAIA, is the Head of Sector and Industry Research at VettaFi and an author at ETF Trends. She has over 12 years of experience in the investment industry with in-depth knowledge of macro trends, transportation, logistics, and electric vehicle industries. In her role at VettaFi, she is responsible for research on the ETF market, focusing on sector, industry, and thematic ETFs. Her commentary has been featured in various publications.

Elisabeth Kashner, CFA, serves as Director of Global Funds Research at FactSet. Elisabeth manages FactSet’s Funds Analytics, providing classifications, ratings, and analytical data. Elisabeth’s though leadership covers industry microstructure and investor behavior. Elisabeth holds a BA from Brown University and a Masters in Financial Analysis from the University of San Francisco. Elisabeth is proud of her work with Women in ETFs, where she currently serves as a board member and as US co-secretary, and previously served as the founding co-head of the Speakers’ Bureau and San Francisco chapter.

Zeno Mercer is the Lead Research Analyst at ROBO Global, which is now part of TMX Group. He leads a team that focuses on high-impact research in innovative equities and emerging technologies. He has over a decade of experience in research, due diligence, growth strategy, and partnership development across enterprise SaaS, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

Jennifer Morgan is a sales, presentation and technology coach, facilitator, author and keynote speaker. She is an award-winning international coach, mentor and partner who assists with up-skilling clients for real time results, over 45,000 to date. CEO & Founder of Connective Communication, LLC with 15 years working internationally in finance based in New York City. Training and coaching extend to 16+ countries. Most recently Jennifer spent 10 years at JPMorgan Asset & Wealth Management as a Sales Coach, and Global Head of Asset Management technology training, partnering to assist revenue generators with closing deals into billions of USD. Previously at Citigroup in the COO office and prior streamlined projects for measurable results at Credit Suisse. Jennifer brings a fresh perspective to every interaction and believes each communication is to be treated as the first connection. Jennifer flexes her styles based on audience need and is embarking on a new chapter into coaching full time with a mission to aid seasoned experts to those newly entering the workforce. She has measured results which incorporate neuroscience and research. She is a Certified Coach in Executive & Leadership from Columbia University, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Coaching Certificate (ACC) and holds a BA from Western Washington University in Communication, Public Relations. She has been fortunate to work with TEDx, coaching speakers to elevate their idea.

Stacey Morris is the Head of Energy Research at VettaFi. She creates timely and relevant research on broader energy and energy infrastructure in support of the Alerian index suite. She has over 12 years of experience in finance and energy. Her commentary has been featured in Bloomberg, Reuters, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal. Stacey graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Stetson University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new recipes, and baking cinnamon rolls.

Cinthia Murphy is an Investment Strategist at VettaFi. She was previously Head of Research at the ETF Think Tank, which is the content engine of the Tidal Financial Group. Cinthia also spent over 12 years at ETF.com as a journalist and editor, helping to lead the editorial and digital experience teams. She has also covered commodities futures markets from the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Brazilian equities market from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Kevin serves as Global Fixed Income CIO and the Co-Head of the Investment Committee.In addition, Kevin serves on the firm’s Leadership Team, helping to set corporate strategy direction. Kevin's career has spanned more than 30 years and during that time he has served in various capacities in trading, portfolio management, and risk management. He joined RiverFront in 2010 and has served in several positions that included senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager, Chief Risk Officer, COO of the RiverShares Division, and Chief Market Strategist prior to his current role. He is also a regular guest on financial news channels (CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance) and is frequently quoted in the financial press. Kevin earned a BA in Business and Economics from Randolph-Macon College, an MBA and a Master's in Decision Analytics from Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst® designation in 2014.

Hester M. Peirce was appointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised Ranking Member Richard Shelby and other members of the Committee on securities issues. Commissioner Peirce served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for Judge Roger Andewelt on the Court of Federal Claims. Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.

For 28 years, Bob Pisani reported live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as CNBC’s Senior Markets Correspondent. His book, Shut Up and Keep Talking: Lessons on Life and Investing From the Floor of the New York Stock Exchange, reflects on how markets have changed, what really moves stock prices, and why forecasting is so hard, even for experts. Bob has started a new chapter to share the lessons he has learned.

As Chief Growth Officer, Dale Riley leads Independent Advisor Alliance's strategic expansion, driving both organic and inorganic growth. He draws on extensive industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial, MetLife, and AXA Advisors, to execute the firm's nationwide strategy. Dale specializes in advisor recruitment, deepening partner firm relationships, and executing successful mergers and acquisitions. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and earned his B.S. in Business Entrepreneurship from Elon University.

Cullen Roche is the founder of Discipline Funds, a financial planning–driven ETF firm focused on aligning investment portfolios with real-world time horizons rather than market predictions. He is the author of Understanding the Modern Monetary System, Pragmatic Capitalism and Your Perfect Portfolio. For more than two decades, his research and writing have helped shape the discussion around macroeconomics and portfolio construction, making him a leading voice in practical, evidence-based investing.

Todd Rosenbluth is the Head of Research at VettaFi. He oversees the firm's research into ETFs, product trends, and advisor behavior. He was previously the head of ETF & Mutual Fund Research at CFRA. Todd is frequently quoted in the financial press at outlets like Barron's, the Financial Times, Investment News, and the Wall Street Journal, and has spoken at various ETF conferences.