CAIS Live Conversations

Building With Alts

Welcome to CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alternatives, the podcast that dives into individual journeys and big ideas shaping wealth management with alternatives. Listen to RIA leaders and asset management executives share unique stories about how they are working to increase access to alternative investments—powered by leading-edge technology.

“The Agentic Era: Our World’s Next Chapter with Robert Smith and Jason Graefe"

Latest Episode | January 21, 2026

In this special edition of CAIS Live Conversations, live from CAIS Summit 2025, Robert F. Smith of Vista Equity Partners and Jason Graefe of Microsoft speak with CNBC’s Scott Wapner about the rise of agentic AI. They explain how the shift from generative to agentic systems may reshape enterprise software, data strategy, and economic value capture. The conversation explores implications for productivity, software development, and the future of work, along with how businesses can adapt through speed, workflow ownership, and reskilling. Advisors can gain insight into how AI may transform operating models across industries.

About the Podcast and Subscribe

CAIS Live Conversations: Building With Alts addresses ways independent financial advisors may be able to harness the power of alternative investments and potentially boost client portfolios.

Breaking Barriers to Alts

In Their Words

Join CAIS for candid conversations with founders, RIAs and IBD leaders who’ve taken the plunge into the alts universe. Pull up a chair and dive into stories about wealth management, and insights from asset managers that may inspire your own journey to build your practice.

All Episodes

Meet the Hosts

Join CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts hosts Alex Cavalieri, Brad Walker, Neil Blundell, and Matt Brown as they bring on leaders of RIA and IBD firms, and asset management executives to shed light on alternative investments, discuss ways of accessing hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure funds, address new technologies and share experiences.