In the world of wealth management, working with clients is a deeply personal endeavor that requires more than just financial expertise. By looking inward first, and prioritizing a strong team culture and personal and professional development, companies can cultivate a strong trust and connection with clients. Today's guest has made this approach the foundation to his business.

Today we're sitting down with Rob Skinner, who is a founding partner and the co-CEO of IEQ Capital. He has served as a financial advisor to wealthy families and institutional investors for over two decades. Rob began his career at Fidelity Investments in 1995 before joining Merrill Lynch as first vice president of investments.

In 2008, he co-founded Luminous Capital, an independent registered investment advisory firm where he served as Chief Investment Officer, Co-Head of Investment Research, and Co-manager of Portfolio Construction. Luminous Capital was acquired by First Republic Bank in 2012.

Active in the community, Rob serves on the Board of Directors for the First Tee of Monterey County, the Board of Directors of the Pebble Beach Company Foundation. He's a Trustee of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation associated with PGA of America, as well as the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation. Rob and his wife actively support numerous foundations and charities in and around the Monterey peninsula.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Connecticut, which, if you haven't heard has won national championship titles, back to back in men's basketball. Go Huskies!

Highlights:

• Rob's early influences and beginnings in wealth management (4:15)
• Founding Luminous Capital (5:52)
• Background on IEQ Capital, and company mission (6:37)
• What differentiates IEQ from competitors (7:13)
• IEQ's ideal client profile (8:34)
• How the IEQ team works with clients on wealth management (9:30)
• Rob walks us through IEQ's client screening process (10:18)
• The value of culture at IEQ (11:10)
• The use of technology at IEQ (12:00)
• How being a founder has informed Rob's work with his clients (13:30)
• How Rob approaches liquidity planning with clients (14:41)
• Rob breaks down IEQ's partnership with Stone Point Capital (15:33)
• The benefits for smaller firms (18:37)
• What Rob has learned from entrepreneurs during his time in wealth management (19:19)
• The importance of fostering a fun and enjoyable environment and culture (20:43)

Links:

Rob Skinner on LinkedIn

IEQ Capital on LinkedIn

IEQ Capital Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Venture Capital is all about the cash — but in a crowded field, money is a commodity. To truly stand out, you have to go above and beyond for your portfolio companies. Today's guest has set themselves apart by providing exceptional support.

We're sitting down with Seth Spergel, who is a managing partner of Merlin Ventures, where he's responsible for identifying cutting-edge companies for Merlin to partner with and invest in. Seth has more than 20 years of experience building, selling, and investing in software and startups.

Prior to Merlin Ventures, Seth was VP for Infrastructure Technologies at In-Q-Tel, a strategic investment firm that invests in startups that meet the mission needs of government customers. There he led a team of technology experts to evaluate companies and identify novel uses of their technology within the In-Q-Tel customer set.

Before In-Q-Tel, Seth was the VP of engineering for ThinkGeek, an online seller and manufacturer of geeky toys and clothing. He also spent 12 years at IBM in roles ranging from software developer to sales manager.

Highlights:

• Merlin's background and evolution into VC (3:44)
• What differentiates Merlin in the VC market (7:32)
• What an ideal portfolio looks like for Merlin (8:38)
• Seth walks us through the support system Merlin provides their companies (9:21)
• The unique guidance Merlin offers on compliance and political relations (12:57)
• Seth tells the story of one of Merlin's successful exits (14:52)
• Seth's advice for founders seeking funding (17:59)
• Current trending market opportunities (18:50)
• How cloud computing and migration are affecting the cybersecurity space (20:35)
• Seth describes the current state of Israel's funding environment (22:00)
• Values and culture at Merlin (25:35)
• Seth's predictions for the future of Merlin and the VC market (26:55)

Links:

Seth Spergel on LinkedIn

Merlin Ventures on LinkedIn

Merlin Ventures Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

In the effort to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the hospitality industry has had a surge of innovation, ideas, and new technologies. And while the boost has been essential to getting the industry back on its feet, it has also intensified the competition. Today's guest is setting their company apart with a consumer-focused approach.

We're sitting down with Matt Tucker, who is the head of Tock, a technology driven hospitality business owned by Squarespace, and trading under the symbol SQSP.

Matt oversees commercial success and growth of the Tock business, which includes a reservation system, table management, carry-out operations and events for operators across 33 countries. Matt came to Squarespace after nearly two decades of experience building teams and operating companies of all sizes and has a strong background in hospitality tech and the startup world.

Most recently, Matt served as President and COO of Olo, the leading provider of SaaS solutions to the chain restaurant industry, serving almost 90,000 locations. He spent nearly nine years there, taking the company from 10 people and one product to a public company with over 700 team members, six core products and nearly 200 million in revenue.

Prior to Olo, Matt was on the founding team of LendingTree and was also the founder of Rely Software. He has an MBA from Georgetown and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Highlights:

• Matt's background and path to restaurant software (4:09)
• Matt describes Tock's founding and current work (5:11)
• How Tock works in the restaurant to optimize reservations (7:01)
• Matt explains how Tock targets customers, and ROI agreements (8:35)
• Data captured through Tock, and what makes Tock's approach to data optimization unique (10:34)
• Matt talks about recent economic hurdles and how Tock has navigated the atmosphere (14:04)
• Matt discusses Tock's versatility in the restaurant industry (16:11)
• How Squarespace and Tock's work interconnect (17:49)
• Field competition and the state of the restaurant technology market (20:00)
• Tock's senior team and their history in hospitality (22:57)

Links:
Mathew Tucker on LinkedIn
Tock on LinkedIn
Tock Website
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.