In this episode, Tony Davidow sits down with Wendy Li, founder of Ivy Invest, who brings nearly two decades of experience investing for major endowments and foundations to her mission of democratizing institutional investment strategies. Wendy shares invaluable lessons learned and explains why the illiquidity premium shouldn't be reserved for institutional investors alone and how evergreen fund structures are changing the game for individual access to private markets. The conversation explores current opportunities in GP-led secondaries and distressed credit, while providing practical guidance on how advisors can help clients overcome their conditioning around daily liquidity. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand how endowment-style portfolio construction can work for everyday investors.

Wendy Li is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer at Ivy Invest, a fintech investment platform bringing an endowment-style portfolio to everyday investors. Before Ivy Invest, Wendy was Managing Director of Investments at the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, where she built the Investment Office from the ground up and managed a $4 billion portfolio, specializing in a diverse range of asset classes. Prior to Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Wendy was Director of Investments at UJA-Federation, where she oversaw a $1 billion endowment and a $400 million pension plan. Wendy began her career in the Investment Office at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University and is a CFA charterholder.

Resources:

Wendy Li | LinkedIn
Ask a CIO, from Ivy Invest Newsletter
Franklin Templeton Private Markets
Tony Davidow, CIMA® | LinkedIn

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠)