Hamilton Lane's Hartley Rogers - pioneering private markets: Live from iCapital Connect

Hamilton Lane's Hartley Rogers - pioneering private markets: Live from iCapital Connect

Author: Michael Sidgmore May 5, 2026 Duration: 35:47

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.

We were live from iCapital Connect’s conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry’s leaders across asset management and wealth management.

Hartley Rogers is a pioneer in private markets. He is the Executive Co-Chairman of Hamilton Lane, where he plays a significant role in investing and client relationship activities, as well as in strategic and organizational development. He is a Member of the Investment Committees and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in 2003, Hartley was a Managing Director in the private equity fund management areas at Morgan Stanley and at Credit Suisse. He started his career on Wall Street in 1981.

This was a thoroughly fascinating conversation. Hartley’s wealth of knowledge made for a nuanced discussion that married the evolution of the business of asset management with why and how product structure innovation has unfolded as it has in private markets. We also dove into an area that is Hartley’s passion: venture and the innovation economy.

We covered:

  • Hamilton Lane’s evolution scaling from 50 people in a single office to 800 people across 22 offices.
  • The transformation from investment consulting into a solutions provider and asset manager for investors.
  • The importance of data, tools, access, and portfolio construction to manage the increasing complexity of private markets.
  • How will the wealth channel invest in private markets?
  • The misconceptions of evergreens being “ATMs.”
  • What is the “special sauce” in constructing an evergreen portfolio?
  • How secondaries can help feed the evergreen fund engine.
  • What defines a manager’s edge.
  • What private markets strategies excite Hartley.

I’m really excited to share this conversation with you all, as it’s equal parts invigorating and informative.

Thanks Hartley for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets.

Show Notes

00:00 Hamilton Lane -Then and Now

03:55 Hartley’s Origin Story

04:39 Hamilton Lane’s Consulting Roots

04:57 From Consulting to OCIO Partner

05:15 Scaling Changed the Job

06:53 Why Clients Still Need Help

07:15 Trillions in Private Markets

07:44 Mega-Managers and Complements

08:56 Finding Smaller Manager Alpha

09:20 Middle Market Opportunity

09:47 Why Companies Stay Private

10:56 Churn and New Entrants

11:17 GP Skillset Has Expanded

11:51 From Leverage to Operations

12:02 Data Transforms Underwriting

12:43 Hamilton Lane Data Advantage

13:33 Secondaries and Evergreen Rise

14:04 Evergreen Design and Liquidity

14:40 Why The Wealth Channel Prefers Evergreens

15:41 Evergreen Diversification Needs

16:47 Allocating Core vs Satellite

18:44 Evergreens Evolve Like ETFs

34:27 Closing


A Word from Our Sponsor, Ultimus

This episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.

That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.

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We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Hamilton Lane Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the speaker as of the date of recording and are subject to change. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or investment product.


Hosted by Michael Sidgmore, Alt Goes Mainstream: The Latest on Alternative Investments, WealthTech, & Private Markets sits at a crucial crossroads where finance is being reshaped. Each conversation moves beyond surface-level trends to explore the operational realities and strategic shifts defining private markets today. You’ll hear detailed discussions on specific asset classes-from private equity and credit to venture capital, infrastructure, and real estate-alongside the evolving landscape of wealth management and the technology transforming it. The focus is consistently on practical frameworks and tools that investors and advisors are actually using, drawn directly from the experiences of leading practitioners. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a direct line to the nuanced decisions and forward-looking perspectives from those navigating this complex terrain. By tuning into this podcast, you gain access to a candid exploration of how alternative investments are becoming accessible and integrated into modern portfolios, all through substantive dialogue that prioritizes depth and clarity over hype. The discussions are designed for those who want to understand not just the 'what' but the 'how' and 'why' behind the movement of alternatives into the mainstream financial conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Alt Goes Mainstream: The Latest on Alternative Investments, WealthTech, & Private Markets
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