🎥 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: 36:45

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.

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 capital 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.

Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.

A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund Solutions

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.

Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.

We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Show Notes

00:00 Hamilton Lane Then and Now

01:33 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus

03:57 Hartley’s Career Origins

04:44 Hamilton Lane’s Consulting Roots

05:21 Outsourcing Partner Today

05:53 Scaling Changed the Job

07:13 Private Markets Explosion

08:25 Mega Managers and Complements

09:32 Why Middle Market Matters

11:32 GP Skillset Evolves

12:18 Underwriting in the Data Era

13:01 Data Advantage in Secondaries

13:51 Secondaries Enable Evergreens

14:25 Evergreen Works Across Strategies

15:01 Why Wealth Needs Evergreens

16:04 Deal Flow and Diversification

17:10 How Allocators Use Evergreens

18:08 Evergreen vs Drawdown Balance

19:12 Evergreens Like ETFs

20:22 Structures Still Early Days

21:09 Who Gets What Exposure

22:28 What Defines Manager Edge

23:48 Commitment and Alignment Test

34:51 Misconceptions and Closing Picks

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

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Hosted by Michael Sidgmore, Alt Goes Mainstream is a conversation about the shifting landscape of investment. This podcast explores the practical journey of alternative assets-from private equity and venture capital to real assets and private credit-as they move from the periphery into core portfolio strategy. Each episode features candid discussions with leading investors, allocators, and entrepreneurs who are actively shaping this transition. You’ll hear firsthand about the due diligence, the structural challenges, and the evolving opportunities within private markets. The focus is on actionable insight, moving beyond theory to understand how these decisions are made and implemented in real time. For anyone involved in business, entrepreneurship, or investing, this series offers a clear-eyed look at the tools and philosophies building the portfolios of the future. Tune in for a direct line to the nuanced thinking that defines modern asset allocation.
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