The Distribution by Juniper Square

Brandon Sedloff and Adel Alderbas sit down at the IPEM Private Markets Conference in Paris to discuss Wafra's distinctive approach to middle market investing. Alderbas, Chief Investment Officer at Wafra, shares how the firm leverages its dual DNA as both GP and LP to build partnerships across a $30 billion platform. The conversation explores how Wafra identifies investor entrepreneurs, structures minority GP stakes to preserve founder control, and executes operational roll-ups in overlooked sectors where institutional capital rarely ventures. They discuss: - Why Wafra only takes minority stakes in GPs and designs sunset provisions that reward growth - How owning 32 GP stakes creates an "IQ multiplier" that surfaces investment opportunities years before the broader market - The operational playbook behind roll-up strategies in marinas, express car washes, and data centers - What separates investor entrepreneurs from talented portfolio managers during diligence - Why returning capital to LPs during a business pivot built trust that compounded into future allocations This episode offers a detailed look at how institutional capital, operating expertise, and a 40-year track record combine to generate alpha in the middle market. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:48) - Growing up in Kuwait's merchant culture (00:07:21) - The power of doing a little bit more (00:09:39) - Becoming CIO at Wafra (00:11:42) - Wafra's 40-year heritage and LP-GP hybrid model (00:16:58) - Pivoting from equities to middle market alternatives (00:23:57) - Finding investor entrepreneurs in GP stakes (00:29:11) - Minority stakes maintain alignment (00:33:48) - Marina roll-ups and middle market operations (00:38:35) - Data centers and the IQ multiplier from GP stakes (00:42:00) - The lesson on fair negotiations (00:43:22) - Focusing on the next 12 to 36 months Links: Adel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adel-alderbas-7489b953/ Wafra - https://www.wafra.com/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/

Brandon Sedloff and Jamie Montgomery explore the power of compounding across networks, knowledge, and capital in this episode of The Distribution. Montgomery, founder and managing partner at March Capital, shares insights from a forty-year career spanning aerospace consulting, merchant banking, and venture investing. The conversation traces his path from caddying for stockbrokers in 1960s Seattle to building an early growth fund that has deployed close to $2.5 billion, with a decade-long focus on AI before it became mainstream. They discuss: - Why compounding your network and knowledge matters as much as compounding capital - How becoming an AI-first company must be led by the CEO, not delegated - The role of market size as the critical test in early growth investing - What it takes to reposition existing portfolio companies for an agentic AI world - Why the Montgomery Summit creates organic community rather than controlling outcomes This episode offers a grounded perspective on building meaningful companies, the velocity of capital, and navigating cycles without losing sight of long-term opportunity. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:37) - Getting into finance and investing (00:08:47) - From UCSD to the Pentagon (00:12:18) - Connecting the dots on a winding career path (00:23:14) - March Capital's focus and approach (00:28:10) - Repositioning portfolio companies for AI (00:35:04) - What to look for in early growth investing (00:38:10) - The Montgomery Summit and building community (00:44:34) - What's top of mind right now (00:48:56) - AI's impact on the economy Links: Jamie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemontgomery/ March Capital - https://marchcp.com/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/

Brandon Sedloff and Matt Adler explore the world of small bay industrial real estate and the path from family business to independent fund manager. Adler, founder and managing partner of Adler Real Estate Partners, shares how he spun out of a third-generation family operation to build a specialized platform focused exclusively on multi-tenant light industrial properties across the Sun Belt. The conversation on The Distribution reveals why this once under-the-radar asset class has become one of real estate's most sought-after sectors and how focused operators compete when larger managers enter the space. They discuss: - Why spinning out of a family business required balancing independence with preserving relationships - How small bay industrial became a "HALO" asset class, hard assets with low obsolescence, resistant to AI disruption - What institutional investors misunderstand about office build-outs in industrial properties - How a disciplined operator grows NOI even when interest rates move against them - Why staying focused on one property type in mid-sized deals creates competitive advantage against mega managers This episode offers practical insight for anyone interested in niche real estate strategies, the transition from operating partner to fund manager, or how specialist platforms win by executing better than diversified competitors. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:57) - Matt's family real estate background (00:09:49) - Early career and deciding to leave the family business (00:11:19) - Working with Apollo and the GFC (00:14:18) - Starting the fund business (00:16:29) - Spinning out from the family business (00:21:25) - Adler Real Estate Partners today (00:23:59) - Small bay industrial explained (00:28:09) - Why small bay industrial is hot right now (00:31:36) - HALO and the AI advantage (00:32:47) - Competition and differentiation (00:38:01) - The office buildout misconception (00:42:36) - Competing with mega managers (00:46:34) - Headwinds and opportunities ahead (00:50:53) - Closing thoughts Links: Matthew on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mladler/ Adler Partners - https://adler-partners.com/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/

Brandon Sedloff and Russ Flicker explore the institutional hotel business and the journey from practicing real estate law to building a vertically integrated hospitality firm. Flicker shares how AWH Partners emerged from a borrowed desk during the Great Recession and what shaped his approach to investing through work at the Trump Organization and Blackstone. The conversation covers how AWH differentiates itself through in-house management and development capabilities, and why Flicker believes middle-market hotel assets present compelling opportunities today. They discuss: - Why Flicker left Blackstone to start AWH despite limited visibility on deal flow or capital - How starting with no formal office taught essential lessons about investor expectations and capital raising - Why seller-prepared hotels often hide operational risks that integrated teams can identify during underwriting - How vertical integration across acquisition, management, and renovation creates accountability advantages - Why hotels reprice daily in inflationary environments while other real estate takes years to adjust This episode offers perspective for investors evaluating hotel allocations, operators building differentiated platforms, or anyone navigating the transition from institutional roles to entrepreneurship during market downturns. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:57) - Introducing Russ Flicker and AWH Partners (00:02:42) - From engineer's son to real estate lawyer (00:08:38) - The dotcom startup and meeting his wife (00:11:52) - Landing at the Trump Organization (00:20:47) - Why Russ left Trump for Blackstone (00:23:33) - Working at institutional scale versus entrepreneurial scale (00:26:58) - The Ian Schrager disaster and the taxi accident (00:32:24) - Founding AWH from a borrowed desk in 2008 (00:40:27) - Building AWH into a vertically integrated platform (00:46:00) - Why hospitality gets misunderstood as high risk (00:49:58) - Opportunity in the next 24 to 36 months Links: Russ on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-flicker-67821712/ AWH Partners - https://www.awhpartners.com/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/

Brandon Sedloff and Susan Long McAndrews explore the evolving landscape of private markets distribution on The Distribution. Susan brings over two decades of experience from Pantheon, where she led both GP allocation and built the firm's wealth channel from the ground up. Now advising private equity firms on wealth and 401(k) strategies, she offers insight into what works, what doesn't, and where the market is headed. They discuss: - Why evergreen funds were never primarily about liquidity and what the recent gating headlines missed - How single GP evergreen funds are reshaping access for both wealth clients and small institutions - Why private equity belongs in 401(k) plans and what it will take to get there at scale - The sales misalignment behind recent evergreen fund gates and how to properly position these products - What mid-market firms should consider before launching a wealth channel strategy This episode clarifies the real value proposition of evergreen structures and identifies which private markets firms are positioned to succeed in wealth distribution. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:15) - Early influences on investing (00:06:45) - Career path from Morgan Stanley to Russell (00:08:53) - Pentagon and China policy work (00:13:00) - Journey to Pantheon (00:15:09) - Allocating capital and manager selection (00:17:18) - What made a great manager (00:19:39) - Building the wealth channel (00:23:12) - Scaling evergreen funds (00:26:39) - Market evolution from 2020 to 2025 (00:28:50) - Gating headlines and evergreen misunderstandings (00:29:30) - Why evergreen funds work (00:36:16) - Advising wealth advisors today (00:38:56) - Single GP evergreen solutions (00:41:32) - Advisory work after Pantheon (00:44:46) - Should mid-market firms enter wealth (00:49:07) - Looking ahead at private markets (00:50:03) - The case for private equity in 401(k)s (00:52:05) - Transparency and technology in evergreens (00:54:45) - Realizations and market health Links: Susan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-long-mcandrews/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/