Featured speakers

Aisha Hunt is the founder of Kelley Hunt, PLLC, a Denver-based boutique law firm focused on ETFs and tokenization. She advises ETF issuers and institutional asset managers on product design, share class structures, and regulatory strategy for bringing ’40 Act-registered funds and other real-world assets onchain. Previously, Aisha was a partner at Dechert LLP and general counsel at SS&C ALPS, and has led legal strategy for several first-of-their-kind ETF and tokenization initiatives.

Roxanna Islam, CFA, CAIA, is the Head of Sector and Industry Research at VettaFi and an author at ETF Trends. She has over 12 years of experience in the investment industry with in-depth knowledge of macro trends, transportation, logistics, and electric vehicle industries. In her role at VettaFi, she is responsible for research on the ETF market, focusing on sector, industry, and thematic ETFs. Her commentary has been featured in various publications.

Ben Johnson, CFA, is the head of client solutions, working with Morningstar’s clients to leverage Morningstar’s capabilities in advancing our shared mission of empowering investor success. Prior to assuming his current role in 2022, he was the director of global ETF and passive strategies research within Morningstar’s manager research group. Earlier in his tenure in the manager research organization, he served as the director of ETF research for Europe and Asia. He also previously served as a senior equity analyst, covering the agriculture and chemicals industries. Before joining Morningstar in 2006, he worked as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the board of directors of CFA Society Chicago.

Elisabeth Kashner, CFA, serves as Director of Global Funds Research at FactSet. Elisabeth manages FactSet’s Funds Analytics, providing classifications, ratings, and analytical data. Elisabeth’s though leadership covers industry microstructure and investor behavior. Elisabeth holds a BA from Brown University and a Masters in Financial Analysis from the University of San Francisco. Elisabeth is proud of her work with Women in ETFs, where she currently serves as a board member and as US co-secretary, and previously served as the founding co-head of the Speakers’ Bureau and San Francisco chapter.

Dodd Kittsley is National Director at Davis Advisors, an independent, employee‐owned investment management firm founded in 1969. His responsibilities include managing the firm’s relationship team with advisors as well as leading the ETF business. Dodd was previously Head of ETF Strategy for DWS, Global Head of ETP Research for BlackRock and Head of Due Diligence for iShares. At BGI, he was responsible for providing thought leadership on ETF product and industry related insights. Mr. Kittsley has also held research and fund due diligence positions at State Street Global Advisors and Morgan Stanley, where he helped build one of the first independent ETF research teams in the industry. He has published extensively and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and in the media. Mr. Kittsley earned a B.A. degree from Hamilton College and a Master’s degree from University of Houston. He holds various U.S. securities licenses, serves on FINRA’s continuing education committee and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Beta Investment Strategies. He received the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation and is a member of CFA® Institute.

Christian Magoon is the Founder and CEO of Amplify ETFs. Christian has launched almost 100 ETFs and helped drive widespread ETF adoption through his advocacy and education efforts. Christian has built a track record of innovative growth throughout his career by introducing new, and often first-mover, strategies to market through his alignment with leading investment managers and index providers. Additionally, Christian has pursued timely collaborations and embraced global partnerships and acquisitions to drive Amplify ETFs' expansion. Appearing regularly on CNBC’s "ETF Edge" and other national, trade, and business press, Christian lends his insights about the latest developments in the ETF industry, sector-specific observations, as well as advancements and new offerings from Amplify ETFs. Prior to founding Amplify ETFs, Christian served as President of Claymore Securities (now Guggenheim Investments). He led product development, marketing and distribution for ETFs, unit investment trusts and closed-end funds. Christian launched Claymore’s ETF business in 2006 and it became one of the fastest growing and most innovative ETF sponsors in the industry. Christian is also the founder of Magoon Capital, LLC.

Todd Mathias is the Head of U.S. ETF Product Strategy & Development and is responsible for the overall vision of Franklin Templeton’s U.S. ETF platform. Todd’s team is responsible for product design, range management, and influencing product communications. With more than 18 years of industry experience, Todd partners with clients in understanding technical aspects across our ETF offerings, competitive positioning, and portfolio implementation considerations. Todd is also responsible for providing industry thought leadership and is a regular speaker at conferences and events. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton in 2016, Todd spent 6 years at BlackRock as an ETF Product Strategist based in both San Francisco and London. He partnered with distribution teams to differentiate more technical products, inclusive of the global smart beta suite.

Zeno Mercer is the Lead Research Analyst at ROBO Global, which is now part of TMX Group. He leads a team that focuses on high-impact research in innovative equities and emerging technologies. He has over a decade of experience in research, due diligence, growth strategy, and partnership development across enterprise SaaS, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

Jennifer Morgan is a sales, presentation and technology coach, facilitator, author and keynote speaker. She is an award-winning international coach, mentor and partner who assists with up-skilling clients for real time results, over 45,000 to date. CEO & Founder of Connective Communication, LLC with 15 years working internationally in finance based in New York City. Training and coaching extend to 16+ countries. Most recently Jennifer spent 10 years at JPMorgan Asset & Wealth Management as a Sales Coach, and Global Head of Asset Management technology training, partnering to assist revenue generators with closing deals into billions of USD. Previously at Citigroup in the COO office and prior streamlined projects for measurable results at Credit Suisse. Jennifer brings a fresh perspective to every interaction and believes each communication is to be treated as the first connection. Jennifer flexes her styles based on audience need and is embarking on a new chapter into coaching full time with a mission to aid seasoned experts to those newly entering the workforce. She has measured results which incorporate neuroscience and research. She is a Certified Coach in Executive & Leadership from Columbia University, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Coaching Certificate (ACC) and holds a BA from Western Washington University in Communication, Public Relations. She has been fortunate to work with TEDx, coaching speakers to elevate their idea.

Adam Morgan McCarthy is a product specialist at Kaiko Indices, where he drives new product development and research. Prior to this he was head of research at Kaiko, focusing on crypto market structure, derivatives, and ETF impacts since 2024.

Stacey Morris is the Head of Energy Research at VettaFi. She creates timely and relevant research on broader energy and energy infrastructure in support of the Alerian index suite. She has over 12 years of experience in finance and energy. Her commentary has been featured in Bloomberg, Reuters, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal. Stacey graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Stetson University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new recipes, and baking cinnamon rolls.

Cinthia Murphy is an Investment Strategist at VettaFi. She was previously Head of Research at the ETF Think Tank, which is the content engine of the Tidal Financial Group. Cinthia also spent over 12 years at ETF.com as a journalist and editor, helping to lead the editorial and digital experience teams. She has also covered commodities futures markets from the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Brazilian equities market from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Kristin Myers is an award-winning journalist, who covers business and finance news. She is currently ETF Editor in Chief for Asset TV. Previously, she was Senior Vice President of Content and Editor in Chief of etf.com. Former roles include Editor-in-Chief of the economics website The Balance, and on-air anchor and reporter at Yahoo Finance. She hosted Yahoo Finance Live daily, providing afternoon coverage and reporting on markets, and the economy in the hours before the final bell. She was also one of the creators and hosts of “A Time for Change,” a weekly program that explores race, diversity, and inclusion in the world of business, finance, and politics. Earlier in her career, Kristin helped launch Al Jazeera America, where she produced high-profile guest segments and was part of field teams for special coverage, including the protests in Ferguson, and the funeral of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. She has also worked with other news organizations including Bloomberg News, MSNBC, and others, in the U.S. and abroad.

Kevin serves as Global Fixed Income CIO and the Co-Head of the Investment Committee.In addition, Kevin serves on the firm’s Leadership Team, helping to set corporate strategy direction. Kevin's career has spanned more than 30 years and during that time he has served in various capacities in trading, portfolio management, and risk management. He joined RiverFront in 2010 and has served in several positions that included senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager, Chief Risk Officer, COO of the RiverShares Division, and Chief Market Strategist prior to his current role. He is also a regular guest on financial news channels (CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance) and is frequently quoted in the financial press. Kevin earned a BA in Business and Economics from Randolph-Macon College, an MBA and a Master's in Decision Analytics from Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst® designation in 2014.

Hester M. Peirce was appointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised Ranking Member Richard Shelby and other members of the Committee on securities issues. Commissioner Peirce served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for Judge Roger Andewelt on the Court of Federal Claims. Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.

For 28 years, Bob Pisani reported live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as CNBC’s Senior Markets Correspondent. His book, Shut Up and Keep Talking: Lessons on Life and Investing From the Floor of the New York Stock Exchange, reflects on how markets have changed, what really moves stock prices, and why forecasting is so hard, even for experts. Bob has started a new chapter to share the lessons he has learned.

As Chief Growth Officer, Dale Riley leads Independent Advisor Alliance's strategic expansion, driving both organic and inorganic growth. He draws on extensive industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial, MetLife, and AXA Advisors, to execute the firm's nationwide strategy. Dale specializes in advisor recruitment, deepening partner firm relationships, and executing successful mergers and acquisitions. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and earned his B.S. in Business Entrepreneurship from Elon University.

Cullen Roche is the founder of Discipline Funds, a financial planning–driven ETF firm focused on aligning investment portfolios with real-world time horizons rather than market predictions. He is the author of Understanding the Modern Monetary System, Pragmatic Capitalism and Your Perfect Portfolio. For more than two decades, his research and writing have helped shape the discussion around macroeconomics and portfolio construction, making him a leading voice in practical, evidence-based investing.