2026 Alliance Summer Gathering: Further Together

We look forward to hosting the 2026 Alliance Summer Gathering at the Boston InterContinental Hotel. 

Please use this link to book your room. Note: The $39 per night Amenity Fee (Resort Fee) will be waived at check-in if you book in our block. 

If you are booking online and asked for a Group Rate code, enter FXY to access our discounted event rate of $399/night (+ tax). 

Call-in reservations are available by calling the reservation line (1-877-666-3243) and mentioning the "Family Wealth Alliance 2026" or Group Booking Code FXY

The room block will close on June 26th, but may sell out beforehand. Please book your accommodations as soon as possible.

Please use Google Chrome to access the booking site.

Session details and speakers coming soon. The program will cover: family office career paths, cross-generational perspectives on leadership, training and mentoring, team structures and client team dynamics, and the cultural practices that build belonging and ownership.

Tuesday, July 21

9:00 am – 4:00 pm: Alliance Connects meetings (separate registration required)

5:00 pm: Registration & Summer Gathering Welcome Reception

6:00 pm: Summer Gathering Keynote Dinner featuring the 2026 Young Professionals Awards Ceremony

6:15 pm: Leading High-Performing Teams in the Face of Uncertainty - eligible for 1 CPE credit

Building a people-first culture of change, transformation, and belonging for all is essential for successful firms. Workplace culture expert Adam "Smiley" Poswolsky believes organizations shouldn’t focus on the what—such as what days your team spends in-office—but the why and the how: Why are people coming together in the first place? How do we take care of our people and prioritize employee well-being in the age of AI and overwhelm?

In this timely and highly actionable presentation, Smiley will help you shift from a culture-fit strategy to a culture-transformation strategy, designed to attract and retain top talent, test innovative ideas, and evolve your culture. Smiley will address key issues such as fostering trust and belonging across different time zones, geographic locations, and levels of seniority. The insights from this session will help you develop a culture where every employee can thrive and do their best work. You will leave this session with an easy-to-use toolkit to reimagine a collaborative culture that puts your people first, attracts next-gen talent, drives human-centered growth, and is your competitive advantage of the future.

Speaker: Adam "Smiley" Poswolsky, Author & Workplace Culture, Belonging & Future of Work Expert

7:15 pm: Recognition of the 2026 Young Professionals Awards winners
 

Wednesday, July 22

7:30 am: Breakfast

830 am: Opening Remarks

8:40 am: The Listening Reset: Human Connection at Work - eligible for 1 CFP and 1 CPE credit

In today's hyper-connected workplace, "extractive listening" - scanning for data points rather than truly understanding - is often the default. The cost is real: Trust erodes, relationships weaken, and the most important problems in your firm go unsolved. 

But here's what most leaders don't know: The way you listen is largely running on autopilot. Neuroscience tells us that our brains manage information overload by filtering conversations through patterns built from past experience, generational assumptions, and whatever was on your mind in the last meeting. You're not fully tuned out...you're just not fully tuned in, either. 

This interactive session builds awareness of the factors influencing how you hear people and gives you a practical method for resetting your filters. You'll leave with concrete tools to carry into every conversation, every meeting, and every cross-generational relationship that matters to your firm.  

Speaker: Whitney M. Kenter, CEO, Glowe Connective

9:30 am: How to Design an Effective Client Team- eligible for 1 CPE credit

An effective client team must be structured to operate efficiently on an internal level while providing the tailored services and relationships required by UHNW clients. When you add in the realities of evolving client expectations, remote and hybrid environments, and a workforce spanning up to five generations, designing the ideal team model is an increasingly complex endeavor.

This panel features industry leaders who are intentionally redesigning team structures, equipping employees to serve clients at the highest level. Panelists will explore how roles, responsibilities, decision‑making, and collaboration models are evolving, as well as which changes have made the greatest impact at their firms.

Speakers:

• Hollis Dana, Relationship Manager, Portfolio Management, Glenmede
• Chaka Lockhart, Family Office Practice Leader, Baker Tilly
• Craig Standish, Head of Boston Office & Co-Head of Strategic Advisory, Brown Advisory
• Moderated by: Rachel Hyman, President & Managing Director, The Family Wealth Alliance 

10:25 am: Break

10:45 am: Why Would Anyone Work Here? Understanding Employee Value Proposition

Family offices are no longer competing for employees solely based on compensation. The firms attracting and retaining the strongest talent are clearly articulating and consistently delivering a compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP).

However, an EVP is more than benefits, perks, or a set of policies created by firm leadership. The culture that colleagues create, the mentorship they provide, the knowledge they share, the feedback they offer, and the way they support one another all contribute to the firm’s EVP. Every employee has a role in shaping, strengthening, and communicating the experience that attracts people to the organization and inspires them to stay.

This session will encourage attendees at all career stages to consider not only what they want from their workplace, but also how they contribute to building an engaging environment for others. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what makes a strong EVP, why it matters now more than ever, and how employees at every level can contribute to defining (or refining) a value proposition that will support a high-performing, future-ready team.

Speaker: Paul Fullerton, Business Management Consultant, Charles Schwab

11:20 am: Table Discussion: Intentional Employee Experiences

Family offices are known for delivering highly personalized, relationship‑driven client experiences marked by care, intentionality, and trust. How often do we apply that same level of thoughtfulness to the experience of the professionals who deliver the work? 

This table discussion invites attendees to examine where their firm’s employee experience aligns with (or falls short of) its client experience standards. Participants will cover communication, growth, feedback, and belonging – and leave with concrete ideas to implement after the conference. 

12:00 pm: Networking Lunch

1:15 pm: Alliance Updates

1:25 pm: Leadership Redefined: Focusing on Talent, Feedback, and Resilience - eligible for 1 CPE credit

Your relationship with your supervisor is arguably the most significant factor affecting your job satisfaction. According to a 2021 Gallup study, managers influence team engagement and performance more than any other factor. Ineffective managers undermine team morale, become barriers to productivity, and increase employee turnover. Yet demonstrated management capability often comes second to tenure, subject matter expertise, or partnership status when firms are assigning people leadership responsibilities.

This session invites multi-generational leaders to share frank reflections on what it means to be a successful manager and how they are refining their leadership style in the face of changing talent expectations. We’ll explore how their firms identify potential leaders, evaluate management effectiveness, and invest in training and support to help supervisors lead their teams well. The discussion will reveal practical approaches to building stronger people leaders who can develop talent, give actionable feedback, and contribute to high‑performing, resilient teams.

Speakers:

• Jenn Barry, CFA, CFP, Chief Administrative Officer, Aaron Wealth Advisors
• Michael Darosa, Director of Portfolio & Wealth Advisory, BBR Partners
• Elizabeth L. DeLaitsch, Senior Vice President, Relationship Management, CIBC Private Wealth
• Moderated by: Sarah Simmer, Partner & Managing Director of Client Experience, Heritage Wealth Advisors

2:20 pm: Break

2:40 pm: Community Spotlight: The Power of Reverse Mentoring

Equal parts story and case study, Community Spotlights are 30-minute sessions that allow you to learn directly from a peer leader in the FWA community who will share the evolution of an idea from concept to execution. By spotlighting solutions that turn family office obstacles into opportunities for innovation, they will inspire attendees to tackle their own challenges in a creative way.

Implementing an internal mentorship program is a strategic opportunity to foster cross-generational connections and strengthen networks within our firms. However, scaling these initiatives to ensure every pairing delivers positive impact requires thoughtful design and execution.

In this session, we will hear from a firm that successfully engineered and implemented a high-performing reverse mentoring program. Blake Masterson, Director, Client Advisory Team at Tolleson Wealth Management will highlight thriving mentor pairings that have driven exceptional professional development and personal growth while sharing the behind-the-scenes decisions and structures that have made the program so impactful.

Attendees will gain strategic insights and learn practical, replicable frameworks they can leverage to establish or improve their own mentoring initiatives.

Speaker: Blake Masterson, Director, Client Advisory Team, Tolleson Wealth Management

3:15pm: Cultivating Culture: From Values to Behaviors - eligible for 1 CPE credit

Workplace culture is shaped by everyday decisions: how people are supported, how work is recognized, and how teams connect and grow together. While leadership plays a critical role in setting a firm’s cultural direction, sustaining that culture requires buy-in across the firm.

This candid conversation between two leaders who are tasked with translating their firms’ values into real behaviors will highlight how investing in culture is the cornerstone of high-performing teams and thriving firms.

Speakers:

• Michelle Knight, CEO & Chief Economist, RWA Wealth Partners
• Rick Winter, Chief People Officer, RWA Wealth Partners

4:15 pm: Closing Remarks

4:20 pm: Conference concludes
 

Event Co-Chairs

Laura Carr Chief People Officer HB Wealth	Kevin Casey Managing Director of Corporate Development & Strategy Pathstone	Hollis Dana Relationship Manager, Portfolio Management Glenmede
Michelle Knight CEO & Chief Economist RWA Wealth Partners	Matt Shaia Managing Director Brockenbrough	Sarah Simmer Managing Director of Client Experience Heritage Wealth Advisors

Kicking off the 2026 Alliance Summer Gathering, the evening of July 21 will also feature recognition of the 2026 Alliance Young Professionals Awards winners. The 2026 Alliance Young Professionals Awards honor the industry's rising stars who have demonstrated success in their careers and made significant contributions to the industry. 

Summer Gathering registration INCLUDES the Alliance Young Professionals Awards Ceremony and Keynote Dinner. Separate tickets for only the Awards Ceremony and Keynote Dinner are not available.