How do the United States and Asia approach the expansion of artificial intelligence for the future? On one side of the world, you have frontier model development requiring massive compute and content ingestion, while the other side is looking at their internal strengths and figuring out where AI can have the greatest impact. As investors, how can we figure out a true ROI to place our bets on across regions of the world?

In this latest episode of the Improving Alpha podcast, host Michael Oliver Weinberg is joined by Farhan Ahmad, Former CEO of PayNet Malaysia, Three Time Entrepreneur, and MIT CSAIL Board Member, to discuss the nuanced approach of Asian AI model development, the concept of interoperability vs isolated development, ongoing AI adoption and improved social outcomes, and how the United States and Europe plan to stay engaged in this innovation.

Key highlights include:

• How is AI impacting small- to medium-sized businesses, and is there a valuable investor story to uncover?
• Can the US effectively compete with China when it comes to robotics, manufacturing, and autonomous vehicles? Will a new age of US manufacturing come into play if we can lower labor costs across the country?
• What sort of impact does the Chinese government have in mandating the development and rollout of AI across schools, banks, and other businesses? Is there a comparable national-level strategy for that rollout in the US?
• Does a national security threat exist in Chinese exports to the US that have embedded AI components?
• How does Malaysia’s ILMU differ from foundation models being deployed in the US and mainland China? Will smaller models be able to catch up with larger LLM models through distillation, and how do real world examples figure into these equations?
• How can the lessons at PayNet on shared rails and interoperability be applied to cross-border cooperation, especially when looking at Singapore and Vietnam?
• And more.

Resources:

• Book: Inside the Box by David Epstein
• Book: The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor
• Book: The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt

Connect with Farhan Ahmad:

• LinkedIn: Farhan Ahmad
• Website: PayNet
• Website: MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

Connect with Michael Oliver Weinberg:

• Michael Oliver Weinberg
• Vidrio

About Our Guest:

Farhan Ahmad is a three-time entrepreneur, technology executive, and former CEO of PayNet Malaysia, the country’s national payments network. Throughout his career, he has founded and successfully exited three technology companies and held leadership roles across banking, financial technology, and digital payments in both the United States and Europe. While leading PayNet, he helped expand one of the world’s most advanced real-time payment networks, significantly increasing its scale and strengthening cross-border payment interoperability across Asia. Farhan also serves on the board of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where he contributes to discussions at the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and innovation. His work focuses on AI adoption, financial infrastructure, digital transformation, and the practical application of emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges.

The information covered and posted represents the views and opinions of the guest and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Vidrio Financial, and/or our host, Michael Oliver Weinberg. The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional investing advice. Always seek the advice of your financial advisor or other qualified financial service provider with any questions you may have regarding your investment planning.

The release date may not correspond to the recording date.

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How can philanthropies and charitable organizations structure capital layers to maximize private, public, and government funding? In this episode, we explore whether society’s core pillars—governments, financial markets, and local communities—must be brought back into balance to drive sustainable growth for impact-driven organizations.

The Improving Alpha podcast welcomes Zita Cobb, Founder and CEO of Shorefast, a Canadian charity driving community and economic development across Fogo Island. Host Michael Oliver Weinberg speaks with Zita about how philanthropies can optimize for place, build a balanced operational framework, and unlock greater long-term investment.

Other key takeaways include:

• What led Zita back to Fogo Island, and what learnings from the dot.com bubble did she bring back with her?
• Can philanthropies generate a stream of sensible returns for investors given the market volatility today?
• What are Zita’s thoughts on building a Community Reinvestment Act for Canada and how would that impact SME’s (small-medium sized enterprises) across the country?
• Why does Zita believe that the 3 pillars of human society (government, financial markets, and community) are out of balance?
• What is the definition of place as it relates to business, technology, and investments? Is this definition being cannibalized by an imbalance of these market pillars?
• What are Zita’s thoughts on ESG and AI, and does she believe these are valuable tools for investors today?
• and more.

Resources:

• Book: The Third Pillar by Raghuram Rajan
• Book: Incorruptible by Eric Ries
• Book: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Book: Proximity by Rob Wolcott

Connect with Zita Cobb:

• LinkedIn: Zita Cobb
• Website: Shorefast
• Website: Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies

Connect with Michael Oliver Weinberg:

• Michael Oliver Weinberg
• Vidrio

About Our Guest:

Zita Cobb is a Canadian business leader and social entrepreneur who serves as the Founder and CEO of Shorefast, a Canadian charity focused on community-based economic development. She is the visionary behind the Fogo Island Inn, a globally acclaimed Michelin Three Key property and social enterprise located in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.

She previously played a key role in the expansion of JDS Fitel (later JDS Uniphase), a leader in fiber optics technology, where she served as CFO. In 2001, she retired to focus her time and financial resources on philanthropic initiatives.

In 2016, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, and she holds the distinction of being the first social entrepreneur inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

The information covered and posted represents the views and opinions of the guest and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Vidrio Financial, and/or our host, Michael Oliver Weinberg. The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional investing advice. Always seek the advice of your financial advisor or other qualified financial service provider with any questions you may have regarding your investment planning.

The release date may not correspond to the recording date.

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When looking at the latest oil and gas headlines across the United States, many immediately think of Texas. North Dakota ranks #3 among the largest oil-producing states in the nation and is home to the $9BN North Dakota Trust Lands sovereign wealth endowment. This streamlined team generates revenue from oil royalties and taxes and is one of the healthiest institutions in the nation. So what’s their secret against a world with higher inflation, volatility, and more?

In this episode of the Improving Alpha podcast, we welcome Frank Mihail, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, North Dakota Trust and Lands. In this discussion, Frank discusses his early beginnings as an oil and gas engineer, which quickly evolved into selling Beverly Hills real estate, and eventually into building out a hedge fund book and a portable alpha program, which presented him with the opportunity to join North Dakota Trust Lands.

Additional takeaways from this episode:

• What is different in running a sovereign wealth endowment versus some of the other guests that we’ve had recently (Kevin SigRist, North Carolina Investment Authority, or Andrew Junkin, Virginia Retirement System)?
• How are Frank and his team advocating for better benchmarks in private infrastructure, and what is their diversification approach with the portfolio to improve alpha?
• Where does he see asset class opportunities for adding capital and generating liquidity for the portfolio?
• How does Frank and his team navigate board discussions and manager red flags against current allocation decision-making?
• What does Frank think about the debate surrounding the usage of a Total Portfolio Approach in institutional investing?
• And more.

Resources:

• Book: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Connect with Frank Mihail:

• LinkedIn: Frank Mihail
• Website: State of North Dakota

Connect with Michael Oliver Weinberg:

• Michael Oliver Weinberg
• Vidrio

About Our Guest:

Frank Mihail, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer of North Dakota Trust Lands, where he oversees the investment strategy for one of the state’s sovereign wealth funds. He leads the management of a multi-billion-dollar endowment that supports public education through long-term investing across public and private markets. Before joining North Dakota Trust Lands, Frank held investment leadership roles at New Mexico PERA and previously worked in private wealth management after beginning his career as a mechanical engineer and real estate professional. He is a CFA charterholder and earned his MBA from UCLA, bringing a disciplined, long-term approach to institutional portfolio management, strategic asset allocation, and investment governance.

The information covered and posted represents the views and opinions of the guest and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Vidrio Financial, and/or our host, Michael Oliver Weinberg. The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional investing advice. Always seek the advice of your financial advisor or other qualified financial service provider with any questions you may have regarding your investment planning.

The release date may not correspond to the recording date.

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