We will be hosting our 5th annual “Democratize Quant” conference on March 24th via Zoom.

The event is 100% free but we do screen participants to enforce our “no spammers” policy.

Our speaker line-up is excellent and we look forward to some interesting discussions.

  • ETF Industry Update
    • Presenter: Dave Nadig
    • 1030-1100

  • Does Passive Investing Make Prices Less Efficient?
    • Presenter: Marco Sammon (HBS)
    • Discussant: Mike Green
    • 1100-1150

  • Do Flows Predict Price Changes?
    • Presenter: Sam Hartzmark
    • Discussant: Nikki Boyson
    • 1200-1250

  • Practical Factor Investing
    • Presenter: Tommi Johnsen
    • Presenter: Jack Vogel
    • 1300-1400

Session 1: State of the Asset Management Industry with Dave Nadig

Dave Nadig is an oracle of knowledge when it comes to the latest trends in the ETF industry and asset management more broadly.

You can follow Dave via the following channels:


Session 2: Passive Investing and Stock Prices? (with Marco Sammon and Mike Green)

There is a lot of chatter regarding the influence that passive investing might have on stock market efficiency. The opinions range from “passive will trigger world war 3” to “passive is irrelevant.” We bring in the pros to discuss how passive might affect the markets and what it might mean for your investment decisions.

Harvard professor, Marco Sammon, will discuss his newest research on, “Passive Ownership and Price Informativeness.”

You can follow Prof. Sammon via the following channels:

Mike Green at Simplify ETFs, will serve as the discussant on the paper.


Session 3: Do Flows Predict Price Changes? (with Sam Hartzmark and Nicole Boyson)


Prof. Sam Hartzmark and his colleagues ask a simple empirical question: Do flows predict price changes? This research highlights why understanding flows and investor sentiment might be of critical importance in a passive-heavy world.

You can follow Prof. Hartzmark via the following channels:

Prof. Nicole Boyson will serve as the discussant on the paper.


Session 4: Practical Factor Investing for Advisors (with Tommi Johnsen and Jack Vogel)

This session is designed to provide actionable research-based knowledge that can potentially improve your portfolio construction and investment outcomes.

The first session, led by Tommi Johnsen, will focus on how to invest in an inflationary environment.

Jack will lead the next discussion and ascertain if “value is ready for a rebound (finally!)”

You can learn more about Tommi via the following links:

And here is where you can learn more about Jack:


Great, I’m In. How Do I Sign up?

The event is 100% free but we do screen participants to enforce our “no spammers” policy.

About the Author: Wesley Gray, PhD

Wesley Gray, PhD
After serving as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, Dr. Gray earned an MBA and a PhD in finance from the University of Chicago where he studied under Nobel Prize Winner Eugene Fama. Next, Wes took an academic job in his wife’s hometown of Philadelphia and worked as a finance professor at Drexel University. Dr. Gray’s interest in bridging the research gap between academia and industry led him to found Alpha Architect, an asset management firm dedicated to an impact mission of empowering investors through education. He is a contributor to multiple industry publications and regularly speaks to professional investor groups across the country. Wes has published multiple academic papers and four books, including Embedded (Naval Institute Press, 2009), Quantitative Value (Wiley, 2012), DIY Financial Advisor (Wiley, 2015), and Quantitative Momentum (Wiley, 2016). Dr. Gray currently resides in Palmas Del Mar Puerto Rico with his wife and three children. He recently finished the Leadville 100 ultramarathon race and promises to make better life decisions in the future.

Important Disclosures

For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Certain information is deemed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. Third party information may become outdated or otherwise superseded without notice.  Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) nor any other federal or state agency has approved, determined the accuracy, or confirmed the adequacy of this article.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Alpha Architect, its affiliates or its employees. Our full disclosures are available here. Definitions of common statistics used in our analysis are available here (towards the bottom).

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