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.