Roger Graham Financial Advisor is the founder, CEO, and chief investment officer of Braintrust Capital, where he brings more than 25 years of advisory experience to clients. A certified investment management analyst and certified exit planning advisor, he provides coordinated financial planning, portfolio management, and estate, tax, retirement, college, and business succession planning. His background spans private equity through Rainworth Enterprises and senior roles at UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo Advisors. He has published articles on allocation strategy, including contributions to Texas Eagle Ford Shale Magazine. Graham’s community service includes board and committee leadership, such as chairing the investment policy subcommittee at the San Antonio Area Foundation, as well as roles with schools and nonprofits. With a JD from the University of Michigan and executive education at Yale and the University of Chicago, he follows events like the Future Proof Festival to inform client-focused strategies.
Future Proof Festival Offered Transformative Wealth Management Ideas
The 2025 Future Proof Festival brought together 5,000 wealth management professionals, fintechs, and financial advisors to explore transformative ways of managing and growing client assets. Held in Huntington Beach, California, Future Proof CEO Matt Middleton, who founded the conference in 2005, continues to lead it.
Speaking with InvestmentNews, Middleton described the event as focused on building genuine connections through a packed four-day lineup of presentations and Breakthru sessions. Professionals worldwide gather to enjoy boardwalk ocean views, live music, and collaborative meetings that foster deep conversations on the industry and form lasting friendships.
Middleton notes that the Future Proof learning curve was steep at first, with the initial event incurring a loss of $2.8 million. Undismayed, he held fast to his vision and focused on an elusive goal of making money while attracting top voices in the field. Today, the Future Proof brand encompasses offshoots such as the Citywide Miami edition (next held in early 2026) and Leaders Retreats. On the horizon is another “big tent” gathering beyond the California flagship: Future Proof Citywide will focus on the manifold ways that finance and AI intersect.
As the Future Proof CEO sees it, AI functions as an operating model for how advisor businesses operate, with successful businesses going “AI native” within an accelerated three to five-year timeframe. While some see this as dystopian, he believes the human element will still be vital to success. An example is the conference itself, which features 75 group activities held across the city and 40,000 one-on-one Breakthru meetings.
Rob Kaplan, a Goldman Sachs executive, served as a high-profile presenter at the September 2025 event. Kaplan previously worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He addressed fears of a looming recession, noting “the job market is weak, but it’s not falling off a cliff.” He forecasted a moderate 25-basis-point cut in interest rates as a way of addressing current inflationary pressures.
Kaplan also brought focus to structural issues impacting the economy, including a rapid increase in AI data center power needs as the US plays catch-up with China, as well as reduced labor supply and tariffs that affect trade. He has faith that the Fed will act as a counterweight to these pressures, adjusting policies to achieve medium-term growth, two to three years out. He envisions the growth of transmission, modular nuclear, and geothermal infrastructure as providing profit opportunities for savvy investors.
Another panel focus is on the Great Wealth Transfer, which will see $84 trillion change hands over the next two decades. It will require investor education and reaching out to clients of the next generation (and the present one, with data revealing that 70 percent of women switch financial advisors after their spouse passes away. Business succession is another area of professional focus: with a majority of private business owners planning to sell their company in the next 20 years, only five percent have written down plans. In this area, wealth managers should be providing proactive support.
Other widely discussed topics at the event included crypto adoption and the regulatory landscape surrounding the next phase of growth for exchange-traded funds (ETFs). With the Federal Reserve’s policy in an evolutionary phase, considering various new technologies and investment strategies emerging, wealth advisors must focus closely on trends and ways to leverage insights into positive financial results.
About Roger Graham
Roger Graham is the founder, CEO, and chief investment officer of Braintrust Capital. With nearly three decades of experience, he offers financial planning, portfolio management, and coordinated estate, tax, retirement, college, and business succession services. He previously served in senior roles at UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo Advisors, and has experience in private equity. Graham is a certified investment management analyst and certified exit planning advisor. He has published on allocation strategy and contributes to community boards, including the San Antonio Area Foundation.
