About the 2026 Series
Kayo is replacing one large conference with a curated series of intimate, regionally focused gatherings bringing ~100 senior leaders together for relevant content and high-quality, designed networking. Attendees get prime positioning, real relationship-building with key decision-makers, and a program tailored to their market and team, delivering stronger ROI through deeper access and more durable connections.
Driving Business Opportunities in New York
An intimate, invitation-caliber gathering of senior private equity professionals anchored in the New York market — built around dealmaking, regional market insight, and high-quality access to the people who matter most to your business.
The Details
WHO ATTENDS
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Private equity, private credit, corporate M&A, secondaries, and other asset managers
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Investment bankers and equity and debt capital market professionals
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Endowments, foundations, pension, insurance, OCIOs, family office and other institutional investors
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Select advisors to asset managers and allocators
WHY THE ROOM IS DIFFERENT
Every attendee is reviewed before a pass is issued. We limit attendance to ~100 senior leaders so that every conversation in the room is worth having. No generalist crowd. No wasted time. The people you need to meet are the people in the room.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and a member of our team will respond within 5 business days.
CATEGORY AVAILABILITY - NEW YORK
WHAT CO-SPONSORSHIP INCLUDES
- Speaking opportunity on a market-focused panel
- Structured 1:1 networking with senior GP attendees
- Prominent brand positioning across all Forum materials
- Attendee list access 4-weeks prior to the event
- Association with post-Forum content distribution
Category slots are first-come, first-served. One firm per category. Law firms are not eligible.
AGENDA - NEW YORK
| Time | Agenda |
|---|---|
1:00 PM |
Registration & Connection Café |
1:15 PM |
Opening Remarks |
1:30 PM |
Private Equity Dealmaking Today As market conditions grow more nuanced, private equity dealmaking demands both discipline and ingenuity. This panel unites investors, lenders, and advisors to examine how transactions are being sourced, priced, structured, financed, and ultimately closed in today's environment. With a focus on New York as a center of gravity for middle-market activity, panelists will share how the dynamics of one of the country's most competitive markets are shaping deal strategy and driving broader industry trends. |
2:15 PM |
Connection Café & Meet the Speakers |
2:45 PM |
Investing Around the Consumer: Trends, Demand, and Opportunity The bar for consumer investment has never been higher and neither has the cost of getting it wrong. In a market defined by persistent macro pressure, evolving trade policy, and shifting consumer spending, middle-market sponsors are demanding more from their theses upfront and working harder to protect value once deployed. This panel will explore what separates the consumer businesses worth backing from those that only look compelling on paper and what stress-testing assumptions around brand strength, pricing power, supply chain resilience, and customer loyalty looks like before and after close. Panelists will discuss how the full deal team is aligned around value protection as much as value creation, and what it takes to carry a consumer platform confidently from entry to exit. |
2:45 PM |
Investing in Healthcare Services: Growth, Innovation, and Scale Healthcare continues to be a focus area for private equity, with opportunities across physician services, behavioral health, home-based care, healthcare technology, and other healthcare services sectors. Global healthcare private equity deal value reached record levels in 2025, reflecting continued investor interest despite a more challenging transaction environment. Labor shortages, reimbursement pressures, regulatory scrutiny, rising costs, and financing constraints have reshaped the healthcare investment landscape, changing both where investors are deploying capital and how they are creating value across their portfolios. During this discussion, we'll explore where capital is being deployed, how firms are approaching valuation and financing, where portfolio companies are finding growth, and how sponsors are creating value from acquisition through exit. |
3:30 PM |
Fundraising Trends Fundraising has become one of the most consequential tests of a private equity firm's overall strength and in today's environment, capital is flowing to a narrower set of managers than ever before. LPs are making fewer, more deliberate commitments, and the bar for both new relationships and re-ups has risen meaningfully. This panel explores what is driving allocation decisions, how manager-investor relationships are being built and maintained through a challenging cycle, and what middle-market sponsors can do to position themselves competitively when they come to market. |
3:30 PM |
Private Equity Finance |
4:15 PM |
Connection Café & Meet the Speakers |
4:30 PM |
Structured Networking: Table Talks |
5:00 PM |
Cocktail Reception |
Full agenda with confirmed speakers coming soon
Kayo is a powerful network that connects women in finance and investing
Partner, WestCap
What to Expect
5 hours
of content across panels and networking, covering insights on regulatory shifts, market trends, and innovative deal structures shaping alternative investing.
100 attendees
that form a thoughtfully-designed, warm, and inclusive setting where meaningful conversations happen naturally. Meet the people you want to connect with most, organically.
1 day
of networking through thoughtfully designed experiences such as the Connection Café and Meet the Speakers. Kayo's secret sauce is intentional introductions that create opportunities.
Past Speakers
Janki Chudgar
Principal
Advent International
Jaime Hildreth
Partner
WestCap
Angela Jhanji
Managing Director
EQT Group
Jill Granoff
CEO
Eurazeo Capital
Susan Bihler
Partner
Lead Edge Capital