SAVE THE DATE

SAVE THE DATE

Solstrand Hotel is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The Sessions at Solstrand is a gathering for people who want real conversations, not just LinkedIn connections.

Over three days, we’ll dive into fund manager strategy, explore under-the-radar investment opportunities from the west coast of Norway, and hear from entrepreneurs, technologists, creatives—and maybe even a chef or musician. We’ll also make space to talk about the personal toll this industry can take.

I’m Done With Big Conferences. So I’m Hosting This Instead.

I spend most of my time working on fundraising and—perhaps as punishment for my sins—I’ve logged far too many hours at LP/GP “matchmaking” events over the past few years. Most are cold. Endless barrage of people in suits, faces buried in phones, avoiding eye contact, rushing between meetings like they’re checking boxes instead of building relationships.

Tech-centric investor events love to brag about attendance numbers, but I’ve found the correlation between quantity and quality goes in the wrong direction.

Slush? “13,000 of the most brilliant founders, investors, operators, executives, media, and talent.” Sounds like a recipe for claustrophobia.

I’d rather emerge from an event with three or four real relationships than thirty or forty contacts.

Three Days in Solstrand.
No Suits.

My friend Sarah Altemeyer hosts relaxed, invite-only gatherings where food and city sightseeing are just as important as the tech talk and meetings between investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs. Chatham House Rules apply. No social media.Just a WhatsApp group to stay in touch. She’s my inspiration.

From one weekend in Warsaw last September, I still maintain several close relationships—both personal and professional. I followed up with one person on Zoom and later recommended them as a speaker. Another introduced me to a sovereign fund with a meaningful, warmed-up intro. One sent me an investment opportunity. One asked for Norway travel tips. Anothewr called to talk through a personal issue. These were real connections—not just names added on LinkedIn.

I’ll admit it: maybe this is just me turning 50+. Maybe my tastes have changed. Fair enough.

Some of my initial thinking:

  • Experienced allocators share how they construct portfolios, their current focus going forward, frustrations with how they are approached by people askig for money, and advice on how best to develop a meaningful dialogue (one that leads to yes or no within months rather than being ghosted over years).

  • Emerging fund managers pitch us in real time with live tough-love Q&A.

  • Entrepreneurs from the west coast of Norway present their cases to highlight what I call “unsexy sexy” investment opportunities that might be under your radar—and inspire you to focus more on the west coast than, say, Oslo, when you think of Norway.

  • One or two seriously, seriously nerdy people enlighten us on a particular aspect of technology. It’s a deep dive meant to educate, but I’ll challenge the speakers to be both super nerdy and to decode the nerdy into bite-size chunks even Forrest Gump could consume.

  • Come at it from a different angle and invite a chef, architect, photographer, or fashion entrepreneur to share their stories. (Maybe we can sample their wares.)

  • Come at it from yet another angle and tackle the elephant in the room: the mental health damage that comes from attempting the nearly impossible and sacrificing money, family, and reputation to launch something new.

  • Arrange an experience that takes advantage of the fjord.

  • Allow space and time for people to meet—ideally connecting with individuals you've never met before.

  • Leave feeling refreshed and recharged, not dehydrated and exhausted.

  • For international guests, you’re welcome to extend your stay through the weekend to experience Norway’s Constitution Day on the 17th of May.