Rap legend Big Boi of Outkast joins Future Proof Festival lineup

If you’ve ever dreamed of attending a wealth management conference headlined by a diverse lineup of industry voices and a Grammy stacking hip-hop icon who likes “The Way You Move,” the inaugural Future Proof Festival has you covered.

Advisor Circle and Ritholtz Wealth Management announced Wednesday that Big Boi of Outkast will hit the stage during the event slated to take over Huntington Beach, California, for four days this fall. One half of the legendary rap duo is among several Future Proof performers not typically on the guest list of a gathering geared toward financial planners.  

Also performing at Future Proof is American indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums; A-list DJ to the stars DJ MICK; and Hi-Fidelity and Stella Blue's Band, featuring Fidelity Institutional’s David Canter and CNBC’s Steve Leisman. Organizers say additional acts will be announced in the coming months.

Along with the news of Big Boi making the bill is an announcement that Future Proof has surpassed 1,000 registered attendees, including more than 700 financial advisors and institutional investors collectively managing more than $654 billion in assets. The minds behind the event say the goal is to reach 3,000 attendees in year one.

They are also working to make sure that people of color, women and other underrepresented advisors make up a large portion of those in attendance. Organizers pushed hard toward that goal earlier this year by forging a partnership with Onyx Advisor Network that will send some attendees to the festival for free.

During Black History Month and Women's History Month, anyone who registered for the festival was given the opportunity to offer an underrepresented industry colleague a complimentary ticket. Those who gifted complimentary tickets were then entered into a raffle to win a three-night stay at Hyatt Huntington Beach during the conference.

“There’s a cultural rebirth underway in wealth management. The launch of Future Proof symbolizes the beginning of a new era of investing and finance where we redesign traditional models while using modern techniques. It’s our industry’s Renaissance moment,” Matt Middleton, CEO of Advisor Circle and co-creator of Future Proof, said in a statement.

“This s*** is going to be insane,” added Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO and Future Proof co-creator Josh Brown. “If you’re working in wealth management, financial planning, the investment business or fintech and you’re not at Future Proof, do you even exist?”

Future Proof currently boasts a lineup of 50 speakers delivering keynotes, panel discussions, interactive conversations and live podcast recordings. Among the confirmed speakers are CFP Board Chair Kamila Elliott, Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals Founder Ric Edelman, Adasina Social Capital CEO Rachel Robasciotti, and Equity Army Founder Annie Jean-Baptiste.

Podcast sessions for programs like Invest Like the Best, Bloomberg's Masters in Business, Earn Your Leisure's Market Mondays, The Compound and Friends, Animal Spirits, On The Tape, The Meb Faber Show and Pop Culture Mondays are all on tap as well.

Middleton previously told Financial Planning that Advisor Circle and Ritholtz Wealth Management believe the future of wealth management is more diverse, more inclusive and better represents the U.S. population.

When crafting Future Proof, it was decided that there would be no “pay-to-play” opportunities at the event, eliminating the risk of sponsors-placed speakers not in line with their desire to shake up the status quo. That means all speakers and companies must apply or be invited to take part in Future Proof.

He added that as the industry pushes to become more inclusive than the current demographics suggest, the focus needs to shift from internal changes within organizations to widespread changes that move the entire profession forward.

“For anyone looking into our industry that is not familiar with our industry, as big as your internal mandate or change might seem to you, doesn't really move the needle in perception,” Middleton said as Advisor Circle announced its partnership with Onyx. “We hope that Future Proof turns into a platform and a catalyst to change that perception.”

Future Proof is slated to take place Sept. 11-14 on a half mile of beachfront within a completely outdoor setting.

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Industry News Diversity and equality Wealth management Career advancement Future Proof 2022
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