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Context Summits Alternative Lending 2016 to Convene Emerging Innovators and Leading Visionaries in Dana Point, September 28, 2016
Program Focused on the Current Outlook and Changing Dynamics to Feature Ron Suber, Brian Weinstein, Brendan Ross, Ram Ahluwalia, and More

WESTFIELD, N.J., July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the world's most diverse and prominent leaders in alternative lending and alternative asset management will be featured at the inaugural Context Summits Alternative Lending 2016, which will take place on September 28, 2016 at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA. Context Summits is the preeminent producer of invitation-only events for the alternative asset management industry.

"We chose to highlight alternative lending as one fast growing segment that has emerged as allocators search for yield and managers look to differentiate their strategies and launch new products," said Mark Salameh, CEO of Context Summits. "With this growth, allocators require greater access and more information flow to assess the industry. We believe the program we have assembled offers access to a strong and deep line up of industry leaders and technology innovators, enabling participants to form actionable investment ideas and share information for 2017 and beyond."

Context Summits Alternative Lending 2016 will feature educational topics from industry leaders in the alternative lending space and will host keynote sessions and panel discussions on Wednesday, September 28. These discussions will focus on a variety of topics, including examining trends & future predictions; changing dynamics of alternative lending models; compare allocation vehicles; contrast traditional lending vs. alternative lending; examination of past mishaps in marketplace lending; and impact of the upcoming U.S. Presidential election.

The conference's keynote speakers include:

  • Ron Suber, President, Prosper Marketplace, a US-based marketplace lending platform
  • Brian Weinstein, Chief Investment Officer, Blue Elephant Capital Management, a NY based investment management firm focusing on illiquid assets
  • Brendan Ross, Chief Executive Officer, Direct Lending Investments, a private fund manager that invests in short-term small-business loans

Ram Ahluwalia, Chief Executive Officer, PeerIQ, a leading financial information services company that creates tools to analyze, access, and manage risk in the peer-to-peer lending sector.

During the morning session, Ron Suber, President of Prosper Marketplace will deliver a keynote address on "Examining Trends & Future Predictions in Alternative Lending." Mr. Suber commented, "In a world seeking yield, many leading marketplace lending platforms continue to deliver solid performance and attractive returns. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with others in our industry to discuss important topics such as loan performance, quality and the need for trust and transparency in our industry at the Context Summits Alternative Lending conference."

Brendan Ross, president and founder of Direct Lending Investments LLC, and Brian Weinstein, Chief Investment Officer of Blue Elephant Capital Management, will participate in a panel discussion on "The Changing Dynamics of Alternative Lending Models."

"Like any maturing industry, online lending is changing and adapting. That doesn't mean the model is broken or the fundamentals are not sound," commented Mr. Ross. "What it does mean, is that while there will continue to be strong demand from borrowers for alternatives to traditional bank lending, lenders meeting this demand will have to accept that they will need to have more skin in the game by acting less like brokers and more like lenders. Those that can efficiently separate bad borrowers from good borrowers, and more efficiently collect on good loans, will continue to reward investors with excess returns."

Mr. Weinstein said, "In the last year, marketplace lending has grown rapidly and matured as an investment strategy. This growth has expanded the universe of market participants and stakeholders and attracted a healthy degree of skepticism, causing investors to more closely examine the risks involved. This is causing positive changes for the industry as investors learn how to evaluate managers who know how to mitigate the risks inherent lending strategies and serve as a fiduciary for the investor."

To view the full agenda, request an invitation to attend, obtain information on sponsorship packets and speaking opportunities, please visit https://www.contextsummits.com/altlending. For media registration and speaker interview requests, please contact Nick Rust of Prosek Partners at nrust@prosek.com or pro-context@prosek.com

In addition, Context Summits West 2016 will take place on September 25-27 at the Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA. This event includes two-and-a-half days of one-on-one meetings between select managers and allocators. Meetings will run 30-minutes between allocators and managers. This year's event is expected to draw hundreds of hedge fund managers, institutional allocators and family offices.

About Context Summits
As the preeminent producer of events for the alternative asset management industry, Context Summits focuses on elevating the conference experience through an innovative format and structure where relationship building leads to unmatched results. A pioneer of the one-on-one 'summit' format, Context Summits utilizes an innovative approach to deliver effective and transparent networking events that elevate the conference experience for managers, allocators and investors. Through its systematic approach, Context Summits is able to attract high quality attendees, making meetings efficient and productive. For more details, please visit: https://www.contextsummits.com/west.

Media Contact:
Nick Rust
212.279.3115 ext. 252
nrust@prosek.com

SOURCE Context Summits