RPM - Reflections on Private Markets

Finding an edge in UK private equity: Scarcity, specialism, and succession

In this episode of RPM, Michael Venne sits down with Akhilan Nesaratnam to explore why UK private equity has quietly outperformed, despite the noisy macro backdrop. They unpack three forces shaping the market’s edge—scarcity, specialism, and succession—and what could change as the Mansion House Accord signals a new wave of domestic capital and competition.

Implementation framework

In this episode of RPM, Miguel Sosa and David Robbins join co-host Anna Marcus to unpack the implementation gap holding advisors back from private markets—exploring why shifting public market dynamics demand a rethink of the traditional 60/40 portfolio, and how evergreen structures and a practical allocation framework can help advisors bridge the divide.

Power, planets & the abyss — how AI, space, and the deep sea are shaping private markets

Suzanne Tavill [https://www.stepstonegroup.com/members/suzanne-tavill/], Global Head of Responsible Investment, joins Michael Venne [https://www.stepstonegroup.com/members/michael-venne/] to unpack the game-changing themes explored in our two recent whitepapers: how AI-driven energy demand is sparking investment opportunities across the power ecosystem, and how falling exploration costs are reframing the deep sea and space as an extension of Earth’s industrial base. * How energy sources are powering AI (1:57) * The role of private capital (6:19) * Practical bottlenecks around AI growth (8:52) * Remapping of geostrategic value (13:09) * Resources and opportunities in space and the deep sea (15:11) * What’s next (21:55)

The case for emerging managers with Ted Panarese and Aditya Fontana-Raina

In this episode of RPM, Ted Panarese and Aditya Fontana-Raina, New York-based Managing Directors on our private equity team, join co-host Anna Marcus to explore whether emerging managers truly represent a disproportionate source of risk, or if the opportunity has been mischaracterized. They cover: * Revisiting the case for emerging managers (3:02) * What the data says about early-fund outperformance (4:12) * The ideal Fund I profile (6:41) * Risks with Fund I investing (11:15) * Building a disciplined emerging manager playbook (13:52) * Risk management at the program and portfolio level (16:36) * Key takeaways (21:32) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Fall 2025 Real Estate House Views with Jeff Giller and Margaret McKnight

In this episode of RPM, Jeff Giller, Partner and Head of Real Estate, and Margaret McKnight, Partner and Head of Portfolio Solutions for StepStone Real Estate, rejoin co-host Maribel Yoo to discuss our Fall 2025 House Views on the state of the real estate market. They cover: * Market backdrop and investor sentiment (00:58) * Deployment concerns (2:33) * Maturity wall and recap opportunities (05:40) * Addressing the fundamentals (8:31)  * Sector and regional outlooks (9:44) * Investor frustrations and takeaways (12:21) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.