We’ve reached the end of Season 13 of The HPScast. To close out a fantastic run, host Colbert Cannon revisits some of the season’s most memorable moments. This year, we heard from leaders at the top of their fields, including a legendary global financial executive, an American fashion icon, and a powerhouse in the hospitality industry, as well as colleagues from across HPS and BlackRock who shared valuable insights.

The entire HPS team extends a sincere thank you to our guests and listeners for joining us. We’ll be taking a short break, but we look forward to returning soon with all-new conversations in Season 14.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jim Koman, Founder and CEO of ElmTree Funds, a triple-net-lease real estate investment platform that recently combined with BlackRock. Jim reflects on growing up in St. Louis, studying economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and building a career in commercial real estate that led to founding ElmTree. Jim shares his perspective on how the current interest rate environment is affecting the net-lease market.

Learn more about Jim and his work with ElmTree Funds here. Read Project Hail Mary, a science fiction novel by Andy Weir, Jim’s Best Idea, here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, The Carolina Way, by legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, co-authored with Gerald D. Bell and John Kilgo, here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with Elyce Arons, the co-founder of Kate Spade and co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine. Elyce traces her journey from a Kansas farm kid to building two iconic American fashion brands with her best friend, the late Kate Spade. She reflects on losing Kate in 2018 and finding the resolve to keep their second fashion and lifestyle label, Frances Valentine, flourishing in her honor. She also shares what’s coming up for the brand, including a truly full-circle collaboration with the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative.

Learn more about Elyce and her work at Frances Valentine here. Read Elyce’s memoir, We Might Just Make It After All, here—or, her Best Idea, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, Dept. Q, a British crime thriller television series created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani, here.

Every season, we spend one episode breaking down current credit market trends. In this season’s episode, we discuss the macro backdrop for credit, private and public credit’s exposure to software amidst concerns of AI disruption, and the types of businesses we believe are the most resilient in challenging environments. Our discussion, hosted by Colbert Cannon, features Vikas Keswani, Head of Direct Lending at HPS, and Scott Crocombe, a Managing Director from the HPS Liquid Credit team, as well as Dominique Bly, Macro Credit Research Strategist with BlackRock’s Private Financing Solutions platform.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Eva Pilgrim, the newest host of Inside Edition, television's longest-running syndicated television newsmagazine. Eva discusses her path from local reporter to international correspondent, and her eventual leap to anchoring GMA3 before assuming the role at Inside Edition, previously helmed by Deborah Norville for 30 years. Eva shares the behind-the-scenes of broadcast television and offers lessons in juggling a demanding work life while building a family. She also reflects on how media continues to evolve, and the discipline required to stay authentic in a rapidly changing landscape, offering insights into what keeps Inside Edition relevant in today’s fragmented news environment.

Learn more about Eva and her reporting at Inside Edition here. Read Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here—or watch the Apple TV adaptation here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with HPS Senior Advisor and Operating Partner Paul Achleitner, former CFO of Allianz and Chair of Deutsche Bank. Paul reflects on his distinguished career in global finance—from his formative years at Goldman Sachs to his leadership through the 2008 financial crisis. He shares lessons on risk management, disciplined decision-making, and effective governance in a rapidly changing world.

You can find Paul’s book, Accelerate Your Experience, here. Plan a visit to Nikko Yumoto-Onsen Ski Park, Paul's Best Idea, here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the novel Measuring the World, by  German-Austrian Daniel Kehlmann, here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon talks with Jonathan Tisch, former Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels & Co., Director Emeritus of Loews Corporation, and New York Giants co-owner, about his path from early work in broadcast media to leading multi-billion-dollar hotel and diversified holding companies. Jon outlines how the ethos of hospitality informs his view on leadership and community engagement. He also shares how he navigated industry shocks such as 9/11, the global financial crisis, and COVID-19, and lessons learned about the power of partnership and collaboration in tough times.

Learn more about Jon and the Loews Corporation here. Read The Power of We: Succeeding Through Partnerships here. Book a SoulCycle class, Jon’s Best Idea, here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week,  Board to Death, a comedy-drama created by  Tufts graduate Jonathan Ames and starring Ted Danson, here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon interviews George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman, an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager founded in 1939 with approximately 3,000 employees across 27 countries. Neuberger manages $563 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate, and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors, and individuals. George discusses the 2009 management buyout of Neuberger Berman from Lehman Brothers, highlighting key leadership lessons that have strengthened the firm's culture and driven growth. He also outlines Neuberger Berman's strategic priorities in the current market environment.

Learn more about George and his work at Neuberger Berman here. Read George’s Best Idea, 1929, written by Andrew Ross Sorkin, here. Watch Season 1 of Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, Task, a 2025 legal drama created by Brad Ingelsby and starring Mark Ruffalo, here.