The Wealth Mosaic Live: US Conference 2025 brought together leaders from wealth management, technology and behavioural finance to examine how innovation, data and human insight are reshaping the US wealth industry.
Over two days, we found the sector at a pivotal moment — navigating technological disruption, new regulation and cultural change. We heard the future depends less on technology itself than on how firms align digital capability with human connection, operational agility and inclusive service.
Technology and cultural transformation
Speaker after speaker emphasised was that the main barrier to progress is cultural, not technical. Many firms’ structures and attitudes lag behind their digital ambitions, as explained by Envestnet’s Crystal Andrus and PureFacts’ Robert O’Boyle, in a panel chaired by EY’s Charles Smith III.
While firms invest heavily in technology, many fail to convert this into productivity or better client experience. Outdated hierarchies, legacy processes and limited data fluency hold them back. O’Boyle noted that without a mindset shift, technology underperforms. Andrus added that large firms must choose between hiring more advisers or improving productivity through better technology — a choice requiring new approaches to training and operations.
The rise of artificial intelligence and data strategy
Artificial intelligence and its implications were on the minds of many at the event, both on-stage and off, not as an abstract future concept but as a practical force and rapidly-maturing toolkit that is transforming the wealth value chain. Its impact now extends from marketing to portfolio management, changing how firms attract and serve clients.
Marketing and brand building. Intention.ly’s Tina Powell and Joe Steuter showed how generative AI is reshaping visibility. Traditional SEO is giving way to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), which optimises content for AI-driven discovery. Firms must build external credibility and trust signals beyond their own sites, as AI ‘prefers’ independent validation— including through listings with The Wealth Mosaic.
AI adoption and use. Speakers urged firms to adopt AI deliberately — focusing on data visibility, defined experiments and clear use cases. Rather than chasing every emerging tool, speakers advised firms to install analytics foundations to audit AI readiness, and run GEO assessments, as their essential first steps.
Competitive urgency. FinTech Studios’ Jim Tousignant warned that the gap between AI leaders and followers is widening. With most firms citing AI as their top priority, firms that hesitate risk obsolescence. They will win competitive advantage through proprietary data and orchestration platforms that integrate structured and unstructured data for tailored insights.
Adviser trust. Panellists including Jack Patica of Park Avenue Securities, John Kowal of Peapack Private Bank & Trust, and Patrick Sullivan of Private Advisor Group highlighted the need for adviser buy-in for effective AI adoption. Advisers guard their client relationships, so AI must be positioned as an aid, not a substitute. Success depends on “championing” early adopters, peer advocacy, and demonstrating tangible improvements in client service before scaling.
Private markets, banks and credit unions, and platform integration
In a keynote on the potential of private markets, Cheryl Nash, President, APL at InvestCloud, described how regulation and technology are reshaping portfolio construction.
Once limited to institutions and ultra-wealthy investors, private markets are opening to retail and retirement accounts under new 401(k) rules. Nash projected portfolios shifting 10–20 percent towards private assets, improving diversification and returns.
We also heard from Margaret Hartigan, founder of wealth management platform Marstone, who reviewed the state of wealth management within banks and credit unions, where under a quarter of banks even have wealth management operations.
Banks are increasingly conscious of the potential wealth management offers: 78% of banks plan expansion into the area. “Banks are dying to get into wealth management,” she told attendees. Clients want more consolidation between banking and wealth management, with younger clients especially interested in consolidating their financial services providers. “We must focus on enabling banks with wealth,” Hartigan said.
InvestCloud’s platform unites public and private assets in a single account, automating data flows such as capital calls and redemptions to scale efficiently. Nash stressed that advisers must also rethink liquidity management, custodial links and client education as private markets become mainstream.
Redefining the RIA model
A panel with Rabih Ramadi of Avantos, Richard Thoeney of PreciseFP, Alois Pirker of Pirker Partners, and entrepreneur Amit Dogra explored the transformation of Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs). The model is expanding beyond investment management to financial planning, insurance and banking.
Large consolidators such as Hightower and Focus Financial are creating ‘RIA Houses’ — scaled, standardised enterprises, often private-equity backed — while smaller independents survive through niche focus and close client ties.
Technology enables this shift. Multi-product platforms allow firms of any size to deliver integrated services without heavy infrastructure costs. Chief Technology Officers now act as ecosystem coordinators, selecting best-fit tools rather than building proprietary systems.
Success will depend on cultural change as much as scale: advisers must evolve from individual performers to team leaders who integrate technology and data partners into their practice.
Behavioural science, inclusion and human insight
Day Two highlighted the human dimension — how behavioural science and inclusion can drive growth.
Behavioural personalisation. A panel chaired by TWM strategic adviser Michael Partnow, with Axos’s Summer Fischer-Tom and Hive Science’s Steve Fogle, showed how machine learning identifies over 300 behavioural patterns shaping decisions. These insights enable products and communications matched to clients’ cognitive styles and emotions, supporting more relevant engagement. Fischer-Tom predicted firms will need seamless integration to deliver “Amazon-like” experiences.
Serving neurodivergent clients. Another panel addressed the needs of neurodivergent investors — a large, underserved segment facing major wealth transfer. Ann Hynek of Hestia Wealth and Wellness and Agatha Errante of the Centsability Project advocated that advisers should use clear language, repetition, and flexible meeting options to accommodate sensory differences. They called for neurodiversity training to match compliance training, positioning inclusion as both ethical and strategic.
Human connection. Douglas Clayton, founder and CEO of Leadership FilmWorks, gave a TED-style talk linking leadership, purpose and community, drawing on Catholic priest Fr. Michael Doyle’s work in the underprivileged community of Camden, New Jersey — only a short journey from the conference venue in Atlantic City’s elegant Claridge Hotel. He reminded attendees that wealth management, at its best, is about relationships and legacy as much as returns.
Storytelling and value translation
A key question ran through the conference: how can firms make their value clear and memorable?
David Navama, co-founder and CEO of Storyline, described how advisers can use storytelling to transform static, fact-heavy communication in compliant, personalised communications at scale. He spoke about how blending AI precision with human empathy closes the “value translation gap”, ensuring innovation is understood and felt by clients.
Leadership, talent and the AI mindset
Closing sessions returned to mindset and learning. Tousignant said competitiveness depends less on credentials than on curiosity and adaptability.
With low-code tools such as “vibe coding”, professionals across functions can now build products and analyse data. Firms should reward experimentation and cross-team collaboration. As Tousignant warned, “the biggest risk is not to innovate.”
The next few years will decide which firms lead, as AI accelerates differentiation. Building internal champions, strategic partnerships and proprietary data will underpin long-term success.
An industry at a crossroads
The Wealth Mosaic Live: US 2025 revealed an industry in transition. AI, data integration and platform innovation are driving efficiency and scale, but lasting success will depend on creativity, empathy and adaptability.
As regulation opens new markets, behavioural science deepens understanding and AI redefines operations, wealth management stands between legacy and reinvention — between automation and authenticity.
