Brian Portnoy is Managing Director and Head of Alternatives and Strategic Initiatives at Chicago Equity Partners. He is the author of The Investor's Paradox. He has spoken at numerous investing conferences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, has appeared frequently on CNBC and CNN, and has been quoted in major publications, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Portnoy is the founder of NorthCenter Capital Advisors, and has previously held positions as the Portfolio Manager of the Vestian Core Fund and Associate Head of Research at Mesirow Advanced Strategies. He has received grants from the MacArthur Foundation and he was also the recipient of the University of Chicago's prestigious Century Fellowship. Across the U.S. and Europe, Brian taught and lectured on numerous topics, ranging from classic political economy to the current challenges of globalization. At the University of Chicago, he served for two years as the coordinator of the prestigious Program on International Politics, Economics, and Security. He lives in Chicago, IL.