#59: How to Become Investor-Ready: Fundraising & Investor Relations Strategies for Alternative Investments
Discover how fund managers go from overlooked to investor-ready in this episode of Alt Investing Made Easy. Guest expert Laura Oslick, founder of Stella Polare Advisors, reveals proven fundraising strategies, investor relations best practices, and the operational playbook every manager needs to attract sophisticated capital. Whether you’re raising for alternative investments, launching a non-traded REIT, or preparing for operational due diligence, this conversation shows exactly how to professionalize your processes, strengthen reporting, and tell a story investors trust. Mid-stage investors and fund managers will learn how to scale from boutique to institutional, improve communication, and position their funds for sustainable growth in today’s evolving private-market landscape.
About Our Guest: Laura Oslick, Founder & President at Stella Polare Advisors
Laura Oslick, CAIA, is a seasoned finance professional and community leader with deep expertise in alternative investments, real estate, and advisory services. As a Principal at Stella Polare Advisors, she brings more than a decade of experience guiding clients through complex financial landscapes, leveraging her background in investment banking, real estate, and capital markets. A graduate of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Laura has been recognized as a Dean’s Fellow, Forte Fellow, and Trammell Crow Residential/Leonard Wood Fellow. Beyond her professional work, she is an active voice in industry and community leadership, serving on the Advisory Board for UNC’s Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies, the Urban Land Institute, and the Junior League of Dallas. Her career reflects a rare blend of technical expertise, strategic insight, and a passion for empowering both clients and communities.
Connect with Laura Oslickon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoslick/
Top Takeaways
- Professionalize before you fundraise. ODD can block great strategies; fix ops, reporting, and governance early.
- IR is compounding. Clear, consistent communication during good and bad periods drives re-ups and referrals.
- Your deck is your 10-minute audition. Story, differentiation, and error-free numbers beat flashy design.
- Retail does not equal easy. Non-traded REITs unlock distribution but require monthly marks, SEC-grade reporting, and liquidity planning.
- Match structure to clients. Income-hungry clients favor REIT/BDC; long-horizon clients can hold illiquid closed-end funds.
- Process enables scale. Moving from $400M to $750M+ requires automation, tighter reporting, and documented controls.
- Roadshow readiness matters. Logistics + pitch coaching = better meetings, fewer errors, stronger outcomes.
Notable Quotes
- “The best time to be fundraising is when you’re not fundraising.”
- “You might have the best strategy in the world, but if you can’t pass operational due diligence, you won’t get dollars.”
- “You only get about ten minutes; your materials must earn the second meeting.
- “Retail channels aren’t ‘easier,’ they have their own obligations and nuances.”
- “It’s not just pretty design; clarity, differentiation, and accurate numbers win.”
- “Redemption features aren’t guarantees; set expectations and communicate.”
- “Solve puzzles, make things better, that’s what drives me.”
Chapters
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 02:00 – Investor Relations: Your Hidden Growth Engine
- 06:30 – Scaling from $400M to $750M+ Funds
- 10:45 – Pitch Books that Win Second Meetings
- 15:45 – Non-Traded REITs: Opportunity or Overload?
- 21:30 – Managing Liquidity and Redemption Expectations
- 27:55 – Matching Product to Advisor Client Profiles
- 31:30 – Roadshows & Travel Management for Fundraising
- 33:45 – Motivation & Mission
Credits
Sponsored by Real Advisers Capital, Austin, Texas
If you are interested in being a guest, please email us.
Disclaimers
“This production is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment or legal advice.”
“The hosts of this podcast practice law with the law firm, Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta PC; however, the views expressed on this podcast are solely those of the hosts and their guests, and not those of Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta PC.”
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