Event Profile

CAIA Carolinas & CFA South Carolina present: Emerging Topics in Private Credit: Market Developments & Asset Class Evolution in 2026

Date(s):
March 18, 2026
Note:
All times listed are in local time
Venue:
Vincent Chiccos
Hutson Alley, 39-G John Street
Charleston, SC 29403 
Fee(s):
Free Event
Description:

 

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CAIA Carolinas Educational Event

This event will explore emerging topics in private and specialty credit markets in 2026, including venture debt, litigation finance, and music and royalty financing. The discussion will focus on market developments, structural characteristics, and risk considerations across these asset classes, as well as evolving demand for alternative credit strategies as investors seek portfolio diversification.

Time and Date
Wednesday, March 18th 2026
5:00-8:00 PM EST

Location
Vincent Chiccos
Hutson Alley, 39-G John Street
Charleston, SC 29403 

 

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Vincent Chiccos
Ryan McCalley


Ryan McCalley is the Managing Partner and Founder of SQN Venture Partners with lead responsibilities for the sourcing and investment process, and portfolio construction. Ryan brings over 20 years of portfolio management and startup operational experience to SQN Venture Partners.

Prior to establishing SQNVP, he was the Senior Vice President of ATEL Ventures, a San Francisco based private equity firm managing $2BN in assets.  Mr. McCalley’s tenure spanned over a decade with ATEL providing venture debt financing to emerging technology companies and he held various positions responsible for portfolio management, underwriting, origination and head of Clean Energy Investments.  

His extensive experience financing emerging technology companies led him to the co-founding of PURE Energies, Inc. in 2010.  Mr. McCalley was part of the founding senior management team and board responsible for taking PURE from concept to the largest VC backed exit for a Canadian company in 2014.  While with PURE Mr. McCalley raised over $20 million in venture capital financing from multiple funds, including New Enterprise Associates, the nation’s largest VC fund by AUM. He was also responsible for key strategic acquisitions that resulted in the sale of PURE to NRG Energy in 2014.

Mr. McCalley holds a BA in Economics and accounting from the University of California Santa Barbara, and holds multiple board and advisory positions within the entrepreneurial community stemming from his angel investing.


Timothy Robey


Tim Robey plays a key role in raising capital, managing investor relationships, expanding the fund’s network of limited partners, and driving business development initiatives. As the subject matter expert for the firm’s venture debt products and a member of the Investment Committee, Tim is actively involved in the portfolio construction of SQN’s investments.

Mr. Robey began his investment career in 2001.  He has held Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager positions with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Eaton Vance, Dwight Asset Management, and Lehman Brothers Asset Management. In these roles he was responsible for buy and sell decisions, portfolio construction, and risk management for the firm’s multi-sector and short duration portfolios.  Tim was also instrumental in the growth of the separately managed account (SMA) businesses and capital formation at these firms.  

Mr. Robey earned a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Computer Information Systems from Bentley College and an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management. He holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, is an active member of the Boston CAIA association, and holds the series 7 and 63 licenses.


Matt Sidari


Mr. Sidari has over a decade+ of media and entertainment investment and related operating experience having served as a senior investment professional at Raven Capital Management managing certain royalty, film & TV development, production, financing, domestic distribution & foreign sales activities, music publishing, live entertainment and intellectual property investments.

Mr. Sidari oversaw the day-to-day operations of Open Road Films following Raven’s acquisition of the legacy operator from bankruptcy in 2018. He subsequently spearheaded the auction process, deal negotiation and legal documentation for the sale of the catalog to a sponsor backed strategic distributor in 2024.

Prior to Raven, Mr. Sidari served as a Media & Communications Sector Analyst with BNP Paribas' Corporate & Investment Banking group. Mr. Sidari began his career within Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking Group where he focused on the underwriting, structuring and monitoring of senior debt transactions involving middle market and asset-based companies in addition to supporting the bank's sports lending practice.  

Mr. Sidari received a BBA in International Business and Economics, summa cum laude, from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and is a CFA charter holder.


Scott Zaleski


Scott has over 20 years of credit and private markets investment experience and oversees Variant’s Litigation Finance origination platform. He leads all facets of the firm’s investment process, including sourcing, structuring, negotiation, legal documentation, and monitoring.

Prior to Variant, Scott focused on opportunistic credit and private investment opportunities in dislocated markets, with Chicago Atlantic Group. Previously, he served as an investment professional and portfolio manager concentrating on complex securities and alternative investments, with a quantitative and fundamental analysis approach, at Fairway Capital. Scott began his career at Infinium Capital Management, managing high return on capital derivatives strategies, serving both as a cross asset-class portfolio manager and sector head. Scott received his BA in Finance from Michigan State University and MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.