An independent, employee-owned, asset management firm
Knowledge Leaders Capital is a US-Registered Investment Advisor based in Denver, Colorado. The firm identified the Knowledge Effect – the tendency of highly innovative companies to generate excess returns in the stock market — and created the first investment methodology that seeks to capture those excess returns. The Knowledge Leaders investment products seek to transform these excess returns into portfolio alpha for investors. Knowledge Leaders Capital is creator, designer and manager of the Knowledge Leaders Strategy, investment products and separate accounts. Learn more about the academic foundations of the strategy here: Knowledge Effect
The Knowledge Leaders Strategy seeks to transform the Knowledge Effect into portfolio alpha. We identify Knowledge Leaders, or highly innovative companies, by measuring a company’s investment in its future growth. Knowledge Leaders possess deep reservoirs of intangible capital as a result of their history of investing in knowledge-intensive activities like R&D, brand development and employee education. Developed by founder Steven Vannelli and based on decades of academic research, our proprietary model adjusts a company’s financial history to capitalize these investments and reveal the companies with the greatest knowledge intensity. The companies that pass our quantitative screen are identified as Knowledge Leaders. We look for the best opportunities among Knowledge Leaders for investment by our actively managed funds.
Steven Vannelli, CFA
Founder, CEO & CIO
Jill Rakowski
Chief Operating Officer
Shawn Paulk
Head of Distribution
Brian Clark
Senior Analyst & Portfolio Associate
Amy Reardon
Head of Marketing & Communications
Austin Mann
Investment Analyst
Thomas Nemechek
Investment Analyst
2021 |
Knowledge Leaders Capital joins SmartX platform for unified managed accounts |
2020 |
Knowledge Leaders Capital becomes 100% employee owned |
2017 |
Firm rebrands to Knowledge Leaders Capital, an independent US Registered Investment Advisor |
2016 |
Founder and Chief Investment Officer Steven Vannelli acquires majority interest in the firm |
2015 |
Firm Launches Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF (KLDW) |
2010 |
Firm launches KL Allocation Fund (GAVAX, GAVIX) |
2006 |
Based on academic research, Steven Vannelli creates first Knowledge Leaders models for adjusting company financial statements to account for intangible investments |
2006 |
Founder Steven Vannelli establishes Gavekal Capital in Denver, Colorado |