Michael Leffell is the Managing Member of Portage Partners, Chairman of Canoe Intelligence, and Founder and Chairman of 10 East, an investment platform for sophisticated investors to access private markets by co-investing alongside Michael. Michael was former Deputy Executive Managing Member of Davidson Kempner, where he spent twenty-one years before retiring in 2010. He formed a family office shortly thereafter and developed Portage, Canoe, and 10 East out of his investing activities.

Our conversation covers Michael’s professional investment career, personal investing following his retirement, and businesses created from those activities.

And a little disclaimer is in order: I’ve known Michael for about a decade, and after becoming impressed by the quality of 10 East’s offerings, its research process, and high-quality investment team, I became an advisor to the organization and an investor in multiple offerings.