Cross Pollinate – Resiliency Through Community

The Community

About Cross Pollinate

Most conferences and industry associations are built around sponsors, speakers, and having brief connections with a large number of people. Most of these events do provide sufficient unstructured time for attendees to learn from their peers. At a typical conference, when a presenter shares their knowledge and experiences with a room full of people, there it isn’t the opportunity to go deeper in the areas relevant to you. These environments don’t invite confidential dialogues on sensitive topics.

Typical conferences are not a fertile environment for building deep and lasting friendships, having delicate conversations, or building a collection of peers to contact when challenges arise. The desire for this environment laid the groundwork for the Cross Pollinate Community.

Established

Event Cities

Topical Explorations

International Event

Our Story

In 2019, Cross Pollinate was incorporated as a non-profit trade association to “Connect Families to Better the World.” While the roots of the organization go back to peer groups organized in the Pacific Northwest half a decade before, the seeds were planted in the community even well before that. It took the culmination of several life events to fertilize this idea and bring it to fruition, with the hope that it grows long past the existence of its founders.

2013

  • Initial topical exploration meeting
  • Inaugural Wine Retreat

2015

First Cross Pollinate Event outside the US West Coast

2016

Regular Events in 5 Cities

First Single Family Office Hosted Event

2017

2019

Cross Pollinate Nonprofit Established

First Cross Pollinate Investment Partnership

2020

2021

First Cross Pollinate Investment has an IPO

2022

First International Event (Dubai & Zimbabwe)

2024

Gathering to watch “The Lehman Trilogy” Play

2025

Regular Zoom & In-person events

Our Approach

Cross Pollinate curates an intimate environment of peers, interested in going deeper, sharing diverse perspectives and personal experiences, in a confidential environment. Cross Pollinate creates experiences where a wealth creator or inheritor, without any investment background can feel at home sharing their experience and perspective. Likewise, investment professionals, and family office managers feel at home discussing their personal goals as well as the intricacies of wealth and values transfer.
Investments

Who We Are

Cross Pollinate was founded by Mark Youngblood with the support of many family office staff and principals who were looking for a new way to connect with their peers, while learning and building friendships. Mark is supported by a group of advisors who have been involved with the family office community for decades. Contact us if you would like to know more about the community and its members.

Community

Advisors

Brad Parker

Brad is the Managing General Partner of WeHope LLC, an office serving over a dozen households across second, third, and fourth generations of a single west coast based family. Mr. Parker is based in Seattle and has a strong background in Nonprofit Organizations, Philanthropy, Management, and Leadership. Prior to his management of the family partnership, Mr. Parker worked at multiple financial institutions.

Michael Kane

Mike is the President of Kestrel Investments, a single family office near Philadelphia investing in venture capital and in private equity, which he founded in 2005. Mike also teaches philosophy and economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Mike has run a start up company and worked for many years in a family operating business. He has been an active board member for a number of start up, and an advisory board member for several family office groups, including Institutional Investor, The 50, and IPI. Mike co-leads the week-long Wharton program for family offices each May.

Kerryn Seward

Kerryn is the President of Williams and Parker, a family enterprise in Thomasville, GA serving the fourth, fifth and sixth generation of single family. Mr. Seward is a native of Zimbabwe with a background in conservation. In the office he focuses developing human capital as well as investments. Kerryn has been speaker and active in several family office groups, including Institutional Investor, The 50, and IPI.