Finance Industry Leaders Share Career Insights and Wisdom at Pepperdine’s Fourth Coastal Capital Summit

Pepperdine's finance community—including students, faculty, and prominent industry leaders, many of whom are alumni—convened for the fourth-annual Coastal Capital Summit held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the University’s Malibu campus. The student-led conference featured a packed itinerary of keynote speakers, breakout panels, and networking opportunities among business leaders and current Waves passionate about finance and economics. 

Spanning wealth management and commercial banking to private equity and investment strategy, the summit featured an accomplished lineup of industry professionals. Keynote speakers included Megan Caywood (’12), founder of Caywood; Jakob Diepenbrock, founder of Discipulus Ventures; Steve Hufford, head of investment banking at Raymond James; and Alton McDowell, global head of corporate banking at Scotiabank.

Left: Megan Caywood ('12) speaks to the audience about her exepreince in fintech. Right: Raymond James shares best practices for a successful career. 

In his opening remarks, the summit’s founder Ulysse Saltiel (’25) underscored his initial conviction for initiating this event: to provide an easy way for students to connect face-to-face with a network of successful alumni who wish to pass along their insights for professional and personal success. What began four years ago as a “gathering of 40 friends meeting on Saturday to talk about finance” has evolved into an event that brings hundreds of alumni back to the Malibu campus each year, equipping students with skills and an expanded network that can serve as a firm foundation for their professional lives.

“Many students arrive at Pepperdine with a broad interest in finance, but with limited exposure to recruiting cycles, firms that hire, professions available, and strategies that define the industry. This summit is meant to close that gap,” Saltiel to the audience. “Finance recruiting is relationship driven. By bringing professionals to campus, the summit gives students the relationships they need to learn andgrow, to secure internships and full-time offers, and to develop a long-term successful career in finance.”

Keynote speaker Caywood reflected on her journey from Pepperdine, where she studied neuroscience and ethics, to a career in financial technology. While referencing pivotal moments throughout her professional journey, Caywood encouraged students to remain resilient when their plans do not unfold as expected.

Students listened with intent

“There are many times in my career where I have had to exercise resilience,” said Caywood. “All of my biggest moves and all my biggest career growth were predicated on God's bigger plan happening instead of things I wanted, and just then just persevering until I found that path.”

During the daylong event, Hufford also shared pearls of advice gleaned through his experiences as the head of investment banking. He recommended that ambitious young people heading into the business world always balance and order their loves toward an ultimate good, God, rather than temporal goods that will always fade away. In fact, he considered this firm foundation in God, and decentralization of worldly success, to be his sources of confidence to pursue his business goals. 

“In fact, I would argue that I have my job today because people saw some of these traits in me and thought I might be successful at leading an investment bank,” Hufford said. “Why is that so? I think it's because I was able to anchor my life's mission and objectives to this timeless set of core values and not chase the myriad of shiny objects that could have become idols in my life. And so I'm here today to commend the very same idea to you.” Hufford said. 

Similarly, in his remarks, McDowell challenged students to look beyond the immediate availability of information and develop the curiosity necessary to understand complex ideas and form original perspectives. Reflecting on his career journey from growing up in a small rural town in East Texas to serving in leadership roles at Arthur Andersen, JPMorgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Scotiabank, McDowell emphasized that intellectual curiosity—and reading constantly amid, what he calls, a growing “reading slump”—to be central to his development.

Indstury leaders shared their insights in smaller breakout panels

“In addition to technology giving you this instant access to information, it’ll even give you instant access to other people’s insight,” said McDowell. “What it doesn’t do is give you this deep understanding. And without a deep understanding, you really can’t come up with original points of view . . . That’s how I think you land your first job; that’s how I think you grow in your career.” 

Throughout the summit, students participated in breakout panels covering a range of topics within the finance industry. The smaller-group conversations provided students with opportunities to ask questions, hear directly from professionals working in their fields of interest, and gain a deeper understanding of potential career paths.

Lauren Cosentino (’97, MBA ’12), vice president of advancement and chief development officer at Pepperdine, also discussed the significance of the summit and the organic student effort that brought the event to life. She emphasized the importance of creating a channel between students and alumni in the working world. 

“Ulysse and Jeffery Rhode, our chief investment officer, realized we need a clear and easy path for students to connect with Pepperdine’s broader network of alumni and businesses. We need a bridge between the professional world and Pepperdine’s student body,” said Cosentino. “I tell everybody how phenomenal and powerful this event is, and how it all came together organically, among students. This is amazing, and you are all a part of something special.”

Cosentino later recognized the student organizers who helped coordinate the summit, honoring Kian Alton, Henry Hicks, Jake Shores, and Angela Ying for their contributions to the event.

Students had ample time to hear firsthand advice and network with keynote speakers

A large number of attendees consisted of current Pepperdine students desiring to learn how to put their best foot forward as they enter the professional world. In between keynote addresses, business professionals discussed industry best practices with students one-on-one. 

“My biggest takeaway from today was to build genuine relations with others, which requires work on your emotional intelligence and your people skills, just as much as your intellect,” said Charise Lee, a current Pepperdine student in attendance. 

“Building off the importance of effective communication,” added Andrew Stice, who is majoring in economics at Pepperdine, “I learned reading and being up-to-date on your technicals, whether that means reading books, the Wall Street Journal, or magazines, is important as well as fostering the connections that you build.” He continued, “And I think even a bigger premise than that even would just be trusting God and keeping faith that he has a purpose for your life.”