NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, and Leading National Public Pension Plans Announce Second Annual Emerging Managers Week

New York, NY – Today, New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System, and the New York State Insurance Fund announced the second annual Emerging Managers Week set for the week of February 9, 2026. More than 2,000 investment professionals participated in last year’s inaugural Emerging Managers Week, resulting in new relationships, which served as a direct reflection of the value of intentional collaboration to foster new opportunities to access capital.

The annual collaborative effort between several of the nation’s largest pension plans representing more than $1 trillion in assets aims to spotlight and celebrate the role diverse and emerging asset managers play in delivering strong, risk-adjusted returns for institutional investors. Throughout the week, emerging managers will have an opportunity to attend conferences and symposiums where they can engage with each plan’s senior leadership. Each conference will highlight the work of each allocator to identify high-performing investment firms that typically do not have access to large institutional investors and foster the continued growth and development of successful managers with whom each fund invests.

The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), a new participant in Emerging Managers Week, will kick off the week on Monday with its 16th Annual MWBE Investment Symposium in New York City. The Symposium provides attendees with an informative and engaging space to hear from industry leaders about the challenges and successes in identifying diverse investment managers. The event also reinforces NYSIF’s longstanding commitment to expanding MWBE participation in its investment programs.

On Wednesday, the Office of the New York City Comptroller will host the 2026 Annual Diverse & Emerging Managers Conference in Lower Manhattan. The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System will host its 16th annual Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Investments and Professional Services Conference in Troy, NY on Thursday. The week will end with the New York State Common Retirement Fund’s 19th Annual Emerging Manager and MWBE Conference on Friday.

Attendees are provided with opportunities to hear from industry leaders, internal staff, and external investment consultants and network with other asset managers. The lineup will be packed with panel discussions specific to asset classes including public equities, real estate, fixed income and private equity, and robust networking opportunities with peer asset managers for each of the plans.

“A thoughtful expansion of the relationships Expanding the relationship we have with high performing asset managers who are often without an invitation to the room is an integral component of my office’s investment strategy,” said New York City Comptroller Mark Levine. “Emerging Managers Week provides an opportunity for both managers and allocators like us to tap into this growing yet underutilized network. I am thrilled to build on our existing efforts as we execute our mandate to deliver risk-adjusted returns for nearly 800,000 participants in New York City’s five public pension systems.”

“The New York State Common Retirement’s goals of staying abreast of the latest thinking and exploring creative approaches continue to drive our Emerging Manager program. The success of this program contributes directly to ensuring the financial futures of our members and pensioners, our most important fiduciary duty. Our Emerging Manager program will continue to strengthen the fund’s value, access new talent and investment opportunities and open new doors. My thanks to Comptroller Levine and our public fund counterparts who continue to show the remarkable value strong emerging manager and MWBE programs provide,” said New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“NYSIF is proud to participate in Emerging Managers Week, which complements our long-standing commitment to MWBE investment professionals,” said NYSIF Executive Director and CEO Gaurav Vasisht. “The gains that New York State investment funds have made in hiring diverse investment managers directly translate into strong investment returns. Diversity has proven to be a competitive advantage that’s critical to our long-term investment success.”

Registration for each conference is now open and emerging and diverse asset managers are encouraged to apply to attend. Due to limited capacity, registration is required for each conference.

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