# ASC Advisors

> ASC Advisors is a strategic communications firm exclusively focused on alternative investment managers, including hedge funds, private equity, private credit, venture capital, real estate and crypto firms. Founded in 2010 and based in Stamford, Connecticut, ASC is the largest team in the communications industry dedicated solely to the alternative investment management sector, with an average client tenure of nearly ten years.

ASC Advisors provides senior-level, ongoing strategic counsel rather than project-based services, covering media relations, investor relations, crisis and reputation management, executive positioning, transaction communications, and digital/social media strategy.

## Core pages

- [Home](https://www.ascadvisors.com/): Firm overview and positioning.
- [What We Do](https://www.ascadvisors.com/what-we-do): Core service capabilities.
- [Sectors We Serve](https://www.ascadvisors.com/sectors): Industry sectors ASC supports.
- [FAQ](https://www.ascadvisors.com/faq): Common questions about strategic positioning and ASC's approach.
- [Contact](https://www.ascadvisors.com/contact): How to get in touch.

## Team

- [Steve Bruce, Managing Partner](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/steve-bruce): Steve has been providing strategic counsel to financial services clients for nearly 40 years.
- [Mary Beth Grover, Partner](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/mary-beth-grover): Mary Beth has more than 20 years of experience representing a wide range of alternative investment firms.
- [Taylor Ingraham, Partner](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/taylor-ingraham): Taylor has worked directly with alternative investment managers for nearly 20 years.
- [Keely Gispan, Partner](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/keely-gispan): Keely advises clients on reputation management, brand building and profile-raising initiatives.
- [Max Rayden, Managing Director](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/max-rayden): Max has spent more than 15 years working within and serving the investment management industry.
- [Ana DuFlo, Senior Director, Head of Digital Strategy](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/ana-duflo): Ana is a seasoned digital communications leader with over a decade of experience helping companies build memorable brands and protect their reputations.
- [Kylie Souder, Director](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/kylie-souder): Kylie joined ASC Advisors as a Senior Associate in 2023, bringing more than five years of strategic communications experience.
- [Dan Stein, Senior Associate](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/dan-stein): Dan joined ASC Advisors in 2025 with five years of public relations experience focused on private funds and alternative investments.
- [Cassandra Dasco, Associate](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/cassandra-dasco): Cassandra joined ASC Advisors as an Associate in June of 2025.
- [Morgan Minoff, Associate](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/morgan-minoff): Morgan Minoff joined ASC Advisors as an Associate in June 2026, having previously interned with the firm beginning in May 2025.
- [Marco de Plano, Managing Director, Head of ASC Creative](https://www.ascadvisors.com/team/marco-de-plano): Marco brings more than 30 years of brand development and design leadership across the finance, luxury and technology sectors.

## Insights

- [News & Insights](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights): Hub for articles, newsletters and press coverage.
- [Press Coverage](https://www.ascadvisors.com/press)

### Perspectives Articles

- [The Sports Private Equity Playbook: Critical Communications Considerations](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/articles/sports-pe-playbook-pehub): Guest op-ed for PE Hub by ASC partners Taylor Ingraham and Max Rayden on the communications imperatives for private equity firms entering US professional sports ownership (published August 17, 2026).
- [2026 Mid-Year Media Moves](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/articles/media-moves): Tracks editorial moves across top-tier and trade financial media in H1 2026, including the Institutional Investor / Apax Partners LLP acquisition (August 3, 2026).
- [Grokipedia and the Rise of AI-Generated Content](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/articles/grokipedia): By Ana DuFlo — why a firm's public profile is critical in the age of AI-driven knowledge engines like Grokipedia (January 27, 2026).
- [Communicating Through Volatility](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/articles/volatility): By Keely Gispan — why strategic communication matters most for alternative investment managers during market volatility (September 16, 2025).
- [From Wall Street to Wall Street South](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/articles/wallstreet): By Max Rayden — what is fueling West Palm Beach's private markets renaissance (June 2, 2025).

### Newsletter Archive

- [Newsletter Archive](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters): Full archive index of monthly newsletter issues.
- [July 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/july-2026): Covers the Fed's policy shift under new chair Kevin Warsh, a surge in H1 2026 private fund launches, the FCA's revised name-and-shame enforcement guidance, a breakout year for IPOs, and new CFTC scrutiny of prediction markets.
- [June 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/june-2026): Covers AI's impact on research efficiency, the state of venture capital in 2026, shareholder activism trends, and flux in the real estate market.
- [May 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/may-2026): Covers AI adoption across alternative investment managers, a Q1 2026 M&A and IPO recap, continuing changes at the SEC, ongoing scrutiny of private credit, and the geopolitical impact on markets.
- [April 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/april-2026): Covers the geopolitical impact on alternative investment managers, a record $1 trillion in 2025 manager M&A, the future of private credit, and LinkedIn's rise as the dominant channel for professional search queries.
- [March 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/march-2026): Covers Kevin Warsh's nomination as the next Fed chair, the 2026 crypto crash, hedge fund flows, tech sector corrections, and the rise of AI-generated content.
- [February 2026 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/february-2026): ASC Advisors' 13th Annual Media Memo, recapping select 2025 media moves, key industry topics from 2025, and a look ahead to the media landscape in 2026.
- [December 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/december-2025): ASC Advisors' annual giving-season newsletter, highlighting the firm's support for Help for Children, 100 Women in Finance, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Tightlined Conservation Coalition, the Night of Hope Gala, and the Buoniconti Fund.
- [November 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/november-2025): Covers activist campaigns hitting a new 2025 record, continued financial market turbulence, hedge fund growth reaching new heights, and the FCA's advancing UK short-selling proposal.
- [October 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/october-2025): Covers the SEC's shift toward deregulation, multi-strategy funds surpassing equities for the first time, and the reemergence of meme stocks.
- [September 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/september-2025): A brief September 2025 update on developments across the alternative investment landscape.
- [August 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/august-2025): Covers crypto's regulatory breakthrough, changes at the SEC, and the debate over 401(k) investing in private markets.
- [July 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/july-2025): Covers new highs and lows in hiring and compensation, changes at the SEC, the market crash and rebound tied to Elon Musk, and rising tension in the Middle East and its effect on markets.
- [June 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/june-2025): Covers the equity market rebound, changes at the SEC, and bond market volatility.
- [May 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/may-2025): Covers venture capital's recalibration, alternatives' move from niche to mainstream allocations, and a lowering of the regulatory threshold.
- [April 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/april-2025): Covers market volatility, the rise of separately managed accounts (SMAs), and uncertainty around ESG investing.
- [March 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/march-2025): A market update and regulatory environment recap for March 2025.
- [February 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/february-2025): Covers the alternative investment landscape and the FCA's name-and-shame enforcement proposal.
- [January 2025 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/january-2025): A year-in-review of 2024's key themes for alternative investment managers, with a look ahead to 2025.
- [December 2024 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/december-2024): Covers ASC Advisors' end-of-year outlook and communications priorities for 2025.
- [November 2024 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/november-2024): Covers the 2024 election season's impact on markets and an update on the FCA's 'name and shame' proposal.
- [October 2024 Newsletter](https://www.ascadvisors.com/insights/newsletters/october-2024): Covers momentum in private markets and ASC Advisors' position on the FCA's 'name and shame' proposal.

## Contact

Email: info@ascadvisors.com
Phone: (203) 992-1230
Location: Stamford, Connecticut, USA