Robert J. Bernstein

For more than forty years Bob Bernstein has helped drive several of the most respected firms in the global financial services industry, culminating in various philanthropic and socially driven investment endeavors. A Wharton School grad, (BSE 1976, summa cum laude), Bob started his career with IBM and eventually joined Delaware Investment Advisors, where he helped pioneer numerous asset classes, led their international expansion, and sat on the advisory boards of East West Institute, Russel 20/20, and the NYU Salomon Center. He then joined Brinson Partners to develop Emerging Markets as an asset class, visiting over 50 countries in various stages of capital markets development and enabling him to take his young sons to places like South Africa and visiting his hovel in Soweto. No textbook could ever match those experiences or help them better appreciate their American birthright. The sale of Brinson to UBS in 2003 provided Bob the ability to start a Family Office, consult to Envestnet Inc. founder, Jud Bergman, invest in ENV’s IPO, and co-found what is today a trillion-dollar retirement services platform. He serves on the Boards of Fay Financial Inc., a national residential real estate group, PFM Asset Management, a $15BB OCIO, and Audiience Inc, an affinity marketing tech startup. Most importantly, he was able to help his son, Chad, launch Guitars Over Guns, a 501c3 music mentoring organization, in 2008. Already serving 1000+ middle-schoolers annually in Miami, Chicago and LA, GOG is positioned to scale even more dramatically with the help of several internationally acclaimed institutional partners. GOG is a proof statement that family values lead to multi-generational legacy. By promoting passion and giving our kids the tools to convert those passions into vocations, by celebrating failure as a stepping-stone to success, we promote self-fulfillment, driving a virtuous cycle to lead, succeed and give back.