Episode 16, January 23rd, 2025
Show Summary
Gemma Leddy interviews:
Tamarind Learning – A premier wealth education platform.
Foundation Source – Simplifying private foundation management and enhancing philanthropic impact.
About the Moderator
Gemma Leddy, Partner in Charge – PKF O'Connor Davies Family Office
Gemma leads PKF O'Connor Davies' award-winning Family Office practice, delivering financial management, tax, and advisory services to ultra-high-net-worth clients. With a background as a CFO and CPA partner, she has extensive experience in managing finances for family offices, investment firms, and nonprofits across various industries, including art, real estate, and philanthropy.
Tamarind Learning
Represented by CEO & Founder, Kirby Rosplock
Tamarind Learning is a wealth education platform designed for affluent adult learners (18+). It provides comprehensive courses covering the technical aspects of owning, inheriting, and managing wealth. Topics include financial literacy, investing, trusts, tax, estate planning, stewardship, and family office management, equipping learners with the tools to manage wealth responsibly.
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About Kirby
Kirby Rosplock, PhD, is the founder of Tamarind Learning, an award-winning online platform that educates families, beneficiaries, and advisors in areas of family wealth management. Author of several books, including "The Complete Family Office Handbook", she combines her extensive experience and knowledge of family business, family office, and wealth management. Recognized as an innovator and trusted advisor, Kirby's work has earned her multiple accolades, including Best Specialty Service Provider (2022) by the Family Wealth Report. She also hosts the Tamarind Learning podcast.
Foundation Source
Represented by Chief Revenue Officer, Louis D’Addario
Foundation Source is a leading provider of support services for private foundations. Its solutions simplify foundation management, enhance philanthropic impact, and assist families, individuals, and advisors in achieving their charitable goals.
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About Louis
As Chief Revenue Officer at Foundation Source, Lou D’Addario oversees all revenue-generating activities, including sales, business development, and strategic alliances, delivering tech-enabled services to financial institutions, philanthropic families, and professional advisors.
A seasoned sales leader, Lou has extensive experience in applying innovative technologies to financial services, transforming inefficient processes into value-driven solutions. Previously, he was Managing Director at Charles River Development, where he drove revenue growth, and at Envestnet, leading institutional business development with 20% annual revenue growth. Notably, he helped grow FolioDynamix from $5 million to $82 million in ARR, leading to its acquisition by Envestnet.
Lou also serves as a strategic advisor and former board member of BaseCap Analytics and supports causes like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and animal welfare. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University.
Detailed Show Notes
(00:00 - 01:26) Introduction
Tamarind Learning (Dr. Kirby Rosplock)
(03:32 - 04:20) Company Overview
- Tamarind Learning is a wealth education platform for affluent families, heirs, and advisors.
- Provides structured learning on estate planning, trust structures, financial literacy, and wealth transfer.
(06:24 - 08:16) - Founding Story & Vision
- Inspired by real-world experience—Kirby worked with a blended family facing a wealth transition where one side lacked financial knowledge while the other was highly educated (JD/LLM, Wharton MBAs).
- Initial development of an education tech platform for that family led to scaling Tamarind Learning for the industry.
- Launched in 2019, just before the pandemic, allowing widespread adoption.
(09:13 - 14:41) Key Insights & Learning Approach
- Addresses complexity in family wealth structures, trust instruments, and estate planning.
- Uses multimodal learning:
- Animated case studies, experiential learning, audio, and video.
- Real-life anonymized family scenarios to improve engagement.
- Tailored to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) – not just general financial literacy.
- Built-in tools like an annotated online notebook for learners.
(16:01 - 21:55) Advisors & White Label Integration
- Works with advisors, family office professionals, and consultants without replacing them.
- Some families prefer private learning without advisors knowing what they don’t know.
- Offers white-label solutions for multifamily offices and integrations with existing portals.
(27:32 - 28:14) Subscription & Future Developments
- Launching a subscription model for family offices in 2025.
- New courses on family governance and family office fundamentals.
Foundation Source (Lou Daddario)
(30:40 - 31:48) Company Overview
- Leading provider of technology and support for private foundations.
- Services 4,000+ charitable organizations, 2,200+ private foundations, and 150+ financial institutions.
(32:43 - 34:55) Core Offerings & Technology
- Comprehensive foundation management:
- Grant & expense management
- Tax & compliance support
- Charity research
- Investment & impact reporting
- Dashboards for multi-foundation management
(35:11 - 37:01) Scaling for Multifamily Offices & Banks
- Developed an infrastructure for managing multiple foundations under a single platform.
- Allows institutions like Bank of America and large MFOs to oversee clients’ philanthropy at scale.
(37:15 - 38:16) Technology vs. Services Approach
- Offers either full-service support or just the technology platform.
- A modular approach allows clients to choose only the services they need, such as tax compliance or philanthropic consulting.
(38:36 - 40:11) Compliance & Risk Mitigation
- Ensures private foundations remain compliant with IRS regulations.
- Mitigates risks by integrating legal oversight and proactive compliance monitoring.
(40:38 - 42:48) Acquisition of CharityVest & Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Expansion
- Acquired CharityVest to offer a modern DAF platform alongside private foundations.
- Single sign-on integration will enable families to manage both donor-advised funds and private foundations from one place.
(50:06 - 51:51) Future Developments in 2025
- PE-backed company focused on the integration of acquired platforms (PG Calc & CharityVest) into one interface.
- AI-powered dashboards for proactive grant management & compliance tracking.
- Scholarship & grant management platform enhancements.
Key Takeaways
- Tamarind Learning is addressing the growing demand for financial education among UHNW families through interactive, scalable, and tailored learning.
- Foundation Source is evolving beyond private foundations to become an all-in-one philanthropy tech platform for MFOs, RIAs, and institutions.