Heartland Digital Asset Exchange #HDAX
Welcome to #HDAX
The Heartland Digital Asset Exchange (#HDAX) is a first-of-its-kind, invitation-only summit convening the Midwest’s most discerning family offices, investors, wealth managers, fund leaders, and innovators with the global vanguard of digital assets and blockchain infrastructure.
Hosted in KC, the heart of America, #HDAX bridges world-class insight with regional strength—featuring global institutions such as Coinbase, Fidelity Labs, Tiger21, Deloitte, and Polsinelli Blockchain Practice; alongside new digital asset funds and emerging blockchain solutions rooted in the Heartland’s foundational industries: freight, energy, supply chain, food, agriculture and sports as well as AI-powered, on-chain infrastructure.
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Esther George - President of the Kansas City Fed 2011-2023
Anthony Bassili - President of Coinbase Asset Management
Parth Gargava - Managing Director, Head of Crypto, Fidelity Labs
George Richardson - Senior Manager, Deloitte Family Office
Grant Cardone - CEO Cardone Capital
Joe Kessinger - EVP DeBruce Companies, Tiger21 Chair
Heidi Lehmann - Ligo Partners Family Office, Tiger21 Chair
Stephen Rutenberg - Partner, Polsinelli Blockchain Practice
Dan McAvoy - Partner, Polsinelli Blockchain Practice
Jennifer Katrulya - CEO Kajora Global Family Network
John Squire - Partner, Blockchange VC
Evan Szu - CEO, Gamma Prime
Brian King, CEO Lodas Markets
Robert Miller - General Partner, Tru Capital
John Gillen - Director, Tru Capital
Brent Fisher - General Partners, DPI Capital
Jim Starcev - KC Digital Drive, Exited FinTech Founder
Mohsin Masud, - CEO, AKRU
Trey Barnes - Sr. Wealth Advisor, Mariner Wealth Advisors
Jayson Berryhill - CEO, Wholechain
Mike Revy - CEO, Bulla Network
Todd Zeigler - CEO, TCS
Steve Vest - CEO Nationwide Equipment Transportation
Michael Moro, Chief Strategy Officer, INX
Michael Cantu - CEO Stellar Forge Mining
Tony Caruso - CEO, Critical Materials Crossroads
Nathan Mauck, Capital Formation, Critical Materials Crossroads
Lisa Seim - CEO Strategic Exchanges
Scott Lippert - Lippert Family Office
and many others!
This is a highly curated audience and with a strong focus on education, regulatory insight, and compliant capital strategies.
🗣️ Through curated panels and fireside chats, #HDAX offers a trusted forum for education, strategic relationship-building, and exposure to transformative technologies and the evolving policy landscape shaping the next era of finance.
Heartland Digital Asset - #HDAX Agenda
📍 September 8th ,5:30 pm– CryptoMondays and Stand with Crypto Event at The Mod Gallery
Join us for a vibrant introduction to KC’s emerging crypto community. For more information, agenda and registration, go to event page: https://lu.ma/qma45dsz
Take KC Street Car on Main Street to the Crossroads Stop
🥂 September 8th , 7pm – Speaker and Sponsor Dinner at the Savoy Hotel
Sponsored by Polsinelli Law Firm
Invite-only for out-of-town speakers, sponsors, and local hosts
An intimate, high-touch dinner hosted in the private dining rooms of the Savoy Hotel. This curated experience offers an opportunity for our guests and KC leaders to connect over elevated cuisine, in one of Kansas City’s most iconic spaces.
☕ September 9th, 7:30 am - Investor Breakfast at The Phoenix (Additional Invite Required)
Sponsored by Collaborative Capital
Kick off HDAX with an invite-only investor breakfast at The Phoenix — a landmark dating back to 1888, once a speakeasy and gathering place where business and politics intertwined behind closed doors. Today, it provides a storied backdrop for candid conversations among capital allocators, innovators, and dealmakers.
(Curated group: Investors & Asset Allocators only)
🎤 Heartland Digital Asset Exchange – Main Event
📍 Magnolia Event and Urban Garden
601 Walnut St, Kansas City, MO 64106
🕗 Registration and Breakfast Opens: 8:00 AM
📅 Tuesday, September 9, 2025
9:00 – 9:10 AM - Conference Kickoff
Speakers: Heidi Lehmann, Jim Starcev
9:15 – 9:50 AM - Keynote Chat – Beyond the Headlines: What Really Matters for the Future of Finance and Innovation
Moderator: Heidi Lehmann (TIGER21, #HDAX)
Speaker: Esther George (Former President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City)
9:50 – 10:25 AM - Fireside Chat – From Curiosity to Capital: Family Offices Enter the Digital Asset Arena
Moderator: Anthony Bassili (Coinbase Global Asset Management)
Speaker: Joe Kessinger (TIGER 21, Collaborative Capital )
10:25 – 11:00 AM - The Revolution of Real Estate Wealth: From Bricks to Bitcoin
Moderator: Jennifer Katrulya (Kajora Global Family Network)
Speaker: Grant Cardone (Cardone Capital)
11:00 – 11:20 AM -☕ Break
11:20 AM – 12:00 PM - The High Net Worth Guide to Digital Assets: From Stablecoins to ETFs
Moderator: Jim Starcev (KC Digital Drive)
Speakers: Parth Gargava (Fidelity Labs), Trey Barnes (Mariner Wealth Advisors), Anthony Bassili (Coinbase Asset Management)
12:00 – 12:40 PM - Taxes, Tokens & Trust: Navigating Regulation and Compliance in the Digital Age
Moderator: Stephen Rutenburg (Polsinelli)
Speakers: George Richardson (Deloitte), Ryan Wright (Stand w/ Crypto Missouri), Dan McAvoy (Polsinelli) Jack Bensimon, (ArcStone Securities and Investments)
12:40 – 1:25 PM 🥗 Lunch Panel – Blockchain and Supply Chains
Speakers: Todd Zeigler (Trucking Coin Swap), Steve Vest (Nationwide Equipment Transportation), Michael Moro (INX Exchange), Mike Revy (Bulla Network)
1:25 – 2:00 PM - Strategic Capital: How Family Offices Can Power Infrastructure - Digital Assets, AI, and the Next Wave of Infrastructure Finance
Moderator: Heidi Lehmann (#HDAX, TIGER21)
Speakers: Anthony Caruso (Critical Materials Crossroads), Nathan Mauck (UMKC), Michael Cantu (Stellar Forge Mining), Scott Lippert (Lippert Family Office)
2:00 – 2:35 PM - Institutional Strategies: Building and Allocating into the Next Wave of Digital Asset Funds
Moderator: Brian King (Lodas Markets)
Speakers: John Gillen (Tru Capital), Robert Miller (Tru Capital), Evan Szu (Gamma Prime), Brent Fisher (DPI Capital)
2:35 – 2:55 PM - ☕ Break
2:55 – 3:30 PM - The Real World, On-Chain: Food, Property & Protection
Moderator: John Squire (Blockchange Ventures)
Speakers: Mohsin Masud (AKRU), Jason Berryhill (Wholechain), Danny Baer (Meanwhile)
3:30 – 4:00 PM - Private Credit on the Blockchain: The Value for Investors
Moderator: Jim Starcev (KC Digital Drive)
Speakers: Lisa Seim (Strategic Advisor), Mike Revy (Bulla Network)
4:00 – 4:45 PM - Future-Backed: A Startup Showcase with Investor Perspective
Moderator: John Squire (Blockchange VC)
Founders: Todd Zeigler (Trucking Coin Swap), Rich Chungong (Produce Matrix), Jack Bliss (Ovation), Connor Borrego (Playhaus), Josh Blew (Normal Finance)
4:30 – 4:45 PM - Closing Remarks
Speakers: Heidi Lehmann, Jim Starcev
🎷 September 9th, 5:00-7:00 pm – After Party at The Phoenix
Sponsored by Mariner Wealth Advisors
End the day at The Phoenix, one of Kansas City’s most iconic venues—once a Prohibition-era brothel and speakeasy, The Phoenix has evolved into one of Kansas City’s live music hot spots.
Enjoy live performance, craft cocktails, and appetizers in a setting that perfectly blends the city’s historic railroad era grit with the next generation of finance rails.
Media Coverage
🎥 We’re proud to collaborate with Fintech TV to spotlight the Heartland’s role in the future of digital finance.
📈 Pre-event coverage will air from the New York Stock Exchange 🗽 on September 3rd positioning #HDAX—and the Heartland’s innovation economy—on a national stage in the lead-up to the summit.
📡 During the event, Fintech TV will feature select live coverage 🔴 of HDAX programming, with a focus on the region’s most compelling blockchain use cases ⛓️ and digital asset strategies 💸.
🌍 Strategic segments will also be broadcast back to the Fintech TV Hub at the NYSE, showcasing Heartland leadership on the global stage.
🏨 Where to Stay for #HDAX
While we explored a hotel block, current rates are comparable either way—so we’re instead sharing five top hotel picks within walking distance of The Savoy (our main venue) and 710 Central (breakout location). Rates listed are as of today and subject to change.
The Savoy Hotel (Hilton) — 📍 Harry Truman charm
💲 $135–$160/night
🖤 Historic charm + modern design—a few blocks away from MagnoliaHotel Phillips (Hilton Curio Collection) — 📍 0.3 miles
💲 $124–$150/night
🎨 Art deco elegance in a restored KC icon.Hilton President Hotel — 📍 0.4 miles to Savoy 0.2 miles to 710 Central
💲 From $169night
🏛️ Classic KC luxury with timeless appeal.Hotel Indigo — 📍 0.2 miles
💲 $112–$135/night
🛋️ Boutique vibes with modern design at a great value.Loews Kansas City — 📍 0.6 miles
💲 From $209/night
✨ Luxury amenities + sleek style for full-service comfort.