The Principals of
Elevate Capital
Derek Hébert
Chief Executive Officer
- Insurance & Wealth Management
- Capital Markets
- Firm Building
Derek Hébert is a seasoned financial services executive with nearly two decades of experience across insurance, wealth management, and capital markets. His career has been defined by a consistent ability to identify opportunity, build institutional-quality organizations, and deliver results at scale.
As the co-founder of Upstream Life Insurance Co., Derek led the firm's remarkable growth from $6 million to over $350 million in assets under management. Under his leadership, Upstream was recognized as the #3 fastest-growing company in the United States and the #1 fastest-growing company in the insurance sector in 2021 — a testament to his ability to combine strategic vision with operational execution.
In 2025, Derek successfully sold his stake in Upstream to establish Elevate Capital Management, bringing his proven track record of building high-performance financial institutions to the alternative investment space.
Richard Dedu
Chief Investment Officer
- Quantitative Strategy
- ETF Management
- Algorithmic Trading
Richard Dedu is a former BlackRock investor with extensive experience managing approximately $350 billion in ETF Assets Under Management across multiple asset classes. He uniquely combines deep engineering expertise with financial acumen to lead Elevate's quantitative and investment strategies.
As the architect of the firm's flagship algorithms Alcazar 5 and Risk Parity, Richard focuses on exploiting interest rate and volatility shifts to generate uncorrelated, risk-adjusted returns. His technical background — including an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University and an M.S. in Finance from Georgetown University — provides the analytical foundation for Elevate's quantitative edge.
Richard is also a co-creator of Main Street ETFs, and his expertise spans quantitative strategy, ETF management, algorithmic trading, and AI-driven forecasting. He brings a rare combination of institutional pedigree and engineering precision to every investment decision.
Augie Sylk
President
- Multi-Generational Capital Markets
- Family Office Management
- Long-Term Value
Augie Sylk is a fourth-generation entrepreneur with generational expertise across capital markets and institutional investment. With a track record spanning multiple asset classes and a family legacy of bold investment and leadership, Augie brings a rare combination of financial acumen, institutional experience, and long-term perspective.
Augie holds an M.S. in Business from the University of Southern California and an M.S. in Finance from the London School of Economics. As Managing Director of the Sylk Family Office, he has developed deep expertise in multi-generational wealth management, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
At Elevate, Augie is committed to building an institution that reflects the highest standards of investment management — one that honors the trust of its investors through disciplined process, transparent communication, and a relentless focus on performance.
Elevate Capital Management — Confidential — For Institutional Use Only