Neil Chakkera, CFA, MBA, ICF Credentialed Coach
Neil Chakkera is the Founder & CIO of Cognitive Investments LLC, a CIO level advisor to RIAs, and an active private investor with over 25 years of experience in senior investment management and corporate finance roles. His advisory framework integrates analytical rigor, institutional investment discipline, advanced business administration, and formal behavioral coaching credentials. This multidisciplinary foundation enables him to help Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) cut through market noise and make high conviction, structurally sound investment and strategic decisions.
Our Philosophy: Holistic and Aligned Consulting & Investing
We utilize an integrated decision‑quality framework grounded in Head‑Heart‑Gut intelligence to elevate clarity, conviction, and execution across investment consulting, business leadership, and private investing
- Strategic Vision (The Heart Brain — The Why): Establishes institutional investment governance frameworks for RIAs and aligns teams with shared corporate objectives.
- Analytical Rigor (The Head Brain — The How): Constructs sophisticated portfolio architectures and implements data-driven operational business processes to eliminate inefficiencies.
- Decisive Execution (The Gut Brain — The What): Translates high-level corporate strategies and technical financial models into disciplined, real-world execution.
Professional Career Highlights
- Founder & President | Cognitive Investments, LLC (Provides institutional consulting to RIAs and business teams).
- Senior Consultant & Advisory Board Member | Legacy Wealth Advisors, LLC (Advising a premier Silicon Valley RIA serving elite UHNW families).
- Former Chief Investment Officer & Managing Director | LTS Capital Advisors ($300M+ AUM firm).
- Former Chief Investment Officer | Inlign Wealth Management ($1B+ AUM firm).
- Former Director of Research & Senior Portfolio Manager | Sand Hill Advisors (managed/oversaw $450M+ in assets).
- Prior Corporate Experience | NCR Corporation & Piper Jaffray (Senior Financial & Equity Analyst).
Firm Profile & Scope of Practice
Cognitive Investments, LLC operates strictly as a Business-to-Business (B2B) advisory consulting firm. We maximize enterprise and capital efficiency across three core tracks:
- Institutional OCIO Consulting for RIAs: Helping small-and-mid-sized RIAs institutionalize investment processes, build advanced portfolio architecture, and sharpen manager due diligence.
- Business & Leadership Consulting: Strategic and operational business advisory built to optimize functional processes, team alignment, and efficiency across the entire leadership continuum.
- Proprietary Capital Management: Deploys internal capital across global liquid and illiquid markets, serving as a practical proving ground that directly sharpens the real-world insights passed to RIA clients.
Education, Credentials & Training
- CFA® Charterholder (Chartered Financial Analyst)
- MBA in Finance & Investments – Indiana University, Bloomington
- ICF-ACC Certified Coach (International Coaching Federation)
- MS in Industrial Engineering – Arizona State University
- BS in Mechanical Engineering – MNNIT (India)