Future Proof Festival 2025: Takeaways from Huntington Beach

Darren Tedesco, President of Advisor 360° is back from three packed days at the Future Proof Festival 2025 in Huntington Beach, CA. Two city blocks of beach, thousands of attendees and an agenda that went deep on the industry’s hottest topics. Here are his biggest takeaways:

The AI buzz was everywhere, and it was nearly impossible to have a conversation without it. While many firms are still just scratching the surface, I saw a clear shift toward practical, everyday use cases. The most common applications cited were meeting note-taking and content generation for marketing, but the real breakthrough will be in AI-driven, cross-capability workflows. This seamless integration across a firm's tech stack is where the next level of efficiency and value will be unlocked for advisors. 

A major theme in my discussions was whether AI will replace existing solutions. While no one has a crystal ball, it's clear that all wealthtech software must quickly adapt to become AI-centric. This leads to a critical question: Can an AI-centric point solution effectively compete with an AI-centric platform? I believe the future belongs to integrated platforms. The true power of AI lies not in a single task, but in connecting different capabilities to create magical, streamlined workflows that work across an entire firm.

Growth was top-of-mind for every advisor and executive at the festival. While much of the conversation revolved around using technology to scale organically, Future Proof is also a key destination for exploring inorganic growth strategies. From venture capitalists to firms looking to acquire or merge, the event served as a powerful "matchmaking" platform for accelerating growth through M&A.

Michael Kitces delivered a powerful keynote highlighting a crucial disconnect: while tech firms are passionate about saving advisors time and creating efficiency, what advisors truly want is technology that helps them deliver a higher quality of advice. Efficiency is a means to an end, not the end itself. This perspective is a valuable reminder that our ultimate goal is to empower advisors to strengthen their client relationships.

The event was a huge success. The atmosphere was unparalleled, and the conversations were both thought-provoking and inspiring. While 2024 felt heavily RIA-centric; 2025 brought noticeably more enterprise participation. That blend—entrepreneurial advisors plus larger firms—is where real-world innovation tends to happen.

Didn’t get a chance to connect with our team at Future Proof? If you’d like to learn more about Advisor360° and how we’re building for the future, schedule a meeting with a member of our team here.