Episodes

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Michael Blankenship sits down with Alexandra Low, Counsel in the Capital Markets and Corporate team at Appleby’s Cayman Islands office. Ali leads the firm’s SPAC practice and brings exten...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship and Derek break down one of the most common myths about going public through a SPAC: that it’s quicker and easier than a traditional IPO. While SPACs may provide access t...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , hosts Michael Blankenship and Joshua Wilson sit down with seasoned SPAC sponsor James Graf to explore one of the most pressing issues facing the market today: why even strong private comp...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Michael Blankenship is joined by Daniele D’Alvia—legal scholar and corporate finance lawyer—to explore the long-term viability and evolution of SPACs. Daniele argues that SPACs are not di...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Michael Blankenship welcomes Daniele D’Alvia, a globally recognized academic and legal expert in banking and finance law. Daniele serves as a lecturer at Queen Mary University of London a...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , co-hosts Michael Blankenship and Joshua Wilson sit down with Seth Farbman , Chairman of Vstock Transfer and founder of ShareMedia, to explore the often-overlooked role of branding in SPAC...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship and Derek dive into the due diligence process from the sponsor’s perspective. What does it really take to determine if a private company is ready for the public markets v...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Candice joins Mike Blankenship to share the unconventional and inspiring story of how she got involved in the SPAC world. It all started with Athena Acquisition Corp.—the first all-female...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship and Joshua Wilson are joined by Candice Beaumont—Chairman of the Salsano Group and Chief Investment Officer of L Investments. With deep roots in both public and private m...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Derek joins Mike Blankenship to discuss one of the fastest-moving sectors in the 2025 SPAC landscape: digital assets and crypto. With several SPACs actively targeting the space—and recent...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , James Graf joins Mike Blankenship to reflect on how retail investor participation in SPACs has shifted since the 2020 boom. James recounts the pre-COVID era, when SPACs often struggled to...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship sits down with Seth Farbman, President of VStock Transfer, to unpack the often overlooked—but critical—role of the transfer agent in a SPAC transaction. Seth shares why t...

What separates a successful SPAC from one that struggles? In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship and Derek explore the key characteristics of high-performing SPACs in today’s market. With nearly 60 SPAC IPOs i...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship is joined by Seth Farbman, a seasoned entrepreneur and trusted name in the capital markets ecosystem. With a career spanning over two decades, Seth has founded and sold m...

As securities litigation involving SPACs continues to rise, SPAC sponsors are increasingly finding themselves named in lawsuits. In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship and Chaz Churchwell break down what spons...

🎙️ SPAC Guest Spotlight — Meet Chaz Churchwell From the U.S. Army to the boardrooms of public companies, Chaz Churchwell has spent nearly two decades helping leaders manage risk with precision and integrity. A U.S. Army Reser...

What separates one-off SPAC sponsors from those who build lasting platforms? In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike Blankenship speaks with James Graff, a veteran sponsor with over 14 years in the space, about what define...

In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , co-host Mike Blankenship sits down with James Graff, CEO of Graff Global Corp and a veteran SPAC sponsor who’s been active in the space for over 14 years. James shares how he transitioned...

After the historic SPAC boom of 2020–2021 and a cooling period that followed, 2025 is seeing renewed interest in the SPAC model. In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , Mike and Derek discuss why the market is turning back to S...

Derek is a Partner at Centri Business Consulting and the leader of the firm’s SEC, Financial Reporting & SPAC Practice. He has more than 25 years of accounting experience in both public and private industries. He joined Centr...

While the promote is often the most discussed form of compensation for SPAC sponsors, it’s not the only one. In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , we take a closer look at additional forms of sponsor compensation that may exi...

Co-sponsorships are becoming more common in the SPAC world—but are they effective? In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , we explore how co-sponsor structures are being used to combine financial backing with operational depth....

Not every SPAC reaches the finish line, and sponsors face a wide range of challenges along the way. In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , we explore patterns we’re seeing in the market that could impact a sponsor’s ability to...

Launching a SPAC starts long before the IPO hits the market. Sponsors make foundational decisions that shape the deal’s structure—and its reception by investors. In this episode of The SPAC Podcast , we explore the key elemen...