Alan Zafran is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IEQ Capital and has served as a financial adviser to wealthy families and sophisticated investors for over three decades. Mr. Zafran also sits on the Investment Committee at IEQ Capital.
Mr. Zafran began his career at Goldman Sachs in the Private Client Group. After seven years at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Zafran and his entire team joined Merrill Lynch, where he helped to build the Private Banking and Investment Group. In 2008, Mr. Zafran co-founded Luminous Capital, an independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm. At Luminous, he served as a Portfolio Manager and investment committee member. Luminous Capital managed $5.5 billion of assets when it was acquired by First Republic Bank in 2012. At First Republic Bank, Mr. Zafran served as Senior Managing Director and Wealth Manager.
Mr. Zafran has been named one of “America’s Top Wealth Advisors” by Forbes. Barron’s named him one of “America’s Top 100 Financial Advisors” and one of “America’s Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors”. IEQ Capital has also been recognized as one of “America’s Top RIA Firms,” by both Barron’s and Forbes, citing Mr. Zafran as one of the Firm’s top executives.
Mr. Zafran is active in his community. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Taube Philanthropies; serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Shuchman Lesser Foundation; and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Craft Contemporary Museum. His past Board positions include the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Filoli; the Castilleja School; and the International School of the Peninsula.
Mr. Zafran holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science from Stanford University, Phi Beta Kappa, and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Awards & Recognition
- 2025 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2024 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2023 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2022 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2021 Forbes America’s Top 250
- 2021 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2020 Forbes America’s Top 250
- 2020 Forbes Best-In-State
- 2019 Forbes Best-In-State
All outside business activities may not be listed. Please request IEQ Capital’s Form ADV Part 2B for complete information. The awards listed are not endorsements of IEQ Capital or its advisors and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Investors should not rely on awards for any purpose and should conduct their own review prior to investing.
Forbes’ wealth advisor rankings are developed by SHOOK Research, an independent research firm. The rankings listed above were awarded in the years indicated and are based on the following applicable data dates: 2019 Awards: data as of 3/31/2018; 2020 Awards: data as of 3/31/2019; 2021 Awards: data as of 3/31/2020; 2022 Award: data as of 3/31/2021; 2023 Award: data as of 3/31/2022; 2024 Award: data as of 3/31/2023; and 2025 Award: data as of 3/31/2024. The rankings are based on an algorithm incorporating qualitative criteria, primarily learned through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Advisors considered for the rankings meet applicable experience requirements, and the algorithm weighs factors including revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and best practices in advisors’ approaches to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives compensation in exchange for placement on the rankings. More information can be found here: https://www.shookresearch.com/a-methodology.html.
Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms 2026: Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms is an independent listing produced annually by Barron’s (September 2026, based on information for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2026). IEQ is among 100 advisory firms ranked. The annual ranking of independent advisory firms is based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria, including assets overseen by the firm, revenue generated by the firm, growth, client and staff size, technology spending, team composition and diversity, succession planning, regulatory and compliance records, and other measures related to the quality of the practice. This ranking does not guarantee any potential investment outcomes, nor does it rank firms based on investment performance. There is no fee for consideration or inclusion in the ranking. However, IEQ pays a $15,000 annual membership for the right to be featured in Barron’s magazine itself, outside of the ranking, and for the use of Barron’s logo in IEQ marketing materials. More information can be found here: https://www.barrons.com/advisor/report/top-financial-advisors/ria/2026. The award listed is not an endorsement of any third party to invest with IEQ and is not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Investors should not rely on awards for any purpose and should conduct their own review prior to investing.