What do NASA, AI, and real estate investing have in common? According to Alexander Harmsen, quite a lot. In this episode, Alexander—a seasoned entrepreneur and the mind behind PortfolioPilot—shares how his background in aerospace and autonomous navigation systems led him to rethink financial advice entirely. After selling his previous company and navigating his own wealth management challenges, he saw firsthand the emotional pitfalls that plague investors and the outdated systems that serve them. His solution: an AI-powered financial advisor that eliminates bias, surfaces smarter insights, and levels the playing field for everyone—from beginner real estate developers to sophisticated investors. Alexander and Eugene dig into how AI is not just cutting through noise but also helping both investors and sponsors tell better, more credible stories.
Guest Bio
Alexander Harmsen is the CEO and Founder of Global Predictions, the company behind PortfolioPilot, an AI-powered financial advisor designed to help individuals track, plan, and optimize their full financial picture. He previously founded Iris Automation, a company that developed AI software for autonomous navigation, and contributed to the development of NASA’s Mars Helicopter project. Alexander also advises companies like VeriSIM Life, which uses AI to model the human body for pharmaceutical research. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with degrees in Engineering Physics and Economics, he’s been recognized by both Forbes and Inc. in their 30 Under 30 lists. He’s a Y-Combinator alum, Loran Scholar, and a licensed pilot.
Episode Highlights and Chapters
00:00 Alexander shares his aversion to traditional financial advisors and the motivation behind PortfolioPilot
02:00 His journey from building Mars AI systems to launching a fintech company
04:00 Why emotional bias undermines investment decisions—and how AI eliminates it
07:00 The 1% fee problem: why many financial advisors aren’t aligned with investor interests
10:00 How beginners can use AI to generate trust, legitimacy, and investor interest
13:00 The importance of detailed, emotionally resonant investment packets
15:00 Can AI validate AI? A breakdown of how sponsors and investors are both using AI tools
20:00 Biases beginner investors often fall into and how to safeguard against them
24:00 The value of optionality and not panic-buying or panic-selling
28:00 Learning from bad trades, failing forward, and iterating toward better investing
30:00 How sponsors can use PortfolioPilot to model and showcase investment opportunities
32:00 Pricing tiers and the scope of AI-driven financial planning services
33:30 How to connect with Alexander and the PortfolioPilot team for further guidance
Contact Information
Alexander Harmsen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderharmsen
Website: https://portfoliopilot.com
For more from the host, Eugene Gershman, visit https://giscompanies.co/podcast/
