Makari Group Names RAFA AI as Lead AI Transformation Partner for RIAs and Hybrid Firms

New strategic partnership brings end-to-end AI transformation to wealth management

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Makari Group, a national recruiting and strategic advisory firm for financial advisors and enterprise wealth firms, has announced a strategic partnership naming RAFA AI as its exclusive AI transformation partner for the RIA, broker-dealer, and hybrid channel. The partnership aims to deliver an end-to-end AI transformation solution to wealth management firms, replacing fragmented tech stacks and AI tools with RAFA AI's holistic Agentic Operating System.

Why it matters

This partnership reflects a shared philosophy that meaningful AI transformation requires more than just technology - it requires deep domain expertise in Wealth Management, AI, Strategy, and intentional implementation. By aligning RAFA AI's agentic intelligence with Makari Group's advisory expertise, firms can receive AI as part of a broader operational roadmap, not just another tool to figure out alone.

The details

RAFA AI is not another point solution added to an already bloated tech stack. It is the first holistic Agentic Operating System purpose-built for wealth management. Built by veterans from Nvidia, Stanford, Princeton, Apple, and other cutting-edge institutions, RAFA AI is a multi-agent, multimodal platform that embeds directly into a firm's existing systems and workflows. The partnership aims to help advisory firms overcome operational and growth constraints by automating compliance, compressing prospect-to-client conversion, and streamlining annual review prep.

  • The strategic partnership was announced on February 9, 2026.

The players

Makari Group

A national recruiting and strategic advisory firm specializing in financial advisor transitions, enterprise strategy, M&A, and growth consulting for RIA, broker-dealer, and hybrid firms.

RAFA AI

The first holistic agentic operating system for wealth management, reducing compliance time by up to 95%, automating client communications and portfolio monitoring, and compressing prospect-to-client conversion from weeks to minutes.

Scott Abry

Managing Partner at Makari Group.

Torr Steinhilber

President & Founder at Munro Asset Management, a boutique RIA that has implemented RAFA Pro.

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What they’re saying

“We have seen and heard of many AI firms in the wealth management space who sell the dream but fail at the reality. It's all about execution. We partnered with RAFA AI because we introduced them to several of our large RIA clients who had serious operational and growth constraints — and the RAFA team created solutions and delivered on everything they promised, expeditiously. Their experience and expertise are unmatched.”

— Scott Abry, Managing Partner at Makari Group (EINPresswire.com)

“We run a boutique RIA with ambitious goals, and before RAFA Pro we were suffocating under manual processes. What used to drain entire days from my calendar happens in minutes. I'm not exaggerating when I say this has reignited my passion. Instead of dealing with spreadsheets and switching between a thousand screens, I'm finally doing what I want to be doing, and watching my clients live their best lives.”

— Torr Steinhilber, President & Founder at Munro Asset Management (EINPresswire.com)

What’s next

For RIA, broker-dealer, and hybrid firm leaders done buying tools and ready to buy outcomes, Makari Group and RAFA AI will provide a personalized AI audit and demo to map the firm's workflows, identify where time and money are leaking, and show exactly how much capacity and margin the firm is leaving on the table.

The takeaway

This partnership between Makari Group and RAFA AI represents a new approach to AI transformation in wealth management, one that goes beyond just technology to deliver a holistic, end-to-end solution backed by deep domain expertise. By aligning agentic intelligence with advisory expertise, the partnership aims to help firms overcome operational and growth constraints, turning AI from a cost center into a growth engine.