Ideas in Conversation: Highlights from the 2026 UC Davis–FMA Napa Finance Conference

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The UC Davis–FMA Napa Finance Conference has always been about more than a beautiful setting. At its core, it is a research conference built around serious scholarship, lively exchange and a format that gives a small number of papers the time and attention they deserve.

This year’s 22nd annual conference held at Beringer Vineyards in Napa continued that tradition. Co-hosted by the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and the Financial Management Association (FMA), the 2026 conference featured an especially strong program of six excellent papers and brought together an outstanding group of scholars. The papers spanned innovation, patents, personal finance, technology in banking, Treasury auctions and bond portfolios.

UC Davis’ Deep Roots in Wine Country

The conference itself has deep UC Davis roots. It began in 2003 and grew organically from the university’s longstanding connection to Napa Valley. UC Davis is home to the world-renowned Department of Viticulture and Enology, whose research helped drive the innovations in Napa winemaking that put the region on the global map.

Over time, what began as a small gathering evolved into a conference that many scholars return to year after year because of the quality of the papers, the direct and engaged discussion, and the distinctive collegial atmosphere.

That atmosphere is an important part of what makes the conference special. Unlike many academic conferences, the Napa Finance Conference does not rely on formal discussants. Instead, the conversation is shared by everyone in the room. The result is discussion that is rigorous but also direct, lively and relaxed. Authors receive serious feedback, and participants have a real opportunity to engage across papers and fields.

Partnership with FMA Brings Global Visibility

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We are also fortunate to partner with FMA, whose international reach helps bring broad visibility to the conference and connects Napa to a wider global community of finance scholars. This partnership has helped the conference maintain its standing over time as a highly regarded boutique conference within the academic finance community.

Established in 1970, the FMA is a global leader in developing and disseminating knowledge about financial decision-making. Members include finance practitioners, academicians and students who are interested in the techniques and advances which define the field of finance.

This year’s Napa Finance Conference program featured six papers presented by scholars from Chicago Booth, Harvard Business School, USC Marshall, Emory and Lehigh University.

At the close of the conference, participants voted on the best paper award, which was announced at the conference dinner. This year’s award went to “Small-Scale Mentoring, Large-Scale Innovation: Evidence from a Superstar Firm,” by Colleen Chien, Jillian Grennan and Jason Sandvik.

Their paper shows that when junior innovators are paired with experienced inventors in a structured mentoring program, they become more likely to turn ideas into patents, and the gains in inventive productivity persist well beyond the formal mentoring period.

Showcasing Excellence in Finance Research

One of the pleasures of co-chairing this conference is seeing how a longstanding event can keep its core identity while continuing to evolve. We want Napa to remain a place for outstanding papers and memorable discussion, while also staying open to new ideas about how the conference can continue to develop over time. That openness to renewal is part of what has kept the conference vibrant.

We were delighted to welcome this year’s participants to Napa and grateful to our co-host, FMA, for its partnership. The 2026 conference reminded us once again why this gathering has such a strong reputation: excellent research, engaged scholars and a setting that encourages genuine intellectual exchange.