Nicole Kustok | Founding Partner

With over 25 years of experience, Nicole co-founded Evansbrook Capital Management in 2023.

Evansbrook is a high-integrity, actively managed investment firm that puts the client’s needs first. We bring boutique family-office type service to individuals, multi-generational families, businesses, and non-profits for industry-leading low fees. Customized asset management, tax strategy, and estate planning co-exist at Evansbrook, and we constantly work to provide an intentional, relationship-centric approach to align with what’s important to you.

Nicole spent fifteen years in the global macro hedge fund and trading space, holding roles in portfolio management, investor relations, and business development. While working in a fast-paced, results-driven environment, Nicole honed a keen sense for developing and managing fund positions across multiple asset classes – specializing in domestic and foreign stock market indices, currencies, and commodities.

Prior to forming Evansbrook, Nicole spent four years in wealth management with a focus on diversified investment portfolios and strategic planning. Long-time clients are drawn to her strong analytical background and ability to concisely convey market strategies to institutional clients and novices alike. A life-long athlete, Nicole believes in the power of clearly defining her clients’ financial goals, and then designing an investment plan to meet current investment objectives while minimizing fees and tax liability.

Nicole’s method of creating customized portfolios for private clients uses individual stocks, bond, and exchange-traded funds, as opposed to the more common (and more expensive) model of using mutual funds and third-party managers. An astute student of the markets, she finds she provides the most value by holding similar positions to her clients – investments she follows with a passion.

Nicole leads her firm’s Investment Committee, where she regularly proposes new investment ideas and tactical macro shifts to capitalize on the ever-changing economic environment. She holds her FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses and Evansbrook is an SEC registered firm which custodies all assets under Charles Schwab.

Originally from rural Minnesota, she bought her first stock at age twelve after summers spent picking rock and pollinating corn fields in Olivia, the self-proclaimed sweet corn capital of the world. She believes hard work and tedious repetition yield the best results but is quick to admit when she has to report back after finding an answer.

Nicole attended Northwestern University, graduating with a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Journalism and Strategic Corporate Communications. While competing on the University’s track and cross country teams she met her husband, Zak. The couple and their children now call Evanston home.

Mentorship, coaching, and youth programming are passions for Nicole. She is a board member for Girls Play Sports and Beat the Streets, and an advisor for multiple NU student athletes. Nicole is a member of the ‘NU for Life’ Women in Finance panel, a volunteer track coach, and is always eager to find internships and help secure future employment for current students.

By virtue of her background, Nicole is an active manager of her portfolios, willing to make small or large changes when the climate calls for it. She believes that proper risk management and prudent oversight are the pathway for helping clients achieve their goals and establish a legacy for future generations. Away from the office, you will likely find her outdoors with her family where she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and time on Lake Michigan.

Osman Arain | Founding Partner

A seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in research and portfolio management, Osman co-founded Evansbrook Capital Management in 2023.

Evansbrook is a high-integrity, actively managed investment firm that puts the client’s needs first. We bring boutique family-office type service to individuals, multi-generational families, businesses, and non-profits for industry-leading low fees. Customized asset management, tax strategy, and estate planning co-exist at Evansbrook, and we constantly work to provide an intentional, relationship-centric approach to align with what’s important to you.

At Evansbrook, Osman creates customized portfolios predominantly using individual stocks and bonds, as he views this approach as the most favorable to clients across dimensions of risk management, optimal investment outcomes, and tax efficiency.

Osman’s investment career began with a business school summer internship on the floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange working for Susquehanna Investment Group. That experience was the catalyst that has driven his ongoing pursuit of understanding the relationships between risk and return in financial markets, from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.

After graduation, Osman was an associate analyst in Bear Stearns’ equity research department in New York covering machinery and multi-industrial companies such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Illinois Tool Works, and Danaher. He discovered his passion for diving deep into companies’ financial information to glean insights on trends and value creation for shareholders from a fundamental, bottoms-up perspective.

After Bear Stearns, Osman undertook roles at New York-based quantitative investment firm Clear Asset Management, and was Director of Research at Beacon Trust, a New Jersey-based fiduciary and investment firm. While at Beacon Trust, he transitioned from a research role to client-facing portfolio management. He has enjoyed working with individuals, families, and institutions to achieve their financial goals ever since.

With Evansbrook, Osman has been gratified to find a home for his longtime clients that have continued their relationship with him over multiple decades. His clients include individuals with diverse backgrounds, such as business owners, medical and legal professionals, and executives in pre- and post-retirement phases of life. He also has a growing practice with successful millennial clients seeking seasoned advice and a reliable partner to advise them as they grow in success through their careers.

Outside of the office, Osman served on the Board of Directors of Shore Community Services, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from 2020 through 2023. He continues to serve as a member of their Finance Committee. Osman also appeared as a featured podcast guest for the Special Fathers Network, a Dad-to-Dad mentoring program for parents of children with special needs.

Osman received his BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School. Osman has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and passed the Series 7, 63, and 65 exams. He lives in Bolingbrook with his wife and four daughters: a 15-year old, 13-year old, and 9-year-old twins! Between work and family, Osman enjoys a busy life; when he finds some spare time, he enjoys running, karate, video games, and audiobooks.