Strategy & Advisors
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The foundation of our approach is straightforward—we buy into companies that create value for customers, which in turn creates value
for us as investors.
We are not compensated by anyone but our clients, and we defend our alignment of interests fiercely. We are "fee-only" fiduciaries.
We generally prefer owning equity over debt, and apply our analysis with global scope. By dovetailing investments with attractive valuations across geograpahies and economies, we build portfolios with meaningful diversity—not simply proliferation.
We practice patience during the allocation process, and maintain ongoing mindfulness towards risk, seeking out equity returns that are more resilient over time. |
"You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted, but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths."
– John Wesley Powell |
Advisor Backgrounds
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Harold A. Hallstein IV
Managing Partner
720-310-0605
Hal has been advising families and institutions on investment strategy since founding the Sankala Group in 2010.
He previously worked as a Fund Analyst for RCG Capital Advisors, a long-short equity investment partnership. While there he assisted with the launch of HedgeMark International, a separately managed account platform for alternative equity strategies that was ultimately acquired by BNY Mellon in 2014. He began his career working as a Project Manager for Wisdom Publications, a non-profit publisher of Buddhist books.
Hal served and chaired the board of directors of the Winter Wildlands Alliance from 2015-2024. A national non-profit based in Boise, ID., the WWA advocates for access and preservation on behalf of backcountry skiers, teaches youth snow science, and produces the Backcountry Film Festival.
He also served and chaired Boulder's Open Space Board of Trustees (OSBT), providing oversight and acquisitions for Boulder's 46,000+ acre Open Space and Mountain Parks Department—public lands funded by the nation's first sales tax for conservation in 1967.
Hal received his B.A. in 2003, magna cum laude, from Colby College in an independent regional study of Asia. He holds the Uniform Investment Advisor Law license.
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Thomas M. Denkenwolf
Partner/CIO
720-549-3355
Thomas is a scientist in the field of finance. While his B.S. is in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and his M.S. is in Molecular Biology, he found his true passion in wealth management. Prior to joining the Sankala Group, he focused on advanced portfolio design for private clients at Merril Lynch. He started his career in finance in 2008.
Academically, Thomas received honors including the Evan Pugh Scholar Award, and the President Sparks Award, and the Barry M Goldwater Scholarship. His degrees are from Penn State (2004) and University of California (2007).
Thomas believes in abundance and the power that each of us has to make a positive impact in the world. This has led him to become a supporter of the Effective Altruist Movement, which uses the scientific method to maximize the effectiveness of one's generosity.
He is an active community member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, a supporter of the Boulder chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, and is a member of the Boulder/Front Range Mensa group. Thomas loves hiking, backpacking and trout fishing.
Thomas holds both the Series 7 and 66 securities licences.
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Peter S. Burns, PhD
Partner
406-201-7040
Mr. Burns, a native of Bozeman, Montana, joined the Sankala Group after independent work in commercial real estate and obtaining his PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder in quantum computing, in 2019.
Peter received nine awards/scholarships in his academic career, including the Presidential Leadership Scholarship and the Montana Governor's Best and Brightest Scholarship, honoring his academic achievements over many years.
Driven by his lifelong passion for science, Peter developed a keen interest in investment finance. Applying his process driven and scientific mindset, his primary objective is to provide clients with a transparent, understandable, and effective approach to personal finance and portfolio construction. Peter seeks to help clients safeguard and augment their portfolios through investments that foster both a personally and environmentally sustainable future.
He underpins the firms quantitative research efforts, and looks forward to helping the firm expand in the greater Yellowstone region.
Peter has also shared his love of learning, tutoring in math and science for students in both the United States and Africa. Beyond his professional pursuits, Peter is an avid backcountry enthusiast, cherishing access to our public lands.
Peter holds the Uniform Investment Advisor Law license.
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Kate Grace
Partner
720-340-2103
Ms. Grace is an Olympian and spent 12 years as a professional athlete in track and field, sponsored by Nike. She has been one of the most successful and enduring American distance athletes of the last decade, finishing as the top American in the 800m at the Rio Olympics. She was ranked in the top 20 in the world for many years, culminating in a top 3 world ranking in 2021.
Kate joined the firm in 2025, and her career in investment consulting stems from her unique background. Kate is passionate about guiding business owners and athletes to set themselves up for more enduring future success and financial freedom through a straightforward investment strategy and clearheaded approach to personal finance.
Kate was an Environmental Studies major at Yale University. Her research focused on the human health impacts of air pollution, and she has a deep appreciation for the value of public lands and open space - and combining those interests through her work with the Sankala Group - especially in support of clients with environmentally focused investment mandates.
Kate's life in Colorado started with a program through the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, volunteering on trail restoration in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in the area around Crestone Peak and Needle. She loves spending time with her family in the mountains around her home in Boulder, where she makes great use of the open space for runs.
Kate holds the Uniform Investment Advisor Law license.
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