AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF (GK)

The AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF (ticker GK) is an actively managed fund that targets companies the managers believe are driving innovation across technology, consumer goods, and digital platforms—a deliberate departure from passive index funds toward what the fund calls “the future economy.”

The vision behind the fund

The Gerber Kawasaki story begins with conviction about where innovation happens. The fund is named after Brad Gerber and Daniel Kawasaki, whose Los Angeles–based wealth management firm, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management, built a reputation for identifying technology and growth companies earlier than mainstream funds. They created the ETF as a vehicle for their investment philosophy: that disruption in consumer technology, e-commerce, and digital services creates sustained opportunities that passive index investors often miss because traditional indices weight companies by size rather than by their actual growth potential.

The fund launched in the early 2010s as an active equity fund with a concentrated portfolio—fewer holdings than a traditional index fund, selected by human judgment rather than mechanical rules. From the outset, GK was built to look different from large-cap technology indices. Rather than loading heavily into the largest software and hardware companies, Gerber Kawasaki pursued a thesis about innovation at scale: companies reinventing industries, capturing digital-first consumers, or building platforms in areas where the market still undervalued growth.

What the fund holds and how it invests

GK’s portfolio typically consists of 20 to 50 holdings, concentrated in technology, consumer discretionary, and growth-stage companies. The fund seeks to own businesses that demonstrate at least some of: strong revenue growth, technology or platform advantages, recurring business models, or potential to dominate emerging categories. This has historically meant a mix of established innovators (growth-stage software companies, streaming services, cloud infrastructure providers) alongside smaller companies in digital advertising, fintech, and consumer technology.

The active management process relies on the managers’ view of the investment landscape. Unlike an index fund that mechanically buys all companies in an index and rebalances by formula, GK’s portfolio reflects deliberate choices about which companies the managers believe will outperform. This approach allows the fund to pivot between sectors or company sizes as the cycle of innovation shifts—heavier in software when cloud adoption accelerates, or trimmer when technology valuations contract.

The geographic footprint leans heavily toward the United States, with exposure to innovative companies regardless of their home country but concentration among American technology and consumer-facing businesses. This reflects both the depth of innovation in the US technology sector and the fund’s Los Angeles origins—a vantage point on Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and fintech innovation.

Structure, costs, and how to trade it

GK is a standard actively managed ETF, not a leveraged or inverse product. It holds equities directly and does not use derivatives, borrowing, or daily reset mechanisms. The expense ratio is materially higher than passive index funds—roughly in line with traditional actively managed technology mutual funds—because it includes the cost of the fund managers’ research and decision-making. Investors pay that cost in the hope of outperformance; whether active management delivers it over time remains contested in finance.

The fund trades like any ETF on the stock exchange (listed on NYSE Arca under GK), meaning you can buy and sell shares during market hours at prices set by supply and demand, rather than transacting once daily like a mutual fund. Trading volume has varied with investor interest in the fund; it typically sits at a moderate level, so large trades may move the price slightly.

Concentration risk and the active bet

Concentration is both a feature and a risk. With 20 to 50 holdings, GK takes larger positions in its highest-conviction ideas than a diversified index fund would. If the managers’ best ideas work out, this concentration amplifies returns. If they miss badly, the portfolio suffers more than a broad market index would. Because the fund has tilted toward growth and innovation, it has historically been more volatile than the overall market during downturns—technology and growth stocks tend to fall faster than the market average when investors flee to safety.

The active management bet also introduces the risk that the managers simply will not outperform their benchmark. Over long periods, many active managers underperform because the fees and the difficulty of beating the market eat away at returns. Gerber Kawasaki’s track record is the chief reason an investor would choose GK over a lower-cost index fund; there is no guarantee future performance will match the past.

Who this fund is for

GK appeals to investors who believe in active management, who want exposure to innovation and growth, and who are willing to accept higher volatility and concentration in exchange for the potential of better-than-market returns. It is typically held by people with a long time horizon, because active managers are given the latitude to take bigger short-term swings. The fund is less suitable for investors seeking stability or broad diversification, or those who believe that passive indexing is the better path.

How to research this fund

Start with the fund’s prospectus and fact sheet on the AdvisorShares website, which detail the investment strategy, the managers’ philosophy, and the historical returns. Compare GK’s performance over 5-year, 10-year, and other time periods against relevant benchmarks (typically a technology-heavy index or a broader growth-stock index) to see whether the active management fee has been justified by outperformance. Watch the portfolio composition and turnover rate—how often the managers trade—to understand the turnover costs and how often they shift their bets. Finally, read interviews or presentations by Brad Gerber and Daniel Kawasaki to understand their current thinking about innovation and the companies they believe will lead the next decade.