The Charger Blog

University of New Haven Students Are Shaping Their Futures Managing an Investment Fund

Members of the Gaia Initiative gained insights and expanded their professional networks at the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) conference in Chicago, boosting their skills to benefit a University scholarship fund and their careers.

November 5, 2024

By Caitlin Truesdale, Office of Marketing and Communications

Thomas Portnoy '25 at a SMIFC Pitch Competition
Thomas Portnoy '25 at a SMIFC Pitch Competition

For Clare Molineaux 杏吧原版25, a member of the Gaia Fund, attending the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) conference in Chicago was more than just a chance to learn about finance; it was a milestone in her journey toward a career in financial crime investigations.

杏吧原版淚 gained so much perspective from the presenters and other funds in attendance,杏吧原版 she said. 杏吧原版淚t was amazing to see what everyone else is doing and the research going on in this field that I杏吧原版檓 passionate about.杏吧原版

The Gaia Fund, a student-managed portfolio in the University of New Haven杏吧原版檚 Pompea College of Business, is uniquely geared toward environmental-focused investments, and its managers work to generate scholarships for the University.

Co-director Jared Sheffield, an adjunct professor in the Department of Finance and Finance Analytics, emphasized how their focus sets Gaia apart from similar funds, noting that at the conference, the team was 杏吧原版渁ble to share ideas and strategies that aligned with our mission, while also learning how to market Gaia as a fund with a purpose.杏吧原版

For Adam Glassman 杏吧原版26, who manages the equity portion of the Gaia Fund, this real-world experience prepared him to engage in meaningful conversations with fellow students.

杏吧原版淢anaging a fund has given me hands-on experience with portfolio management and making informed investment decisions,杏吧原版 Glassman shared. 杏吧原版淭his experience allowed me to talk strategies, asset allocation, and market trends with students from other schools.杏吧原版

杏吧原版楨vents like these... help us build a better business world杏吧原版

Thomas Portnoy 杏吧原版25, another Gaia Fund leader, felt similarly. 杏吧原版淏eing part of a fairly new fund, I found the most impactful part of the conference was learning how other funds operate,杏吧原版 he reflected. 杏吧原版淲e got valuable insights into asset allocation, decision-making processes, and ways to market ourselves to donors as we grow.杏吧原版

Students in the Gaia Investment Fund in Chicago for the SMIF Conference
Students in the Gaia Investment Fund in Chicago for the SMIF Conference

For Molineaux, one of the most impactful aspects of SMIFC was the chance to build relationships with students from other universities. She noted, 杏吧原版淎cademic pursuits thrive when researchers and learners communicate and collaborate, rather than acting in opposition to each other.杏吧原版

Traditionally, business as a field has leaned toward competition, but she believes conferences such as SMIFC are changing that dynamic. 杏吧原版淓vents like these bridge the trust gap and help us build a better business world,杏吧原版 she said.

Glassman also found immense value in the connections he made at the conference, recounting a conversation with students from a university in Texas. 杏吧原版淲e all had a chance to discuss our funds, share our experiences, and hear each other杏吧原版檚 strategies,杏吧原版 he said.

Prof. Sheffield, who attended alongside the students, observed how these connections set Gaia up for future success. 杏吧原版淐ompared to other universities, Gaia is relatively new, and we杏吧原版檙e just beginning to establish ourselves,杏吧原版 he said. 杏吧原版淏ut through events such as SMIFC, we杏吧原版檙e positioning ourselves as a unique fund that杏吧原版檚 aligned with a purpose.杏吧原版

杏吧原版業杏吧原版檓 excited to take these lessons back to Gaia杏吧原版

Ultimately, the collaboration fostered at SMIFC strengthened the students杏吧原版 passion for their field. 杏吧原版淣etworking with students and professors from across the country helped me understand how we can continue improving Gaia,杏吧原版 said Glassman, who looks forward to implementing new ideas inspired by SMIFC.

For Portnoy, one of the highlights of the conference was attending sessions such as 杏吧原版淧illars of Wealth Management杏吧原版 and 杏吧原版淧ersonal Branding in Wealth Management杏吧原版 led by representatives of Charles Schwab. These sessions underscored the importance of personal relationships and client trust, a message that Portnoy found particularly meaningful. 杏吧原版淭hey emphasized that AI will complement, not replace, human advisors,杏吧原版 he recalled. 杏吧原版淭he human element remains essential.杏吧原版

This focus on personal relationships resonated deeply with Portnoy, who believes the Gaia Fund can thrive by maintaining a commitment to client trust and purpose-driven investing. 杏吧原版淚t was incredibly beneficial to see how other funds market themselves to prospective donors, and I杏吧原版檓 excited to take these lessons back to Gaia,杏吧原版 he said.

Brian T. Kench, Ph.D., Dean of the Pompea College of Business, celebrated the Gaia Fund杏吧原版檚 achievements. 杏吧原版淭he Gaia Fund is one of the crown jewels of the Pompea College,杏吧原版 he shared, highlighting the opportunity it provides for students to build real-world investment skills. 杏吧原版淭he SMIFC conference confirms what an extraordinary job University of New Haven students are doing.杏吧原版

Reflecting on the impact of the conference, Portnoy put it simply: 杏吧原版淲e杏吧原版檙e ready to position ourselves as a leading student fund.杏吧原版