Our Mission 

Historically, the wealthy have invested in stocks and grown wealthier, while others have missed out. Wealthy households are 6 times more likely to invest in stocks, and when they do, they earn 8 times as much as savings accounts pay. 

Source: Dr.  Keith Weigelt,  University of Pennsylvania

Our mission is to provide all young adults the knowledge and skills not only to participate in the investment economy, but to thrive in it. 

Our Story

The Idea: FGI was created at the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 by Alex Ingerman, Dylan Ingerman, and Cole Mattox. We felt fortunate to have learned about investing as teens, and were eager to share our experiences with others.

Spring 2019 Pilot: We worked with Wharton professors Dr. Keith Weigelt and Dr. Jill Bazelon, who had experience leading financial literacy programs, to identify three local Philadelphia high school students for the FGI pilot program. We met with the students in The Wharton School building every Saturday throughout the Spring of 2019 to discuss the basic concepts of stock ownership through real-world examples. After every lesson, the students were given $50 to invest in a limited set of mutual funds.

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Fall 2019 at UPenn: Following a successful pilot, we decided to expand the program. We enrolled 30 more high school students and enlisted additional volunteers. As our program grew at Penn, college students from numerous schools inquired about starting FGI chapters at their respective colleges. We developed a comprehensive “playbook” with lesson plans, materials, and everything else that college students would need to operate FGI at their universities. 

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Spring 2020 Expansion: We put the playbook to the test, by sharing it with eager students at Harvard and Fordham, who successfully built and launched FGI on their campuses.

As the FGI community continues to expand, we look forward to seeing our graduates bring the joy of investing to future generations.

Our Team

Executive Team

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Our Advisors

We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have connected with a team of role models who have been successful in a wide range of careers, and are all eager to help enable the next generation to succeed. 

Our Advisory Board includes the President of the National Urban League, The Director of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia, a CNBC co-host, prominent Wharton alumni and professors (one of whom is also a linebacker for the New England Patriots).

Dr. Jill Bazelon 

Director, Bridges to Wealth, U of Pennsylvania

Ken Beck 

Co-Founder, CEO, CEO Connection & Chairman, Wharton Club of NY 

Brandon Copeland

NFL Player; Financial Literacy Instructor, Wharton School 

Harold Epps

Former Director of Commerce, City of Philadelphia 

Joe Kernen 

Co-Host

CNBC Squawk Box

Marc Morial

President, National Urban League;

Former Mayor of New Orleans

Dr. Keith Weigelt

Professor of Management The Wharton School