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 real money to invest in a limited set of mutual funds.
Initial Pilot at U Penn, 2019
Cole Mattox, U Penn, 2019
Fall 2019 at UPenn: Following a successful pilot, we decided to expand the program, enrolling 30 more high school students and 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.
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.
Fall 2020 Expansion: We launched 7 more FGI chapters, totaling 10 universities hosting via zoom due to Covid restrictions.
Spring 2021 Expansion: FGI expanded to a total of 24 college campuses, impacting 494 total students with the help of 187 volunteers across the country.
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
Director
Blake Kernen Director; Corporate Strategy
Director; President
Director; Vice President
Joseph Kakkis Treasurer
FGI UPenn, 2020 Spring
FGI Harvard, 2020 Spring
FGI Fordham U, 2020 Spring
FGI Middlebury, 2020 Fall
FGI Syracuse, 2020 Fall
FGI Columbia, 2020 Fall
FGI UPenn, 2020 Spring
FGI Columbia, 2020 Fall
FGI Vanderbilt, 2020 Fall
FGI NYU, 2020 Fall
FGI Duke, 2020 Fall
FGI Indiana University
2021 Spring
FGI Harvard, 2020 Spring
FGI Middlebury, 2020 Fall
FGI Georgia Tech, 2020 Fall
FGI Morehouse, 2020 Fall
FGI Wash U
2021 Spring
FGI MIT
2021 Spring
FGI Fordham, 2020 Spring
FGI Syracuse, 2020 Fall
FGI Georgetown, 2020 Fall
FGI Ohio Wesleyan, 2020 Fall
FGI Bucknell, 2020 Fall
FGI Boston College
2021 Spring
FGI Colby College
2021 Spring
FGI Tulane University
2021 Spring
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