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The conference brings top investment managers together to share their market views and best investable ideas, doubling as a fundraiser for nonprofits that serve Chicago area youth from disadvantaged communities. This event is made possible annually by the Gorter family, for whom the College’s Gorter Family Career Advancement Center is named. IFK gives students the opportunity to learn from the professional perspectives of the investment managers and improve their own financial literacy.

The program featured talks from prominent leaders in finance, including professionals from investment companies such as Ryan Cohen of Cohen Capital Value LLC, William Blank of Squadron Capital Management, and Mala Gaonkar of SurgoCap, as well as financial professionals from notable organizations including Tom Ricketts, Executive Chairman of the Chicago Cubs. These finance experts shared their perspectives on the markets and investment philosophy. 

As part of the day's events, finance and data science double major Lokshree Gautam '26 attended a lunch Q&A session with John Schreiber, co-founder of the investment company Blackstone. Gautam found the whole conference experience to be a valuable application of classroom knowledge and skills.

“As a student who didn’t know much about the finance world before college, it can sometimes feel overwhelming and a bit confusing. But being at an event like this—where you hear real-world insights from seasoned professionals—was honestly more impactful for me than just sitting in class,” Gautam said. “I got excited whenever I recognized terms from my corporate finance course.”

Lake Forest College was one of only ten colleges and universities represented at the conference, which included schools from around the Midwest.

“This program is a great example of the quintessential Forester experience: taking the train in the morning from our small campus to a big opportunity downtown and putting what they are learning in the classroom into practice,” said Slaats. “It was also nice that during a new Q&A opportunity at lunch, one of the first questions came from a Forester, and John [Schreiber] gave the College and our students a positive shoutout.”

Throughout the day, students heard a variety of investment strategies, from companies focused on sand to cutting-edge breakthroughs in medicine. Speakers offered practical tips on investing and suggested various strategies, and finance majors from a variety of Chicago-area colleges were able to network with one another and learn about each other's experiences. 

To maximize the day and enhance the experience, Lake Forest College students toured the CME Group's Chicago headquarters before the conference. They had the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the organization while meeting three College alumni: Tom Burling ’90, Executive Director, Global Command Center, Paul de los Reyes ’90, Senior Director of Operational Readiness and Management, and Aarti Singh ’24, a Senior Markets Analyst who was hired before graduation after interning at the organization. The trip offered students a close look at how their Global Command Center operates—and learn from the alumni connections.

“This was definitely one of the most enriching and exciting experiences I’ve had in college, and I really enjoyed it,” Gautam said. “I hope I get to attend more events like this in the future!”