4th Annual Northeastern University Collegiate Alternative Investment Summit to Connect Students, Professionals and Academics with Industry Leaders for Networking and Collaborative Discourse

The two-day conference aims to bridge gap between classroom education and professional application with respect to private equity, hedge funds, venture capital and real assets

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Northeastern University Collegiate Alternative Investment Summit (CAIS), a conference organized by D’Amore-McKim School of Business students, will be held April 1^st- 2^nd, 2016, on the Northeastern University campus in Boston. One of Boston’s largest student-run alternative investment conferences, the two-day event will bring together students, academics and professionals to discuss ongoing and emerging industry issues, with the goal of bridging the gap between classroom education and professional application.

The CAIS program will focus on trends in private equity, hedge funds, venture capital and real assets. Founded in 2013, the conference was developed to provide students with the opportunity to learn from and network with industry leaders, thus enhancing their academic knowledge of the asset class with real-world context and professional insight.

“It is imperative that we continue to help educate the next generation of young, aspiring investment professionals and provide them with the necessary tools to navigate through today’s financial markets,” said Nicholas F. Lara, Chairman and Founder of CAIS. “Since CAIS’ inception in 2013, this group, the majority of which has been comprised of undergraduate students, has invited some of the most accomplished academics and industry practitioners to address the most pressing issues surrounding private equity, venture capital and hedge funds. There is no secret to what we are doing. We are investing in society’s most valuable asset: knowledge.”

A selection of keynote speakers will headline the two-day event, including Ryan Cotton, Managing Director at Bain Capital; James Goodman, President of Gemini Investors; and Bruce Martin, Managing Director and Executive Committee Member at Angelo, Gordon & Co. In addition, an Alumni Panel is slated to kick off the event on Friday night, featuring Spencer Murray, Associate at Berkshire Partners; Nicholas Sammut, Investment Professional at Generate Capital; Eric Rosiello, Associate at Arrowstreet Capital, LP; and Michael St.Germain, Director at LR Global.

Additional CAIS presenters and speakers include:

• Gary Bergstrom, Ph.D., Founder and Consultant at Acadian Asset Management
• Thomas Andrews, Executive Vice President and Regional Market Director at Alexandria Real Estate Equities
• Michael Gries, Managing Member of CDG Group
• Sam Klar, Portfolio Manager at GMO
• Karthik Krishnan, Associate Professor of Finance and Thomas Moore Faculty Fellow at Northeastern University
• Christina Qi, Partner at Domeyard LP

Presentation topics have been carefully chosen in order to cover a robust variety of industry specializations and trends, including venture capital and angel investing, restructuring, real estate investing, private equity and generating alpha in the current market environment, amongst others. To view the full schedule of events and to register to attend, please visit: http://www.nucais.org/.

“As alternative investments continue to grow exponentially as an asset class, it is important that we help bring the alternative investment industry to the forefront of discussion,” said Rohan Venkatesh, D’Amore-McKim School of Business Class of 2016 and Co-President of CAIS. “We have worked tirelessly to create a knowledge forum of thought-provoking conversation around key trends in the alternative investments arena, and we hope to foster meaningful networking opportunities for presenters and audience members alike.”

“Ultimately, CAIS is about providing students and professionals exposure to the top minds in the alternatives space,” said Jake Fulton, D’Amore-McKim School of Business Class of 2016 and Co-President of CAIS. “Over the past year, the CAIS team has been hard at work curating a speaker line-up that will provide the ultimate experience for attendees. With top-tier practitioners from various disciplines set to present, we greatly look forward to the thought-provoking conversations that will develop throughout the weekend.”

Sponsors of CAIS are acclaimed members of the financial and academic communities, including Wellington Management Company, CAIA Association, BackBay Communications, Northeastern University Student Alumni Association, D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Wall Street Oasis and PitchBook Data.

About the Northeastern University Collegiate Alternative Investment Summit
The Northeastern University Collegiate Alternative Investment Summit (CAIS) is one of the largest student-run conferences on campus. The organization is committed to creating a knowledge forum with some of the brightest minds in the alternative investments space with the goal of bridging the gap between classroom education and professional application with respect to hedge funds, private equity, venture capital and real assets. For more information, please visit: http://www.nucais.org/. Share and discuss the event on social media using the hashtag #CAIS2016.