The GW Investment Institute (GWII) recently hosted its Second Annual GW Ramsey Scholars Investment Summit. This gathering showcased the achievements of 16 Ramsey Scholars from the inaugural cohort to our most recent award recipients. We were honored to host Mr. Oscar Pulido, Managing Director at BlackRock, the host of the The Bid podcast, and a GW alumnus, as well as Mr. Russ Ramsey, Chairman of GWII and CEO of Ramsey Asset Management, whose commitment and vision continue to propel the institute forward.
The Ramsey Scholars program, a testament to the impact of experiential investment education, was established in 2019 to recognize the top ten students from each academic year with a $5,000 financial award funded through the GW Ramsey Student Investment Fund endowment, which has over $6 million in assets today. This fund was launched in 2005 with a $1 million seed donation from Mr. Russ and Norma Ramsey, and to date, it has awarded over $300,000 back to students. The program reflects the Ramseys’ dedication to cultivating the next generation of finance leaders at GW.
The day began with opening remarks from Vanessa Perry, Interim Dean of the George Washington School of Business (GWSB), who emphasized the program’s impact on student achievement and the broader university community. Mr. Ramsey then took the stage to reflect on the program’s growth and the importance of long-term investing. This message resonated throughout the summit as Ramsey Scholars introduced themselves and shared their academic and professional journeys, from investment banking and consulting to asset management and analytics.
The day’s highlight was Mr. Oscar Pulido’s keynote speech. Mr. Pulido shared valuable perspectives on the evolving investment landscape. He closed his remarks with insights on how to get ahead in your career, emphasizing that we all need to hustle to get things done. He inspired attendees by his career trajectory, which began with a BBA from GW and later an MBA from NYU Stern.
A fireside chat featured Mr. Ramsey and Rodney Lake, Director of GWII. Their discussion, titled “Outperforming Wall Street by Embracing Long-term Compounding,” highlighted the success of GWII’s experiential learning model as students continue to outperform the market. Following this, attendees had the opportunity to network over a reception.
The GW Ramsey Scholars Investment Summit celebrates past achievements and is a platform to look toward the future. As we reflect on our performance over the last year, we are filled with hope and optimism for the continued success of our Ramsey Scholars. We look forward to witnessing their strides in the field and their embodiment of the enduring legacy of GW’s Ramsey Scholars Program. We invite you to review the recap video above to hear reflections directly from the scholars.