To all the schools and the people within them that support Rock The Street, Wall Street,

Thank you. You graciously agreed to open your doors to our program. You recruited students to join the program. You secured classroom space for our volunteers to instruct your students. You served as chaperones on our trips. You coordinated field trip transportation so our girls could have life-changing experiences. You stayed late to lock the doors after we left.

However, as any educator knows, you have done much more than the logistics. You opened girls minds to the benefits of being financially responsible at an early age and the possibility of pursuing a career in finance or other business related professions. You helped us teach girls that there is no truth to “girls are not good at math.”  You inspired confidence and helped them push themselves to new limits. You have done all this on top of working full time as an educator, a job that already demands so much.

For this, and so much more, you have our deepest thanks and we look forward to working with many of you again next year.

Sincerely,

Maura Cunningham, Founder and CEO

A map of the states where RTSWS programs were offered in 2018-2019

What Do Our School Champions Have To Say About Rock The Street, Wall Street?

Lincoln Park High School, Chicago

“We wanted girls to be able to realize that math, science, business, and finance were areas that they could excel in, that they could go and they could enjoy and they could be a part of.

They have learned to think in a broader perspective. To think about things they would have never thought of on their own. And I think coming here today to this building and seeing what actually goes on – there are ways for all types of thinking within it. It doesn’t mean you have to have to go on to work on Wall Street and become a trader. I think anything that enhances students awareness of realities beyond the ones they live in is positive. It is all about envisioning beyond the world you live in.”

Panther Creek High School, Raleigh, North Carolina

“After every session, the girls were always ready for the next. It was always “When is our next session? What are we gonna be doing?” And then when it came to the last session and they were going to present their budgets, they were so excited: “Oh, we got to research this, and we’re going to explain why we think this client doesn’t need these things in their budget.”

On the field trip, I could see it in their eyes – amazement and support for women in the field of finance. I can see how it will impact their future, what decisions they’re making about careers, and for me, that’s what it’s all about, so this has been incredible.”

Independence Academy, Nashville, TN

“For a lot of our girls, it can be really hard to be what you can’t see. A lot of them don’t have women in their families that work in business or professional fields. So when they get to college, when they finish high school, they’ll be able to think back on this experience and know what their possibilities are and be able to explore.”

Baruch College Campus High School, New York, NY

“I see the impact that RTSWS has had on our girls. We have girls who have maintained relationships with mentors from last spring—they still communicate. They have learned the art of networking and how important that is in today’s world especially…

Seeing the connections today, with the top business leaders at Nasdaq giving their personal email addresses to 15-year-old females who are excited and may have a follow-up question afterward…”

The Frontlines Of Our Mission; A Profile Of Our School Champions

Rock The Street, Wall Street went from six cities in 2017-2018 to 13 cities in 2018-2019, and went from 10 schools to 18 schools, coast to coast. We achieved this growth with the help of the faculties and administrators within those schools and the female investment professionals who volunteered their time.

Here are our partners in creating the next generation of mathematically and financially empowered women:

• Baruch College Campus High School, New York, NY
• Burke High School, Omaha, NE
• Byron Nelson High School, Ft. Worth, TX
• Centennial High School, Nashville, TN
• C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento, CA
• Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA
• Hopkins High School, Minneapolis, MN
• Hunter College High School, New York, NY
• Independence Academy, Nashville, TN
• Lincoln Park High School, Chicago, IL
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School, Nashville, TN
• Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, Atlanta, GA
• Merrimack High School, Merrimack, NH
• Panther Creek High School, Raleigh, NC
• Parkway Central High School, St. Louis, MO
• Rosemont High School, Sacramento, CA
• South Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte, NC
• V.R. Eaton High School, Ft. Worth, TX

Heading into 2019-2020, all signs point to RTSWS impacting an even greater number of girls around the country. These girls will have a much less negative affective reaction to the word “math” and learn how to invest in a stock or bond, negotiate a salary, and understand the pay gap.

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

– Oprah Winfrey

A Historic Year For Rock The Street, Wall Street

The 2018-2019 school year was a record for Rock The Street, Wall Street! We offered our program in 18 schools across 13 U.S. cities. Here are more numbers:

Fall sessions: 503 high school students participated in our fall classroom workshops, led by 150 female financial professionals across the country.

Spring sessions: 159 mentors–all female money management professionals–working with 245 female high school students.

Today, we’re highlighting  the spring mentoring component of our program, and the impact it’s having on our students.

RTSWS Continues To Spread Its Impact, Coast To Coast

A Mentoring Deficiency In The U.S.

According to the American School Counselor Association, the recommended ratio of students to guidance counselors in 250:1. Question: How effective can that be? Even worse, the national average in the U.S. is actually 482:1. Ratios for the states where Rock The Street, Wall Street is currently being provided are below. 

• California – 760:1
• Illinois – 664:1
• Kansas – 473:1
• Minnesota – 723:1
• Missouri – 347:1
• Nebraska – 387:1
• New Hampshire – 227:1
• New York – 635:1
• North Carolina – 378:1
• Tennessee – 339:1
• Texas – 449:1

Our Solution

HCA Mentor Jennifer Knight With Her Proteges From MLK High School In Nashville, TN

RTSWS student to mentor ratio is 1:1 or 2:1. Our mentors give their proteges a major advantage in getting valuable advice on where to go to college and which majors to choose in college as well as what courses our students should be taking while in high school. Mentoring is a valuable resource in developing the student’s self confidence, providing accountability for her goals, discovering her interests and professional aspirations.

The significance of having a mentor in one’s life cannot be understated. Studies show that providing high school aged students with mentors has a wide array of positive effects: Increased graduation rates, healthier relationships and lifestyle choices, better attitude about school, higher educational aspirations, enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence, stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers and improved interpersonal skills.

Further, RTSWS provides them with uniquely qualified mentors: female financial professionals who can “walk the talk” when it comes to financial literacy. One of the “School Champions” who works with the program, Renee Fredericks, explains why this is so critical:

“For a lot of our girls, it can be really hard to be what you can’t see. A lot of them don’t have women in their families that work in business or professional fields. So when they get to college, when they finish high school, they’ll be able to think back on this experience and know what their possibilities are and be able to explore.”

At each session, students not only connect with a positive money management role model and build a relationship with her, but also see their friends spending time with other female financial professionals. In this sense, the Rock The Street, Wall Street program shows them a community of highly skilled and successful women who work in an M in STEM field; a profession that many of them did not even know existed before they joined the program.

This community also captivates many of the mentors, who report that volunteering with the program helps them meet other like-minded women from their own firm, feel more connected to their companies, and find more purpose in their work.

Our Mentoring System

Volunteer Anh Mecha with her two proteges from Burke High School in Omaha, NE

The mentoring component of the program runs throughout the spring semester, with a minimum of five sessions taking place in classrooms. Many of our mentor/protege choose to meet more often than this, with several continuing to develop their relationship throughout the summer and even into the following year. Over 60% of our mentors and proteges report they are planning to stay in touch over their summers.

Each session has a conversation topic for the student and mentor to discuss, with actionable tasks and worksheets to help facilitate the discussion. These are not simply fluffy relationship building exercises either; these are well-researched topics that help the students actively think about and prepare for their futures. Below is a outline of the topics covered each session.

Session 1 – Introduction to Financial Pros, LinkedIn Profile and Digital Footprint

Mentor and Protege teams meet together to discuss the student’s academic and professional aspirations. Mentors work with students to create a LinkedIn profile, show them how LinkedIn is used in the professional world and connect their profiles so that students may get a better understanding of networking. After this, the conversation turns to digital footprint as mentors share with students the dangers of posting the wrong things to social media.

What Our Volunteers Had To Say About Session 1:

“Very open dialogue and clearly communicated the areas of growth they’d like to work on. I gained a lot of insight from both Anna and Namrata and look forward to working with them!”

“Had a great first session! Looking forward to the rest. As an aside – Would appreciate having an opportunity to connect with the other mentors more formally”

Volunteer Andri Zamora with her Byron Nelson High School proteges in Fort Worth, TX

Session 2 – Resume Building

Mentors work with students to begin developing their resumes. These resume sessions are important as almost 60% of our students this year reported that they did not have a resume upon entering the RTSWS program.

What Our Volunteers Had To Say About Session 2:

“I spoke about digital footprints, and at the end of the session I asked the young ladies to say one thing that they will take away from our session. One young lady stated ‘I know you said something about feet, but ultimately I’m going to be more mindful about how I represent myself on Twitter and what I post because a future employer has access to anything I post even if I delete my account.’ It was memorable because she didn’t remember the terminology ‘digital footprint’ but she understood the concept.”

Lauren Kuechenmeister with her Parkway Central proteges in St. Louis, MO

Session 3 – Resume Review, Career Quiz and Personality Assessment

Students resumes continue to be worked on and then, time for assessment testing – they take both a career and a personality assessment. Our mentors then meaningfully review with their proteges what different career paths look like. For many of our students, this is the first time they are actively thinking about what career they want to pursue. The varied professions within the financial industry are brought to light.

What Our Volunteers Had To Say About Session 3:

“The proteges are starting to open up and get a little more comfortable.”

“All of my mentees really wanted to create their resumes for college applications! I was impressed with how much work and thought they put into them today.”

“We drafted together and sent an outreach email to a contact for a possible summer internship. We also completed her first resume!!”

Christy Doshi with her South Mecklenburg proteges in Charlotte, NC

Session 4 – Career Choices And Interview Skills

Mentors have students think about what courses they can be taking in high school, which college majors they may want to consider, and possible postsecondary degrees. Mentors then roleplay interview skills with the students, exemplifying best practices and also things to avoid.

What Our Volunteers Had To Say About Session 4:

“Kathlyn is so incredibly driven and focused. I’m enjoying the opportunity to help her get to the next level.”

“Very attentive and willing to learn! I feel like I’m actually making a difference!”

Allison Valentor with her Lincoln Park High School protege in Chicago, IL

Session 5 – Women In Finance

The final session serves to continue the discussion on career paths, with a focus specifically on finance as a career for those who are so inclined. By this point in the semester, over 90% of our mentors report either a strong or very strong rapport with their respective students. This allows the last session to be more of a personal look into the path the mentor took in her own life, and what she currently does.

What Our Volunteers Had To Say About Session 5:

“These girls are awesome – one of my mentees started her own club and recruited volunteers to fundraise for a national organization which empowers women. Great reminder of the snowball effect of giving back – these girls are already helping others!”

RTSWS Has A Big Time In The Big Easy

Last week, Rock The Street, Wall Street was in New Orleans. Of course, while we there, we had to stop for a po’ boy or three, check out the Jazz Festival, and take a stroll down Bourbon Street (oh, and let’s not forget the beignets). Between enjoying all the tastes of N’awlins we also found time to make our way to the annual Burkenroad Reports Conference; meet up with investment advisor, NYT op-ed contributor, and blogger Blair Duquesnay; get to know the members of the CFA Society of Louisiana; and attend the 6th annual “Finding Alpha In The Delta” Institutional Investments Roundtable.

Finding Alpha In The Delta

Last week’s events in Nawlins’ started on Thursday with the 6th annual “Finding Alpha In The Delta,” Institutional Investments Roundtable hosted by OMNI research. The event focused on topics such as managing risk, infrastructure, impact investing and diversity and inclusion. Our founder, Maura K. Cunningham, was there to speak to the attendees on how to get more girls interested in their personal investments and how to get more of them in the financial services pipeline There were plans being made, too, of getting a chapter of RTSWS started there.

“It’s Like Jazzfest For Capitalists”: The 23rd Annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference

On Friday, April 26th, the Tulane University Freeman School of Business hosted the 23rd annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference. Every year, students from Tulane University Freeman School of Business who enroll in the Burkenroad Reports course work in small groups and spend the semester researching small to midsize companies in the Gulf Coast region that normally receive little attention from bigger banks and investment institutions. Each group creates a detailed investment report for the company of their choosing, covering everything from industry analysis to financial projections.

Each report features a thesis that makes investment recommendations based on all the research performed throughout the semester. This recommendation synthesizes a wide range of information including current market valuation, competitive analysis, management and performance background, shareholder analysis, risk analysis and many more factors including WWBD (What Would Ben (Graham) Do?), a clever yet useful analysis of the way the intelligent investor himself might evaluate the company being researched. Each group also goes on a site visit, interviewing top management to learn more about the company.

At the end of the semester-long deep dive, students present their findings at the Burkenroad Reports Conference to a wide variety of attendees. Institutional and individual investors, educators, and others show up to learn more about the companies researched or network with each other. C-level executives from the companies researched are invited to join them at the conference and give their shareholder report. After each presentation, investors and students are invited to move to an adjoining room for an informal Q & A session on what was just presented.

Local Legends: Blair Duquesnay and The CFA Society Of Louisiana

While in New Orleans, we also had the pleasure of hanging out with Blair Duquesnay, CFA, CFP and the CFA society of Louisiana. Blair is a Financial Advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management, LLC. In her spare time, she also contributes to the New York Times (seriously you have to read this piece on why we all stand to benefit from more female brokers), runs a blog, The Belle Curve, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investment News, Morningstar Advisor Magazine, and Business Insider. As an investment advisor, Blair primarily works with women, particularly women who are breadwinners for their family and women who are alone through either divorce or the death of a spouse. As you can imagine, we hit it off.

We also had the chance to meet with a few members of the CFA Society Louisiana, who were there to mingle with the Tulane University students, advocate for becoming a CFA charterholder and to meet investors.

The 26th Annual Merit Awards Dinner

The Merit Awards Dinner was established to honor the accomplishments of women in the financial services industry. On April 18th, there were over 800 guests representing the largest banks, brokerage firms private equity investment houses, asset managers, rating agencies, consulting and technology service firms, and trade organizations.

Established in 1921, The Women’s Bond Club’s (WBC) mission is to bring together experienced professional women from all sectors of the capital markets industry to assist women with advancing within their chosen fields. The Awards Dinner is about recognizing the leaders, learning from their successes and returning value back to the members and community.

The WBC gave out their two most prestigious awards that evening. Named in honor of one of their founding members, the Betty Cook Award recognizes the contributions of an exceptional woman who has devoted much of her career to helping other women. This year’s Betty Cook Award went to Rock The Street, Wall Street founder and CEO, Maura K. Cunningham. The Merit Award recognizes a woman who has made a significant contribution to the financial services community and actively supports diversity initiatives. This year’s Merit Award winner was Ellen R. Alemany, Chairwomen & Chief Executive Officer, CIT Group.

Maura with Ellen Alemany and WBC Board Members

What Maura Did To Receive The Award

Maura is the Founder and Executive Director of Rock The Street, Wall Street – a financial literacy program designed to spark high school girls’ interest in pursuing finance careers. After spending 25+ years in the financial industry, Maura was eager to turn her attention to getting more girls interested in their financial independence and introduce them to careers in finance.

Since its inception in 2013, more than 1,750 girls across 13 U.S. cities, coast to coast, have graduated from the year-long program that includes classroom financial hands-on project workshops, a “Wall Street” experience field trip, and a mentorship program. Every single classroom instructor and mentor are female financial professionals who volunteer to lead Rock The Street, Wall Street programs, and are instrumental in shaping girls’ perceptions of finance careers. If they can see it, they can be it.

What She Had To Say While There

Maura delivering her speech

Below are some excerpts from Maura’s acceptance speech that evening.

On being a woman in finance:

When I first started my career, I was often one of the few women in the room. The needle still hasn’t moved very far. Today, women represent only 2.5% of hedge fund managers, 8% of venture capital partners, 9% of mutual fund managers and 11.7% of private equity professionals and roughly only 20 -25% of managing directors.

On where gender differences in STEM form:

Here’s the trajectory of a girls’ life when it comes to math in the United States. It starts at home. If parents have a boy and a girl, many parents are still encouraging their sons to study math and science, and their daughters to study dance and literature. In grade school, where 90% of the teachers are females who have little to no certification in math, girls see their teachers struggle when they go to the whiteboard or smart board, with what is known as “math anxiety”. That math anxiety transfers to the girls in the room, but not to the boys in the room. (U of Chicago 12 year longitudinal studies.) They will even sometimes hear their teachers say, “I hate math.” The seed is planted…girls start to think it’s societally acceptable for them to then “opt out” of math.

On the effects of  “math anxiety:”

This socialization of math phobia carries over to girls’ interest in pursuing business classes. Sure, they’ll choose marketing and HR classes year after year in the business disciplines, but, not finance nor economics classes – where girls are much fewer in number. And when they finally get to college, those that have an interest in pursuing a major in finance or economics will find again that they are only 3 or 4 out of class of 20 students.

On the importance of reaching girls early:

We believe that reaching girls in high school – before they select a college, a major and accrue debt to pay for it all – is crucial to truly affecting change in both our industry and in the lives of women who will come to have a much better understanding of finance and financial products.

On Rock The Street, Wall Street’s impact and growth:

Rock The Street, Wall Street’s financial literacy program runs throughout the academic year and is DESIGNED to spark the interest of high school girls into careers of finance. In 6 years, we have grown from 1 school in Nashville to 19 schools in 14 cities, coast to coast.

On outcomes thus far:

To date, we have equipped 1750 high school girls with the tools to think and talk meaningfully about money and investments with their peers, their parents and with us. Think about that – how often are you hearing teenage girls talk to you or to their friends openly and interestingly about money, saving and investing?

On the impacts young women can have in finance:

If the financial industry is to be perceived as forward-thinking by the millenials and Gen Z’s, we need to better align with what both male and females of that age are looking for in a job – work that is meaningful. We need to talk to both 15 year old girls and 21 y/o female job candidates about how they can make a difference in finance right from the very beginning of their career! We need to speak to their interests, saying….Did you know you can change the face of a city by helping it reduce its interest rate and borrowing fees? Did you know that you can help an eco-sustainable start up company achieve its goals by helping it obtain the seed funding or the venture capital they need so they, in turn, can have a greater impact on their communities?

To read the full speech, click here

Who Was There To Hear It

Maura with Merit Award Winner, Ellen Alemany, and BlackRock CEO, Larry Fink

Featured Speaker – Laurence D. Fink

Laurence D. Fink is Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock, Inc. Today, BlackRock is trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm in the world. Mr. Fink has been named one of the “World’s Greatest Leaders” by Fortune, and Barron’s has named him one of the “World’s Best CEOs” for 12 consecutive years.

To read Larry’s full speech, click here

Merit Award Winner – Ellen R. Alemany

Ellen R. Alemany is Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of CIT Group and Chairwoman, CEO and president of CIT Bank, North America, the company’s bank subsidiary. She was named CEO in April 2016, became chairwoman in May 2016 and is leading CIT’s evolution as a leading national bank that empowers businesses and personal savers.

Emcee – Leslie Picker

Leslie Picker joined CNBC in February 2017 as a reporter covering hedge funds, private equity and asset management. She is based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting appears on television and CNBC’s digital platforms. Picker has interviewed some of the most prominent investors on CNBC, including Citadel’s Ken Griffin, Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn, Omega Advisor’s Leon Cooperman and Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman.

About The Women’s Bond Club

The Women’s Bond Club (WBC) is a vital community of experienced women across a wide range of financial services and related industries. Founded in 1921, The WBC was the first organization in New York that focused on advancing women in finance. Today they have over 1000 members and 40 of the leading financial services firms as corporate sponsors, with several new additions to their roster. Their members are united by a powerful mission: to advance women’s leadership, grow their intellectual capital, and return value to their companies, communities and upcoming generations. They accomplish this through a series of thought provoking and engaging events for their members, as well as through their scholarship program and partnerships with non-profit organizations.