BIG EAST Investment Summit brings together investors, students and leaders in New York
The third annual BIG EAST Investment Summit was held on March 13 at the New York Athletic Club, coinciding with the BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Hosted by Indus Capital Partners, LLC and St. John’s University, the event gathered institutional investors, financial professionals, university leaders, alumni and students from across the BIG EAST Conference.
The summit has quickly established itself as a key meeting point for discussions on investment opportunities and leadership within the context of college athletics. Steven Keating, Chief Investment Officer at St. John’s University and Master of Ceremonies for the event, said: “The Summit channels the energy and competitive intensity of BIG EAST Tournament week into nuanced insights about markets, investing, sports, and leadership. It has become the preeminent forum for highlighting the excellence of BIG EAST alumni and fostering camaraderie among the BIG EAST community.”
Among those addressing attendees were Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference; retired basketball coach Jay Wright; Torsten Sløk of Apollo Global Management; as well as hedge fund managers presenting market perspectives. Ackerman said: “We are so happy to see the coming together of our institutional investment officers and key stakeholders – just one of many gatherings built around the BIG EAST Tournament week.” The day included panel discussions on private equity and venture capital as well as student stock pitches.
James J. Shannon ’87CBA—founding Partner and CEO of Indus Capital Partners—helped organize this year’s summit. Shannon noted its growth: “Our first year had 70 attendees, our second year had 160, and now we are at 270 people. The continued growth of this remarkable event is a testament to the quality of its participants and the relevance of the conversations it inspires.” Dean Dimizas from Cambridge Associates also commented: “The Big East Investment Summit keeps getting better.”
St. John’s University supports initiatives through centers focused on multicultural efforts locally and globally according to its official website. The university features campuses in Queens and Manhattan along with international sites in Rome, Paris and Limerick according to its official website. St. John’s is affiliated with both Catholic tradition through its Vincentian Community according to its official websiteand offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools according to its official website.
Rev. Brian J. Shanley serves as president at St. John’s University per their official site. As a Catholic Vincentian institution dedicated to liberal arts education according to their official site, St John’s continues engaging students like Matteo Sylvestre who called his participation “like a capstone project” during his time there.
Looking ahead after presentations from both industry professionals and students such as Joseph Mascio—who described attending as “the best academic experience I’ve had during my time at St John’s”—the summit concluded with networking before many headed out for basketball tournament games.
