Pure talent needs to be discovered and possibly developed before it is ready to contribute to a winning team. The African American community is full of undiscovered and undeveloped finance talent. The Finance Farm League engages, supports and connects these students with the resources necessary to develop careers in the finance industry. We introduce them to finance as an industry starting in the 8th grade hoping to spark aspiration early. We then support the development of the skills in high school that will be necessary to excel as a finance major in college. Lastly, once in college, we connect them to mentors, internships and post-graduation jobs at Northeast Ohio private equity and M&A firms.
The underrepresentation of African Americans in the finance industry is not just a social issue, but a business one as well. Empirical evidence suggests that diverse-led investment funds tend to outperform non-diverse led funds by a significant 33%, underlining the business case for diversity. A diverse workforce, especially at leadership levels, fosters innovative thinking, broader perspectives, and better decision-making, which are critical to success in the finance industry. Therefore, developing African American talent and ensuring their representation in the finance industry is an urgent business imperative. It's not only a step towards equitable representation, but also a strategic move to enhance business performance and competitiveness.
It is hard to aspire to something that you have no idea is possible. Our aim is to inspire young African American students beginning in 8th grade to explore a range of opportunities in the world of finance. Through exposing them to finance at a range of organizations such as professional sports teams, investment banks, municipalities, and non-profits of all sizes, they will gain an understanding of how finance plays an important role in the world around them.
When students demonstrate an enthusiasm for finance-related roles and careers, we do our utmost to foster that enthusiasm by introducing them to mentors in similar positions, who can further their knowledge and engagement. We also facilitate connections between League members, allowing them to bond, communicate, and dream together. Through this network of league alumni, we aim to increase the prospects of African American students entering finance-related positions and firms. To ensure these passions are nurtured and realized, we maintain ties between high school guidance counselors and our partner colleges. Guidance counselors ensure that their students meet the necessary requirements and inform our partner colleges of interested students. As counselors become more experienced with the Finance Farm League, it will be easier for them to identify, engage, guide and support those students interested in a career in finance.
We are focused on assisting college students with finance, business, accounting and business adjacent majors get internships at Northeast Ohio companies that lead to job offers. To do this, we create visibility between the candidates and the open internship positions at Northeast Ohio companies. Our key performance indicators are a version of the following:
◉ Total internships posted
◉ Total # of firms posting internship positions
◉ Total internships filled
◉ Total job offers to League Members
◉ Total jobs offered to League Members in NEO
◉ Total jobs taken by League Members in NEO
Northeast Ohio is a financial powerhouse ranking in the top 5 for private equity markets in the US. Those who decide to live and work in Cleveland, Ohio benefit from its strong and tightly knit financial services community, its three major sports teams, an incredible cost of living and an easy commute to all sides of town. To complete a candidate profile, click the button below.
We work with everyone at the institution to get African American students connected to internship and hopefully career opportunities in the finance industry. Click here to see the list of open positions.
Posting your open internship position allows our partners at the local colleges and universities to see it and direct students to apply. Use this link to quickly post a position. One of our team members will confirm the details with you and get it posted right away. It is simple and easy to post an open internship position using our Internship Posting Form.