Duke Smart Woman Securities

SWS Trading Game

2013-01-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Smart Woman Securities is proud to present the second annual SWS Trading Game. This competition is open to all Duke undergraduates who are looking to gain experience in real-time trading. The game will run from February 18th to March 29th. Players will be given $100,000 in fake money with 6 weeks to maximize their investment. Prizes will be award to players who achieve the first, second, and third highest returns.

SWS Weekly News Update

2013-01-25T18:40:00.001-08:00

2012-08-29T16:44:00.002-07:00

Hello ladies,

I hope that you all had great summers, and welcome back to Duke! I am sure you are all full of energy from your break, so now is the perfect time to tell you all of the wonderful ways you can be “smart women” and get involved in finance events on campus.

Mark your calendars with the following:

Upcoming Smart Woman Securities Events-

1. BlackRock Coffee Chats with SWS members

September 5^th from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

E-mail us at DukeSWS@gmail.com to sign up.

2. Seminar 1- Personal Finance, Saving, and Investing

Presented by Ben Birken of Woodward Advisors

September 5^th at 6:30 p.m. in Social Sciences 139

3. Seminar 2- Understanding the Stock Market

Presented by Dr. Emma Rasiel

September 12^th at 6:30 p.m. in Social Sciences 139

4. Seminar 3- Finding and Researching Investment Ideas

Presented by Dr. Lori Leachman

September 18^th at 6:30 p.m. in Social Sciences 119

Other Upcoming Finance Events-

1. Fall Career Fair- Wednesday, September 12^th @ 10am-3pm (Location: Bryan Center)

http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/events/career-fairs/fall-career-fair-and-techconnect

2. Optiver Events: (Please scroll down for more info on Optiver)

- Trader Information Session // Numerical Testing Session by Optiver – Wednesday, September 12^th @ 6:30pm (Location: Millennium Hotel Durham)

- TechConnect – Tuesday, September 11^th @ 6-9:30pm (Location: Fitzpatrick Center Auditorium)http://www.cs.duke.edu/techconnect/

Other News:

1. Join our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/dukeSWS/

2. Like our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duke-University-Smart-Woman-Securities/206400739408131

3. Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/DukeSWS

4. Follow us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Duke-Smart-Woman-Securities-3696107?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

5. Check out our blog: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1950232728100445755#overview/src=dashboard

Firm Information:

Optiver

Optiver is a worldwide market maker and derivatives trading firm headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices strategically located in Chicago and Sydney. Founded in 1986, Optiver has been profitable every year of its existence. Optiver US LLC is a registered broker-dealer and participates in trading on various U.S. securities and commodities exchanges.

Trading

As a member of the Optiver trading team in Chicago, you will price and trade financial options, build and maintain positions in derivatives and equities, improve models, and participate in risk management and trading methods. We work in a collaborative team environment.

We don’t hire trading clerks; we hire traders. After a three-month intensive training program involving classroom work, trading desk simulation exercises and live market trading with real money—you start trading with senior production teams. Period. We only hire top-talent. If you can make it through our process, we believe you possess the skills necessary to strive toward your full potential with what we’ll teach you. We believe hands-on experience is the best way to learn and that is exactly what we provide.

Software Development

In an industry where one bug can cost six-figures, striving for perfection is crucial. Clean, well-tested, understandable code is far more important than clever obfuscations. As a member of our Chicago based software development team, you will be given immediate responsibility writing code that matters. Every developer who joins Optiver is quickly given responsibility, and contributions happen right away. Our teams are highly collaborative, striving to find the right solution instead of just “a” solution. If you join Optiver, your software development skills will be taken to another level in a dynamic and highly competitive industry.

If you are a software developer who understands computers from silicon to screen, you should apply. We only hire the best and believe if you make it through our process, you can be trusted to write production quality code. Our approach to personal development is more along the lines of apprenticeship than classroom learning, so come prepared to get your hands dirty and work closely with your team.

Thanks,

Duke SWS

Duke SWS Trading Game

2011-12-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies,

We are hosting our very own trading game! Thought the game is MANDATORY for our associates, any other woman on campus is welcome to join us. We will have a special prize for the first and second place traders at the game’s conclusion. The prize will be announced the day that the game begins. This game is meant to help prepare you for interviews, gain insight into the industry, and win great prizes (which will be awarded to our first and second place traders). To join the game, please follow these instructions:

1. Fill out this spreadsheet, using your duke.edu e-mail address: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqAZl4kV8sjmdGlCVVM1VjMzWTBHZG5ZZW0wMDZYOVE

2. You will be sent a link to the game by January 10^th at the latest.

3. Go to investopedia.com

4. Click register in the top right-hand corner.

5. Choose a display name with your first name, first letter of your last name, and graduation year (for example, mine is StephanieD14). Include a middle initial if that is taken.

6. Register with your duke e-mail. This is vital, since we will be e-mailing the game invitations to the addresses given to us in the spreadsheet.

Rules of the Game:

You may trade on margin, short sell, and trade options. Feel free to trade anything you want to. Mainly, we just want to see how comfortable you are in investing, and want you to learn more about this valuable skill along the way. As you buy and sell, please keep a log explaining your rationale for each trade. TRADING JOURNALS ARE DUE ON FEBRUARY 15^th to DukeSWS@gmail.com. Those who do not turn in a trading journal are taken out of the running to win one of the prizes. While you will not be judged based on our agreement with your rationale for each trade, we do want to make sure that you are not simply trading a stock based on the advice of friends or for no particular reason at all.

Thanks, and enjoy the game!

WOMENSPHERE EMERGING LEADERS GLOBAL SUMMIT

2011-12-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

WOMENSPHERE EMERGING LEADERS GLOBAL SUMMIT 2012

and WOMENSPHERE FELLOWSHIPS 2012

January 19-20, 2012 * Columbia University in the City of New York

Web: http://www.emergingleadersglobalsummit.org

RSVP before December 31, 2011: http://womensphere2012emergingleaders.eventbrite.com

Emerging women leaders affiliated with the Smart Women Securities (Duke University) are invited to participate in the 3^rd Annual Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012 on Creating the Future: The Next Generation of Women Leaders Transforming the World (www.emergingleadersglobalsummit.org) hosted by Columbia University in the City of New York on January 19-20, 2012. The Summit is open to women at the graduate school, undergraduate school, young professional level, rising manager level, emerging innovators, and emerging entrepreneurs/social entrepreneurs.

The 3rd Annual Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit will convene and create community among emerging women leaders from premier graduate institutions and premier undergraduate colleges, and from organizations and corporations in the United States and around the world.

OUR OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION:

Through the Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit, we aim to unleash the potential of emerging women leaders, and to create opportunities for more effective leadership, more successful careers, and accelerated impact on the world. We aim to inspire, empower, connect, and educate the next generation of women leaders on creating a better future through organizational leadership, venture creation, social entrepreneurship, public policy, scientific and technological innovations, and novel frameworks for problem-solving.

Through the 3rd Annual Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit, participants will benefit from access to influential leaders, being part of a vibrant community of leaders and innovators, and invaluable connections that offer:

· Leadership development

· Professional development

· Innovation development

· Mentoring & networking

· Strategic insight & education

· Career exploration & immersion opportunities

· Recruiting opportunities for jobs and internships

· Impact opportunities for local and global community

· Inspiration from leaders across varied industries and disciplines

To enable career exploration and success in finding jobs, internships, and graduate programs, the Summit will feature a unique Cross-Industry Career Fair and Graduate Studies Fair for all participants. In addition, the Summit offers a unique Career Immersion & Exploration experience on Day 2 of the Summit, hosted by a diverse group of companies in the media, technology, legal, financial services, consulting, fashion, medical sciences, and startup sectors.

To enable and accelerate participants' impact on local and global communities, the Summit will also featureconnections and Working Circles with leading NGOs, government institutions, public policy think tanks, and social enterprises.

A key goal of the Summit is for global leaders, heads of state, multinational companies, and the media - to be inspired and informed by the perspectives and voices of the next generation of women leaders from around the world, as we discuss and share solutions to global issues that affect all of humanity. To achieve this goal, Womensphere is creating a unique multi-media platform where emerging women leaders can discuss and exchange ideas and propose solutions on critical global and national issues – and through this platform, share these ideas and solutions with the global leaders convening at the World Economic Forum on the week after the Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit, as well as with other global leaders and the media.

Lastly, Womensphere will be choosing 20 Leadership Fellows, Technology Fellows, and Media Fellows for 2012, as well as 8-10 Summer 2012 Interns (all receiving honoraria and stipends) specifically from among the delegates and participants of this Summit. (For more information on our Fellowships and Internships - www.emergingleadersglobalsummit.org/fellowships.)

Participants will leave the Summit enriched with new opportunities, inspiring connections with leaders from many institutions, exposure to mentors and career opportunities, continued access to an invaluable network of influential leaders and peer emerging leaders, as well as many opportunities for continued leadership and involvement.

SUMMIT SPEAKERS:

Speaking at the Summit will be over 50 influential leaders from across a range of disciplines and industries, representing over 50 organizations and companies, including:

· Alicia Stewart – Senior Producer, CNN

· Analisa Balares – CEO & Founder, Womensphere

· Anna Ewing – Chief Information Officer (CIO), NASDAQ OMX

· Angela Leaney – Chief Marketing Officer, Harlem Globetrotters; Former CMO, Newsweek

· Ayesha Vera-Yu – Chairman & Founder, Advancement for Rural Kids

· Benjamin Stone – Social entrepreneur and CEO, Indego Africa

· Carmen Niethammer – Program Manager, Gender & Sustainability, IFC (World Bank Group)

· Cheryl Benton – President, UN WOMEN Metro New York

· Francine Delgado - Senior Vice President for NYC Programs & National Technical Assistance, Seedco

· Jacqueline Wales – CEO, The Fearless Factor

· Dr. Heather Berlin – Cognitive Neuropsychologist, The Mount Sinai Hospital (Ph.D., University of Oxford; M.P.H., Harvard University)

· Dr. Jane Carter Ingram – Lead, Ecosystem Services, Wildlife Conservation Society; Author of the two-volume book, Integrating Ecology and Poverty Reduction (Ph.D., University of Oxford)

· Dr. Joanna Rubinstein – Director, Center for Global Health and Economic Development, and Chief of Staff, Earth Institute at Columbia University

· Dr. Keren Bergman – Director, Lightwave Research Laboratory; Chair, Electrical Engineering Department, Columbia University (Ph.D., MIT)

· Kim Slicklein – President, Ogilvy Earth

· Linda Basch – CEO, National Council for Research on Women (NCRW)

· Lisa Shalett – Head of Brand, Partner, Goldman Sachs

· Madeline Nelson - SVP and Head of Talent & Label Relations, SONY Music

· Martha Bejar – Chairperson and CEO, Wipro Infocrossing; Former President, Nortel Networks Caribbean

· Michele Wucker – President, World Policy Institute

· Dr. Monica Beltrametti – Vice President, Xerox Innovation Centre, Xerox Europe

· Rebecca Caruso - EVP, Corporate Communications, L'Oreal USA

· Susan Tardanico – CEO, Authentic Leadership Alliance

· Violet Zaki – Founder, Zaki Fitness; Adidas Global Fitness Ambassador

WOMENSPHERE FELLOWSHIPS

The Womensphere Fellowship is an investment that Womensphere is making in the leadership development and professional development of motivated and aspiring women who are emerging leaders across all fields. There are three types of Womensphere Fellowships - in Leadership, Innovation, and Media.

The Womensphere Fellowship is a 12-month long program (both virtual and live) designed to complement an emerging woman leader’s professional/academic experience, and meant to create a platform for emerging women leaders and innovators to demonstrate and refine skills in leadership, management, and innovation, while collaborating with the Womensphere CEO and Womensphere Team on special global projects. Womensphere Fellows benefit from a year-long investment by Womensphere in leadership development, professional development, and exclusive access to networks, mentors, and events from the Womensphere community and partner organizations. Womensphere Fellows receive a financial honorarium and a Fellowship Certificate at the end of the year, upon a successful conclusion of the Womensphere Fellowship (stipends and honoraria vary from $2,000-$5,000 per year). Select Fellows may also receive a full-time offer to join Womensphere.

WOMENSPHERE FELLOWSHIP TYPES

· The Womensphere Leadership Fellowship is primarily designed for women from ALL disciplines - and focused on special projects that require leadership, project management, coordination, and communication.

· The Womensphere Innovation Fellowship is primarily designed for women in the scientific and technology fields, and focused on projects that require specific technical expertise.

· The Womensphere Media Fellowship is primarily designed for women in the media field (includes editing, writing, graphics, video, film, music), and focused on projects that require skills in various aspects of media and media production.

WOMENSPHERE FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

Womensphere Fellows receive these benefits:

· Opportunity to demonstrate and refine leadership and project management skills through participation and collaboration in Womensphere's special projects, in the US and internationally.

· Special investment by Womensphere in Fellows' leadership development and professional development.

· Exclusive opportunity to participate in all other Womensphere 2012 Summits FOR FREE.

· Exclusive invitation to Womensphere networking events with industry leaders and thought leaders.

· Opportunity to lead certain special projects, learn new skills, and gain exposure to new areas.

· Womensphere Fellows will become part of the inaugural Womensphere Fellowship Class, and join an exclusive ongoing alumnae network of Womensphere Fellows.

NOTE: Participation in the Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012 is required for all Fellowship Applicants.

WOMENSPHERE INTERNSHIP TYPES

There are four types of Womensphere Internships - Marketing and Communications, Media, Research, and Technology.

The Womensphere Internship is open to currently enrolled (or recently graduated) students from undergraduate and graduate institutions.

Participation in the Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012 is required for Intern applicants.

Interns receive a stipend and/or academic credit. Select Interns may also receive a full-time offer to join Womensphere.

There are two internship periods: Spring (February to May) and Summer (June to August/September)

WOMENSPHERE INTERNSHIP BENEFITS

Womensphere Interns receive these benefits:

· Opportunity to demonstrate and refine project management and execution skills in Marketing and Communications, Media, or Research.

· Special investment by Womensphere in Interns' leadership development and professional development during the internship period.

· Exclusive opportunity to participate in ONE other Womensphere 2012 Summit FOR FREE.

· Exclusive invitation to select Womensphere networking events with industry leaders and thought leaders.

· Opportunity to learn new skills, and gain exposure to new areas, while fully utilizing existing skills.

NOTE: Participation in the Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012 is required for all Internship Applicants.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Womensphere has automatically given all graduate and undergraduate students a 30-50% scholarship, reflected upon registration by the reduced registration fees. Womensphere offers a limited number of full scholarships that are distributed by our partner organizations (e.g. the Mary J. Blige Foundation for Advancement of Women and their full scholars), as well as a limited number of full scholarships which are granted by Womensphere directly. For the 2012 Summit, Womensphere has already identified 50 full scholars, and we have no more scholarships available for interested participants. We encourage participants who are seeking full or partial scholarships to seek funding from your institution, whether your organization, academic institution, or other sources.

RESERVING PLACES FOR DELEGATES AND DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION:

We now have a limited number of places for graduate and undergraduate students at the Summit (100 left for open registration), available on a first come, first served basis. We encourage you to register early and before year-end, to secure your place.

We also encourage you to take advantage of the discounted Super-Early Registration Rates (extended deadline December 13, 2011 before midnight) or the discounted Early Registration Rates (deadline December 31, 2011 before midnight). After December 31, regular rates apply.

To reserve your place, please REGISTER HERE: http://womensphere2012emergingleaders.eventbrite.com

For more information on the Summit, please visit: http://www.emergingleadersglobalsummit.org

PHOTO GALLERIES OF PAST WOMENSPHERE EVENTS:

Please feel free to view the Photo Galleries from some of Womensphere’s most recent events in 2011:

· Womensphere Global Summit & Awards 2011 – Summit Day at JPMorgan Chase

· Womensphere Global Summit & Awards 2011 – Kickoff Evening at Saatchi & Saatchi

· Womensphere Pan-European Summit & Awards – Hosted by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

· Women’s History Month Celebration & Womensphere Luminary Awards – with Urban Zen Foundation

Please email our Program Manager, Amy Strano, if you have any questions (amy.strano@womensphere.com).

We hope that you can participate as a Delegate to join us at the 3^rd Annual Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit!

Sincerely yours,

Analisa Balares CEO & Founder, Womensphere

Convenor, 3^rd Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012
Unleashing Potential. Creating Opportunity. Inspiring Impact. Transforming the World.

Womensphere: www.womensphere.com

Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012: www.emergingleadersglobalsummit.org/

Womensphere Global Summit 2011: www.womensphereglobalsummit.com

Womensphere Pan-European Summit 2011: www.womensphere-europesummit.com

Women’s History Month Celebration & Luminary Awards: http://www.womensphere.com/womenshistory2011

This Week in SWS

2011-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

The Week Ahead:

- SWS Educational Seminar

- SWS Associate Application

- SWS National Investment Competition Results

- Resume Workshop

- Goldman Sachs Recruiter in Residence Office Hour

- Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research Info Session

- Wells Fargo Securities Sophomore Diversity Summit

Hey Ladies:

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break! As you may have already seen, we have planed plenty of events for you for the last two weeks of school! We understand your schedule may be kinda hectic at this time, but we do want you to be updated with all the possible opportunities on campus and get involved as much as possible if you have time!

This week, we are going to have our LAST and maybe the BEST seminar with Prof. Hsiesh from Fuqua. He will lead us through an exicitng type of financial institutions: Hedge Funds! We believe you will enjoy this exploration a lot! You can find a brief blurb about the seminar and Prof. Hsiesh at the end of this email.

Now, open your calendars, and enjoy!

Smart Educational Seminar

Time: Sunday, December 2rd, 2pm

Location: Social Science 136

Topic: - Hedge fund presentation by Dr. Hsiesh

Prof. Hsiesh will go over basic knowledge about Hedge Funds and major risks to keep notes of. This is a great opportunity to learn more about these financial organizations, and event a starting point to explore career opportunities in this exciting field!

Before joining Fuqua, Prof. Hsiesh taught at the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago from 1981 to 1989. His current research focuses on the style, risk, and performance evaluation of Hedge Funds. This research has been featured in the Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Fixed Income, Financial Analysts Journal and the Journal of Portfolio Management. He has been invited to give presentations on hedge funds to academics, regulators, and institutional investors.

SWS - JP Morgan National Investment Competition Results

This year's winning teams were:

1st place: Sanofi (SNY), Chandler Benet, Katarina Krasulova, Elizabeth Silliman, Michelle Tseng, Yale

2nd place: KIT Digital, Inc. (KITD), Angela Hui, Julie Leong, Runqi Song, Yale

3rd place: Ubiquiti Networks (UBNT), Rachel Bowman, Brittany Duffy, Yihui Saw, Angela Zhang, MIT

Finalists: Laboratory Corporation of America (LH), Claire Huang, Mengling Liu, Zuhal Yildirim, Brown;

Tiffany & Co. (TIF),Stephanie Downey, Luxi Wei, Yuci Zhang, Flannery Zhou, Duke

Resume Workshop

Time: Friday, December 2, 9am - 12 pm

John Ladany, a Managing Director in Global Transaction Services at Citibank, will be holding a resume "tune up" on Friday, December 2nd. This is an opportunity for juniors and sophomores to receive one-on-one feedback on their resumes in a 20-minute time slot between 9:00am and 12:00pm.

Goldman Sachs Recruiter in Residence

Time: Thursday, December 8th, 8:30 am to 10:30 am

Registration Deadline: Thursday, December 1st, 11:59 pm

Location: Smith Warehouse, Bay 5, 2nd Floor

This event will give you an opportunity to speak with Goldman Sachs recruiters, in a one on one setting and learn more about the available summer opportunities within the firm. These "office hours" are focused on providing individualized resume critiquing, interviewing techniques/how to prepare, and general recruiting advice. Please note that this event is intended for Duke students only.

If you are interested in attending, please register HERE.

Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research Info Session

Time: Thursday, December 8th, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Location: Washington Duke Inn

This informative presentation will provide you with an overview of the Global Investment Research Division and career opportunities for summer analysts. Representatives and school alumni from the division will be in attendance. Please note that this event is intended for Duke University students only.

If you are interested in attending, please register HERE

Wells Fargo Securities Sophomore Diversity Summit

Event Date: March 29th - 30th

Application Deadline: February 1st, 2012

Location: Charlotte Office

Best,

SWS Executive Board

If You're So Smart...

2011-11-15T12:14:00.000-08:00

BlackRock Panel

2011-11-04T08:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Members,

Duke SWS is excited to present to you the panel discussion
with representatives from BlackRock! Please come and join us for insightful
discussion and great networking opportunity! Light refreshment will be
provided!

Event Description:
What: BlackRock Insights: Maximizing Opportunity
When: November 14, Monday, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Where: Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Dansby Room
Why: Because women’s empowerment matters! Engage in an interactive dialogue
with a panel of BlackRock professionals and gain insight into how one
discovers, creates, and maximizes career opportunities in the financial
services industry.

BlackRock is one of the world's preeminent asset management firms and a premier
provider of global investment management, risk management, and advisory
services to institutional, intermediary and individual investors around the
world. BlackRock offers a range of solutions - from rigorous fundamental and
quantitative active management approaches aimed at maximizing outperformance to
highly efficient indexing strategies designed to gain broad exposure to the
world's capital markets.
In advance of the event, feel free to refer to the BlackRock website,
particularly the Campus Programs section which offers a great overview of
opportunities as well as a few podcasts from three women at BlackRock:
http://www2.blackrock.com/global/home/Careers/CampusPrograms/index.htm

SWS/ Ann Taylor Career Preparedness Event

2011-10-25T14:28:00.001-07:00

DRESS FOR SUCCESS!
When: Thursday, November 3rd from 5-7pm
What are you planning? Ann Taylor Campus Casting Call at Duke University
Where: Von Cannon C
Facebook Event Invitation: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178192742266740

Ann Taylor & SWS Partner to Bring Chic into the Corporate World

Hey Duke University ladies! NOW is the time to start planning for your dream job! Join Smart Women Securities (SWS) and Ann Taylor for an exclusive information session. You’ll have the chance to learn about proper interview etiquette and attire and get help fine-tuning your resume to prepare you for post-graduation success!

In addition, you’ll also have the chance to be a part of an Ann Taylor Online LookBook- a resource for career advice and what’s chic now for the big interview and for days at the office. All you need to do is come dressed in your wear-to-work best and share your elevator pitch with us, along with some thoughts on how Ann Taylor can help you achieve your goals. Need tips on how to nail your elevator speech? Check out this great article:http://www.thedailymuse.com/job-search/perfect-pitch/

Upcoming Seminars!

2011-10-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

SWS National Investment Competition

2011-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

SWS National Investment Competition

2011-10-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

This year's 2nd Annual National Investment Competition--sponsored
by J.P. Morgan--is a very rare opportunity for your members to gain investment
research and pitching skills in a professional setting, in addition to being a
unique opportunity to meet and interact with industry leaders at J.P. Morgan.

We are also providing very generous prizes for winning teams this year,
including: an exclusive dinner with a J.P. Morgan Executive, $750 to a team,
and $375 to their chapter (First Prize), $500 to a team and $250 to their
chapter (Second Prize), $250 to a team and $125 to their chapter (Third
Prize), and a $750 Performance Prize for the best performing stock one-year out.

All you, your chapters members, and SWS Seminar Series participants need to do
in order to take advantage of this amazing opportunity is find a team of 2-4,
choose a publicly traded company on the US stock exchange, and fill out this
participation form by midnight, October 15th (next Saturday). You can have as
many teams per chapter as you can find interested students!

Preliminary round submissions (tentatively uploaded by video) will be due on
Tuesday, November 1.  The Final Round will be in New York on Friday, November
18th.  Please note: at least one team member is required to be physically
present during the Final Round, although we strongly recommend that all team
members attend.

Please publicize this opportunity to your chapter as soon as possible!
Remember, this is open to both current members and those currently going
through the Seminar Series -- help us reach both groups! Please also find an
informational flyer attached for their reference.  The complete information
and
participation form can be found here.  If you have any questions, I'm always
happy and available to help you at renawang@college.harvard.edu.

Thank you and I look forward to Duke SWS being well-represented at the
Competition this year!

Rena Wang
SWS National Investment Competition Director

Start a Chapter at Your University!

2011-10-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

Smart Woman Securities – Empowering the Next Generation of Investors
Are you ready?
-          Are you interested in learning more about investing?
-          Are you willing to work hard in leading a dynamic student organization?
-          Do you want to bring this innovative and exciting organization to the University of Nebraska?

Smart Woman Securities (SWS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit that aims to educate undergraduate women about personal finance and investing with practical experience and exposure to the financial markets. SWS was started in 2005 and now has chapters on 14 college campuses – Boston College, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Fordham, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Princeton, University of Virginia, and Yale. We’re currently expanding to new campuses for the 2012-2013 academic year. Is your campus ready?

For more information, read below and visit us at www.smartwomansecurities.com/startachapter.html. We hold calls with all interested students, so please contact us to set one up. The first application deadline is December 1, 2011 so email us today at newchapter@smartwomansecurities.com.

Why should I start SWS on my campus?Starting any student organization requires passion, dedication, and hard work, but the rewards can be significant. SWS offers a great learning experience for your fellow classmates, while also providing you the opportunity to develop as a leader at your school. To help with the daunting task of starting an organization, SWS works with our student partners to provide the following:
Structure: SWS provides a formalized education model with recommended programs to be implemented at each chapter
Independence: At the same time, SWS allows student leaders the flexibility to build the chapter programs around what is best for the students
Resources: SWS provides extensive support and guidance, along with startup funds for each new chapter
Network: Our extensive network provides chapter leaders with access to potential speakers and mentors, in addition to greater learning opportunities

How do I start SWS on my campus?If you are interested in starting a chapter of SWS at your school, please contact us at newchapter@smartwomansecurities.com to set up an initial conference call with a member of SWS National. After the initial call, students who wish to start a new chapter of SWS will be sent a Chapter Interest Application, which will be due on December 1, 2011. Please review the timeline on our website to see how the application process works. All prospective chapters must schedule a call in order to receive an application, so please email us in advance to ensure that your call will be scheduled.

If your application is approved, you will submit a Soft Launch Prospectus (SLP) due in early 2012. If your SLP is approved, your team will be granted initial funding and have the opportunity to introduce SWS to your campus in the spring semester. Finally, the ultimate Chapter Prospectus is due in April 2012 in order to become officially affiliated with SWS. If approved, your chapter will commence full operations in the 2012-2013 school year.

Key Dates:Next2 months – Set up a call with SWS National, so that we can tell you more about SWS, answer your questions, and get to know you. Please email us at newchapter@smartwomansecurities.com to arrange a call.
October 29, 2011 – We'll be at the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business Intercollegiate Business Convention in Boston to connect with students interested in SWS. For more details, visit http://ibc.huwib.org.
December 1, 2011 – Chapter Interest Application Due
January 15, 2012– Soft Launch Prospectus Due
April 1, 2012 – Chapter Prospectus Due

About Smart Woman Securities:Smart Woman Securities (SWS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that develops and supports student-run chapters focused on educating undergraduate women about personal finance and investing in the financial markets. Through instructive seminars, mentoring initiatives, exposure to successful investors and hands on investment experience, SWS provides resources upon which women can build greater knowledge of the financial markets. By giving young women direct investment experience while still in college, SWS aims to empower a new generation of women investors for the future. For more information visit www.smartwomansecurities.com.

SWS Seminar 4 Photos

2011-10-06T16:38:00.001-07:00

Woodward Financial Blog

2011-10-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

The guest lecturer from last week's seminar, Ben Birken of Woodward Financial Advisors, INC, has provided us with the link to his firm's blog. On the blog, short items pertaining to financial planning and investing are posted. You can follow the blog at http://woodwardadvisors.wordpress.com/.

Smart Woman Securities Freshman Recruiting

2011-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Duke SWS Seminar 3 with Woodward Financial's Ben Birken

2011-10-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Seminar Series Schedule

2011-09-13T14:57:00.001-07:00

Investment Competition Performance Tracker

2011-09-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the performance tracker of all 22 stocks pitched in this year's investment competition

Become a Smart Woman

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SWS differentiates itself as one of the only investment organizations in the nation specifically targeted towards undergraduate women. We are constantly looking for women with diverse interests who want to learn more about investing. No prior experience or background in finance is necessary, though every Smart Woman selected for the program must be willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to learning about the financial markets.

Our mission is to endow every woman with the proper skills and training in order for her to successfully invest on her own. Thus, in the future, SWS aims to expand our programs to undergraduate schools across the country.

SWS is about taking control of your financial future and making an investment for yourself. The skills learned through the SWS educational program are paramount to becoming an informed and knowledgeable investor. Even if you are not considering a career in finance, the SWS program and network will give you a strong foundation that you can draw upon in the future.

Take A Tour

2011-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

you're a college student...

You have homework to finish, papers to worry about, exams to study for, and oh yeah, a social life too. In between classes and extracurriculars and making time to relax, you don't really have all that much time to think about managing your money. But you do know that after you graduate and get a job, you might have to start figuring it out.

you hear about SWS on campus...

You hear about this new group on campus, Smart Woman Securities, that aims to teach women about investing and finance. You may not know much about investing, but you've been hearing things like "subprime" and "credit crunch" on TV. You may also be interested in job opportunites in finance, or you may have no interest in it at all... but you do want to learn more about investing and managing your own money.

so you go check out SWS' two-week personal finance workshop...

You gather up a couple of friends to attend the two-week Personal Finance Workshop. Since these first two weeks are open to everyone on campus, you don't feel like you're committing yourself to an organization yet... after all, you're still figuring out what you have time for. Plus, you want to see if this program will complement how you learn. For two weeks, you sit in on an hour-and-a-half seminar where you get a copy of the presentation, along with a handout for complementary info and a glossary. All the seminars are led by the same finance professional for the two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, you have the opportunity to continue on and learn more about investing in advanced topics like financial statement analysis, valuation, macro trends, etc. But for now, you're content with learning the basics, and then seeing if you'd like to continue and officially join SWS.

you decide you want to keep learning...

After the first two weeks, you like what you see, and you want to continue learning. You commit yourself to attending the next eight weeks of the SWS Seminar Series, and you are also placed on an Investment Project team, where you're covering a company for the remainder of the program. As a prospective SWS Associate, you have to attend the next eight seminars and work with your team to produce an investment report and presentation on your company. You're also given the opportunity to interact with mentors, both within your project team, and with outside professionals in various fields within finance. Click here to see the SWS seminar series schedule

it's week 10, and you have to present your investment project...

All semester long you've been working with your team, following this one stock and its competitors within the industry, learning more about how to analyze its financial statements and interpret its numbers. Now you have to present your investment report and make a presentation in front of your peers and a panel of judges...all of whom are interested in what YOU think about this stock. It is a BUY, SELL, or HOLD? Maybe you'll look back six months from now and see that you were completely wrong... Maybe you were too conservative, or too aggressive. However, whatever your thesis, it's the process that has gotten you to this point that is most important.

you're officially an SWS member! and now you want to join a Research Team...

After completing the Seminar Series and Investment Project, you are now an official SWS member! You and your class have officially "graduated" from the training program, and you now have several opportunities to stay involved. After working with a team on the Investment Project, you decide to apply to be on a Research Team, conducting research and making investment recommendations within an industry. You apply and are accepted to serve as a Research Analyst. Your team meets often, studying subsectors within your industry, reading news reports, visiting companies, arranging meetings with mentors, and trying to become the foremost experts within your industry. After studying several opportunities, you give a stock pitch to the Investment Board on a strong investment that you believe SWS should pursue. Along with an oral pitch, you also turn in a stock report for the Board's review.

you're leading your Research Team, sitting on the Investment Board...

You're now a Senior Analyst on your Research Team, guiding the new Analysts and sitting on the Investment Board, where you have the opportunity to make investment decisions for the chapter's portfolio. Not only do you have to consider the current allocation, but you are also looking to make new investments. You read stock reports and listen to stock pitches from all the Research Teams. You keep up to date with current news to determine what the market is like. You debate with other Board members over the merits of certain investments. Ultimately, you and your fellow students make investment decisions for your portfolio.

you apply for an Executive Board position...

You've pretty much done it all, conducting research, managing a portfolio, but you want to get on the operations side of SWS, running the day-to-day. You decide to apply for an Executive Board position. Once you're on the Board, you take the awkward Board picture and then work on all the little logistical details that make the organization tick:

you're graduating from college...

Soon comes that day when you're no longer a college student, but a legitimate alumnae... While you get to pass the baton with regards to your role in SWS, you can now become involved as an informal adviser, mentor, or even a speaker. The SWS mission never ends, and we encourage you to keep learning and staying involved. After all, students will now be looking to you for advice now, and hopefully you will be able to retrace some of those steps when you first started learning about investing with SWS.

SWS is now HIRING!

2011-09-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Smart Woman Securities is looking to hire a full-time entrepreneurial, independent individual to serve as the Executive Director. If you’re interested in this role, please see below. Additionally, if you know of others who may be interested, please pass on the information.

Position Title: Executive Director

Responsible To: Board of Directors

Location: Flexible

Role: Full-Time, Two Year Commitment

BACKGROUND:

Smart Woman Securities (SWS) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization focused on investment education for undergraduate women. Through instructive seminars, mentoring initiatives, and meetings with successful investors such as Warren Buffett, SWS provides resources upon which women can build greater knowledge of the financial markets. As of Spring 2011, SWS operates 14 chapters at Boston College, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Fordham, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Princeton, University of Virginia, and Yale.

FUNCTION:

To oversee all operational aspects for Smart Woman Securities including recruitment, fundraising, marketing, and maintenance of the current SWS chapters. To develop, manage, and grow the Smart Woman Securities organization and foster effective development of all current and future SWS chapters. Unique opportunity to manage a growing not-for-profit organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

management

Oversee current chapters by serving as the National Liaison to work with student leaders at all current SWS chapters.
Issue feedback and facilitate collection of Operating and Licensing Agreements.
Implement National programs, including but not limited to: National Investment Competition, Mentoring Program, Resume Book, etc, as well as come up with new programs across current SWS chapters.
Communicate with SWS chapters to provide appropriate news, resources, and information that may be shared amongst all chapters within SWS.
Maintain information on SWS participants, including current students and alumni across chapters.
Manage relationships with student leaders, alumni, corporate partners, investment professionals and SWS Board of Directors

recruitment

Recruit new chapters in the annual recruitment period which spans November to April.
Guide prospective chapters through the three-stage application process by holding calls, providing information, and serving as the go-to person for questions about the organization.

fundraising

Establish corporate partnerships for SWS National and work to ensure mutually beneficial programs for SWS and our partners.
Implement further fundraising methods as necessary, including but not limited to: grants, donors, partnerships, etc.
Maintain relationships with fundraising contacts and create specialized lists as needed.

marketing

Uphold the SWS vision by implementing marketing and publicity strategies that are aligned with SWS’ brand as a professional organization (eg. SWS has been featured on CNBC, Glass Hammer, etc).
Update the SWS website, both internal/external sites for access by the public and SWS members only.
Maintain a database of SWS files which may be utilized by SWS chapter leaders to share information.

infrastructure

Establish the appropriate controls and implement the process by which SWS maintains its status as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization.
Oversee the budget and perform all financial duties for the organizations including, but not limited to: reimbursements, tax payments, purchases, etc.
Ensure that all policies, programs, bylaws, etc. are conducted in accordance with applicable Federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines.
Provide information as requested for the Board of Directors.
Maintain records and compile reports concerning SWS chapters.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Undergraduate degree
Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously, without support staff.
Proficiency with a variety of applications software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. (Adobe Dreamweaver knowledge preferred, but not required).
Strong communication skills, oral and written.
Willingness to learn and think creatively.
Strong leadership skills.
Commitment to the philosophy and mission of Smart Woman Securities.

SALARY:

Competitive, commensurate with experience

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest, salary range requirements, and resume to:

info@smartwomansecurities.com

Application deadline: August 15, 2011 (or until position is filled)

Smart Woman Securities is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SWS-JP Morgan Investment Competition!

2011-08-30T09:58:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the first SWS-JP Morgan Investment Competition!

1st place: Nora Ali and Heather Zhuang, Harvard (COH)
2nd place: Wenyu Yang, Cindy Pan, Jennifer Ong, Columbia (CRI)
3rd place: Erica Schild, Sharon Ji, Margaret Greenberg, Yale (CREE)
Finalists: Alexandra Jerez-Fernandez and Courtney Fieldman, Princeton (KNL), Connie Liu, Jennifer Qiao, Andrea Lucido, Wendy Lin, Yale (LTM)

Notable statistics on the 2010 competition:
22 teams pitched in preliminary rounds in Boston and New York

In total, 66 students participated in the competition

5 teams came from Cornell, 4 from Yale, 3 from Boston College, 3 from Columbia, 3 from Princeton, 2 from Fordham, 2 from Harvard

Upcoming Event!

2011-08-30T09:56:00.001-07:00

Q&A with Warren Buffett

2011-08-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

On a sunny Saturday, after visiting the Nebraska Furniture Market, we had our first meeting with Warren Buffett. The Q&A session began with Mr. Buffett reading aloud from his two-page contract with Mrs. B, the former owner of Nebraska Furniture Mart. The important thing to remember, he concluded, is that, "mistakes are not made by environmental liabilities or some legal contract. Mistakes in deals are made by miscalculating the future economic atmosphere of the industry."

With intelligent insights and interesting personal anecdotes, Mr. Buffett expressed his opinion on a broad range of topics, focusing especially on his criteria for looking for good businesses around the globe: competitive dynamics of the company in the industry, reliable management, and a price that is undervalued in relation to future earnings power. When asked about his success, he emphasized the im- portance of communication skills. "Learn how to communicate, and you will make yourself at least 50% more valuable."

Mr. Buffett weaved his vivid story into several philosophies he holds in both investing and his personal life. Cracking jokes, Mr. Buffett illustrated the importance of pricing power with an example using See‘s Candy, "Pricing [of candy] really does not make a difference [in demand]. Every fall I walk into my bathroom and say, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, how much should I raise the price of candy this fall?' And the mirror says, 'A lot.' If the mirror does not say, 'A lot,' I will get a new mirror."

With his favorite Coke in hand, Mr. Buffett spoke with a high level of energy that excited everyone listening. Lisa Yu, a senior from Harvard, remarked, "Mr. Buffett is so passionate when he conveys his thoughts that I can't help but feel excited and want to learn more."