University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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The Investment Management Academy

Real capital. Real research. Real conviction.

A select group of Gies students manage a real portfolio with real capital, researching companies, defending theses, and reporting performance under the standards of a professional fund.

Founded 2016$2M+ AUMReal capital
Where our members work
Goldman Sachs✦J.P. Morgan✦BlackRock✦PIMCO✦Jane Street✦Houlihan Lokey✦William Blair✦Morgan Stanley✦Wells Fargo✦Jump Trading✦BMO Capital Markets✦Apogem Capital✦Magnetar✦GCM Grosvenor✦Adams Street✦Lincoln International✦Raymond James✦BofA Securities✦Guggenheim✦Mesirow✦HPS Investment Partners✦Oaktree✦Neuberger Berman✦Macquarie✦RBC✦SIG Susquehanna✦Eldridge✦50 South Capital✦CME Group✦Northern Trust✦Goldman Sachs✦J.P. Morgan✦BlackRock✦PIMCO✦Jane Street✦Houlihan Lokey✦William Blair✦Morgan Stanley✦Wells Fargo✦Jump Trading✦BMO Capital Markets✦Apogem Capital✦Magnetar✦GCM Grosvenor✦Adams Street✦Lincoln International✦Raymond James✦BofA Securities✦Guggenheim✦Mesirow✦HPS Investment Partners✦Oaktree✦Neuberger Berman✦Macquarie✦RBC✦SIG Susquehanna✦Eldridge✦50 South Capital✦CME Group✦Northern Trust✦
Mission

The work of a fund. The discipline of an institution.

Founded in 2016, the Academy gives a small cohort of Gies students hands-on responsibility for a real portfolio, research, valuation, pitches, due diligence, trading oversight, and quarterly reporting. Members operate inside a professional process built and led by directors with decades of buy-side and sell-side experience.

0
Members
$0M+
AUM
0.0%
Annualized
Performance

A track record measured against the small-cap benchmark.

Returns reflect process, timing, and noise. The Academy is built around a disciplined, repeatable, and adaptable practice: deep preparation, sharp questions, committee work, and rigorous selection.

Performance figures as of May 5, 2026

0.0%
IMA 2026 YTD
0.0%
S&P 600 YTD
0.0%
Annualized
0.0%
Cumulative
The Academy

Built around process, people, and unparalleled access.

"
The Academy taught me to think like an investor before I ever took a job as one. It is the closest thing to a real fund you can find on a college campus.
IMA Alumna · Goldman Sachs