Our Story
The Brooklyn Youth Charitable Investment Group was started in Brooklyn, New York in September of 2024. It was started by two ambitious sophomores who attended the Berkeley Carroll High School. With the help of some of their friends, the founding members gained attention and support. Reaching out to parents and friends in the community, recruiting like-minded youth to take part in the venture, and working incredibly hard to see their vision brought into reality. Their vision was what is now known as the BYCIG.
Our Mission
The Brooklyn Youth Charitable Investment Group aims to promote the financial education of ambitious youth and make sizeable donations to various local charities. We reach both of these goals by raising money from supporters, providing advanced financial education to all members at all times, and managing the group’s raised fund through a meritocratic investment advisory committee structure.
Our Structure
The primary BYCIG investment pool is managed through an investment committee structure. This entails a board composed of six founding members (all students) and an experienced advisor who has decades of experience working in the field of finance.
All investment proposals are made by BYCIG members, centering on quantitative analysis of businesses and investment strategies. We pride ourselves on detail and care – all proposals from members are held to a rigorous standard and are aggressively vetted for flaws. If the proposal is approved by a majority vote on the board the investment is executed at a bid price, profit target, and position sizing decided upon by the investment committee.
We believe that our democratic process and rigorous proposal expectations allow for investment prosperity and a community of advancement based on merit.
The “Charity” in BYCIG
At BYCIG we are not in the pursuit of personal profit. We are in it for the experience and the good deeds. All money that goes into the BYCIG comes out to the benefit of a charitable cause. This happens in two ways: biannual minor contributions to local charities and a summative final contribution to charity at the time of the funds closing.
We often field questions about our timeframe; we plan to pass this fund onto generations beyond us. If that does not seem to be a possibility then we will close the fund at a financially advantageous time. If this means we must continue to run it beyond our high school years, such is the case. We plan on operating the fund with the same capacity during the summer.
We make a commitment to our supporters and members that we will make biannual contributions worth at least 15% of all profit made during a half-year investing period. If we do not make a profit we reserve the right to decide the proper amount for the biannual donation given portfolio conditions.
Fundraising at the BYCIG
We are eagerly seeking out monetary contributions from supporters at all times. The larger the fund the more good we can do both intermittently and at the closing of the fund. The more money managed by the BYCIG the more its members will be able to benefit personally and intellectually from portfolio prosperity.
Our first fundraising round had a target of $50,000. We hope to one day achieve a fund value of $100,000 or more.
Our Founders
“Emile and I started the Brooklyn Youth Charitable Investment Group in order to provide an experience for ambitious students to approach capital management from a professional and charitable angle. We exist to support the education of our members and facilitate the successful donation of our supporters fund. I began learning about finance six years ago and I’ve been learning more and more ever since. I attend the Berkeley Carroll High School.”
Jasper Gould – Founder, Co-President, Chairman of Board
“The Brooklyn Youth Charitable Investment Group was an organization founded by Jasper and myself to allow us and our peers the chance to pursue a real world experience in the navigation and management of investments and finances. BYCIG is an efficient way to fundraise and support charities around the world, as 100% of our allocations will be donated to a voted upon set of charities. The BYCIG intends to strategically invest the donated money in a well-rounded and diversified portfolio that takes into account our responsibility that we have as a group to not handle this money recklessly. I am excited to unlock this organizations full potential and I hope you are too”
Emile Chilingirian – Founder, Co-President, Vice Chairman of Board
Jasper Gould
President, Founder, and Chairman of the Investment Board
Jasper Gould began learning about finance and investment since he was in sixth grade. Now with almost six years of autodidactic learning he is excited for a chance to lead his peers into a new experience. Jasper Gould hopes to attend Harvard University or London School of Economics upon graduation and one day start a buy-side firm.
Emile Chilingirian
President, Founder, and Vice Chairman of the Investment Board
Emile Chilingirian has pursued an understanding of capital markets at a speed that should serve as an inspiration to all members of the organization. His long-term aspirations include matriculating at a top-tier university and subsequently launching a private equity fund.