by Ellie Kanz, Class of 2023

On Wednesday, December 1, David McCarthy (BWS Class of 2005 parent and former BWS Board member), investor and former hedge fund manager, visited Ms. Stier’s Economics seminar. He spoke to eleventh and twelfth grade students about the stock market, hedge funds, and investing, as well as about some of his personal experiences starting his own business and investing. One topic he explained in depth was “angel investing.” An angel investor is someone who provides capital for a business, usually in exchange for partial ownership of the business. He even went so far as to share two pitches sent to him by startups he invested in.

Each student asked Mr. McCarthy a question. These ranged from “What is a hedge fund?” (a fund that uses risk and borrowed money to yield high returns–investors hope) to “What are some signs a business is worth investing in?” In return, he asked students for their opinion about companies he has invested in (we won’t publish these–proprietary information!), and offered students advice on any investing they might do in the future.

Students enjoyed meeting someone as engaging and knowledgeable as Mr. McCarthy, someone who lives and teaches what he knows.

McCarthy, PhD, MBA, runs a Stockbridge-based consulting and advisory firm. In 2002, he co-founded Martello Investment Management, an advisory firm concentrating on absolute return hedge fund strategies. He has taught at several universities in the US and Ireland.