Buffalo, NY - The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute hosted its inaugural Experiential Learning in Finance Conference in New York City on June 27, 2025, bringing together more than 100 finance professors from 27 countries. The conference focused on experiential learning approaches in finance education and among the distinguished speakers was Golden Griffin Fund Director Steve Gattuso '87, MBA '88, who shared insights that few in academia can claim: the secrets behind coaching a team to a global championship.
Gattuso has director Canisius University's Golden Griffin Fund since 2013 and built it into a national model for experiential finance education. Under his leadership, Canisius has earned a reputation as a powerhouse in the annual CFA Institute Research Challenge, a global competition in financial analysis and valuation.
At the conference, Gattuso presented on the strategies and practices that have contributed to the GGF's long-standing success. His session focused specifically on the pedagogical benefits for finance students who participate in the annual CFA Institute Research Challenge. Gattuso explained the how the experience gives students the opportunity to apply the theoretical finance concepts they learn in the classroom to real-world situations, "which enables them to understand the theory at a much deeper level."
The Golden Griffin Fund was established in 2003 as one of the region's first real-money equity investment funds managed by undergraduate and graduate business students. It operates as a course within the Wehle Business School and provides students with hands-on experience in portfolio management, equity research, and investment decision making. Students in the GGF course analyze and select stocks for a portfolio, using Bloomberg technology and other professional tools used by industry practitioners. A select group of these students is invited each year to represent the university in the CFA Institute Research Challenge.
Since the competition's inception in 2010, Canisius teams have claimed 15 consecutive first-places finishes at the regional level. In 2015, the program achieved international recognition when the Golden Griffin Fund team won the Global Finals, outperforming more than 4,000 students from 865 universities worldwide.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students an intensive experiential learning opportunity through hands-on mentoring and training in financial analysis. Teams research a publicly traded company and produce a detailed equity research report with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation, then present and defend their findings before a panel of industry professionals.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
