NYSTRS' 13th annual Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Investments and Professional Services Conference was held Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 at the System’s office in Albany. The Retirement System welcomed 200 in-person attendees while more than 30 attended virtually.
NYSTRS was delighted to host two prominent speakers as part of the conference. Seema Hingorani, founder and chair of Girls Who Invest, delivered the opening address. Ms. Hingorani, managing director and strategic client and talent engagement lead with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, spoke about her passion to found Girls Who Invest – a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and leadership in the investment management industry. The organization offers college students two fully subsidized education programs in investment and asset management.
Tina Byles Williams, chief executive officer, chief investment officer and founder of Xponance, served as keynote speaker. NYSTRS’ Executive Director & CIO Thomas K. Lee held a fireside chat with Ms. Williams who spoke about her experience founding her own firm and being a diverse leader in the asset management industry.
The daylong conference featured several sessions designed to acquaint potential asset managers and brokers, and professional and financial service providers, with the Retirement System. Asset class workshops – including fixed income, private equity, public equities (asset managers and brokers) and real estate – gave attendees the opportunity to hear from NYSTRS managing directors and staff. Attendees learned about NYSTRS’ portfolio and investment needs while also gaining greater insight into the qualifications the System expects of its business partners and our initiatives. The conference also featured many networking opportunities for attendees to introduce themselves to System staff and network with their peers.