The Quant society formerly known as QWAFAFEW NY has re-branded & re-launched as “QWAFAx NEW” [pronounced QWAFANEW]!

 

Launch event sponsored by Nasdaq on Oct 10th was a smashing success!

 

 

The re-branding decision was extensively deliberated by the Steering Committee & our new leadership (post-2019 elections) in light of the Crisis of Governance that had engulfed the old regime & irreparably tainted the chapter. It was necessary to “close the chapter” (pun intended) on that dark & dysfunctional past in order to boldly charge ahead. In particular, we retained Founder Herb Blank as “Chair Emeritus” while the Steering Committee voted to permanently ban former officials Michael Carty & Jesse Noel. 

 

We hope you are as excited as we are … We know from the outpouring of encouragement & support that people welcome our stepping in to save this sinking ship besieged by the interminable “Qwafa-feud”.

As the democratically elected leaders we aspire to the highest standards of governance & transparency; we seek to grow membership, to attract a younger demographic, to host better speakers on more cutting edge topics and most importantly to revive the collegiate vibrancy once again!

For the etymology of the original acronym QWAFAFEW & its intended double entendre (as “quaffing a few”) please see below. As our new website points out – the choice of our new name was motivated by the desire to

a] remain tethered to the parent QWAFAFEW while at the same time charting a NEW course as reflected by the change of a single letter

b] to reference the NEW YORK chapter in the spirit of TEDx &

c] to encapsulate the “exponential” through the x in the QWAFAx analogous to TEDx:                           

 

 

Originally for mainly quantitatively oriented investment professionals, the name QWAFAFEW (pronounced “quaff-a-few”) is a double entendre. The acronym is derived from Quantitative Work Alliance for Applied Finance Education and Wisdom. 

QWAFAx NEW Today: 

The QWAFAx NEW YORK Chapter now hosts monthly forums on a wide range of investment topics from fundamental and quantitative strategies to technology & regulation. We strive to maintain an informal atmosphere to facilitate discussion so you can relax over drinks with your peers. The forum also serves as a conduit for networking. 

Atmosphere: Informal but in the context of a professional gathering. 

 

Officers: Officers are elected by the general membership. The Steering Committee guides this process. 

Financials: QWAFAx NEW is a not-for-profit club. Annual Dues are collected from members in addition to admission fees in order to cover meeting costs. Membership is on an individual, not a corporate basis. Presenters, members, and nonmember attendees are presumed to represent themselves, not their organization. Receipts are provided once per month. Members of other chapters pay member rates to attend New York meetings and there are reciprocal subsidies with SQA & similar organizations. 

 

Meeting Frequency: Generally, 12 times per year, and at least once per month. Venues rotate with the time of year, target audience, and sponsorship opportunities.