Local financial luminaries and international investment thought leaders on March 30 will convene at the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus to celebrate the establishment of USF’s brand new 12-terminal Bloomberg Financial Laboratory. Open to all students who attend the colleges that comprise the Consortium of Colleges on the Creative Coast (the “C4”), the lab will be housed at the University of South Florida’s College of Business. Students and the community at-large will have access to these terminals for coursework, training and research. Seven short years ago, Cumberland relocated its headquarters to Sarasota from New Jersey. We decided that this gift and an integrated Financial Literacy Day would be a way we could give back part of our success to the community that we now call home. 

In an effort to elevate financial education and financial literacy to a level where there will be better results for the community, more money to be distributed for philanthropic activities, and a better understanding of the economics of our nation and the world, our firm has worked closely with the C4 to organize a Davos-like event with four panel sessions: a special section on financial issues for women, trustee and fiduciary roles and responsibilities, investments and a session on the global economic outlook. Here is a sampling of speakers flying in from across the globe to participate:

• Ramiro Lopez Larroy, partner and director at Integras Capital, headquartered in Buenos Aires, has a broad range of expertise that includes South America. He will comment on this large region that neighbors the US and encompasses 500 million people. Ramiro will also discuss the outlook for the economies in the region, specifically Argentina.
• Kozo Koide is traveling to Sarasota from Tokyo. He is the chief economist of the largest asset manager in Asia, a global personality, and a personal colleague on the board of the Global Interdependence Center, as well as a member of the National Business Economic Issues Council.
• William Dudley , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and New College of Florida graduate, will deliver the keynote speech.

Women, men, trustees, fiduciaries, investment committee members and pension beneficiaries—all are welcome to participate in Financial Literacy Day, along with the academics representing the six institutions and their boards, trustees, and committees.

April is Financial Literacy Month, nationally and in the State of Florida. On March 30, we will help kick off this focus on financial education. We hope to see you for Financial Literacy Day at the University of South Florida. The link for registration again is usfsm.edu/event/financial-literacy-day/.

David Kotok is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Cumberland Advisors.