Our Mission
Founded in 2010, the Alternative Investments Club (AIC) is a premier undergraduate investment club at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. We are the only investment club at the University of Michigan that focuses on alternative assets, which are financial assets that are not stocks, bonds, or cash. Our mission is to empower our members to become well-rounded finance professionals who have a holistic understanding of alternative assets, the financial markets, and investment analysis. To accomplish this, we focus on three key areas:
ACTION-BASED LEARNING
We believe in education through action-based learning. In addition to teaching our members fundamental accounting and finance principles, AIC engages members through our Investment Fund and semester-long case competitions to provide opportunities for members to apply these concepts to real-world projects. By tackling complex problems, members quickly develop their financial and problem-solving skills, helping them become better investors and preparing them for any career they pursue.
WELCOMING COMMUNITY
AIC focuses on building a group of passionate and driven students who have a variety of interests and come from diverse backgrounds. This enables us to provide members with a supportive community where they feel comfortable learning from their mistakes and making new friends. We plan a variety of social events throughout the year, such as club dinners and bowling nights, to create an enjoyable and social environment that members will remember.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Our members are some of the most passionate and driven students, and it is our objective to help our members achieve their professional goals. AIC provides members with a comprehensive suite of resources and support to prepare them to succeed during recruiting, which includes 1-on-1 mentorship and a vast alumni network. Combined with the hands-on learning experiences, members find themselves well-prepared when they recruit for internships and enter the workforce.
What We Do
Our members look forward to a variety of engaging activities throughout the year. During AIC’s weekly meetings, members discuss the most recent financial news and trends, learn about different career paths, listen to investment pitches for the club’s Investment Fund, and much more. We often meet in the Tozzi Electronic Business and Finance Center to give members access to financial databases like Bloomberg and FactSet, as well as emulate the environment of a real-life trading floor at a hedge fund or investment bank. New members also attend weekly education sessions where they learn about fundamental accounting and finance concepts, investing basics, financial modeling, and more. Below are some of the other activities members look forward to:
INVESTMENT FUND
AIC runs a $15,000+ multi-asset Investment Fund, where all members participate in pitching and voting on investments for addition to the portfolio. Members are placed on one of our nine investment desks, where they work in teams to source, analyze, and present their investment idea to the club.
COMPETITIONS
Every semester, AIC hosts a commercial real estate case competition (Fall) as well as a private equity case competition (Winter), which are judged by industry professionals. These experiences provide members with opportunities to work in teams, practice their financial analysis, and hone their presentation skills.
GUEST SPEAKERS
We invite professionals working across investment banking, private equity, asset management, and beyond to speak with our members. Along with gaining valuable insight, members often develop relationships with these individuals that lead to internship and full-time opportunities.