Troy Prince cold emailed me a couple years back about his Wall Street Bound non profit and I had to meet him. We met for a bagel in Grammercy and we hit it off. He has been on a mission to bring the language of finance and the markets to inner street youth. Like Troy, I believe anyone and everyone should learn this language and as Troy says – ‘Talent and IQ are equally and universally distributed‘.

Have a listen to our conversation on Apple or Spotify.

For more details on the conversation read on below.

Guest: Troy Prince

Profile: Founder and CEO of Wall Street Bound

Where to Find Him: LinkedIn, Twitter, Email

Fun Fact: Troy says he was first introduced to the stock market in high school after reading “Market Wizards” by Jack Schwager.

What’s the Panic About:

Troy Prince is a native New Yorker, first generation Carribean immigrant, world traveler, veteran trader and founder of the incredible nonprofit Wall Street Bound. No words can express how much I admire and respect the work Troy does. His nonprofit, Wall Street Bound, teaches the technical “hard” skills of finance and the “soft” skills of corporate culture to help get inner city youth into front office intern positions on Wall Street. In short, Troy is helping connect marginalized and underrepresented groups to capital markets. In this episode, Troy and I discuss all things Wall Street Bound: the 15 year journey of starting the company; what services, programs and curriculum is provided; their progress; where Troy sees the company in the next five years; their success and more. We also talk more holistically about onboarding the next generation of investors, leveling the playfield and the value of social capital. I hope you learn something new after listening to this episode.

The Takeaway:

We need to do better at using our networks and resources to help onboard the next generation of traders, investors, founders and more who reflect the world we live in. The excuse “we can’t find them” just isn’t going to cut it. Troy’s nonprofit work is proof of that.

Favorite Quotes:

“I don’t think we have to argue that talent and IQ are universally distributed.”

“Given the opportunity, these young people can do lots of things that can surprise us all.”

“That’s how you get access to capital — not only can you learn by doing, but you can also have generational impact.”

Food for Thought:

In case you missed my recent episode with Stocktwits CEO Rishi Khanna, Stocktwits’ first ever Chips for Charity poker tournament is fast approaching. And guess what? All the proceeds from the event go toward Wall Street Bound! I’m so excited for these two companies that are near and dear to my heart to be collaborating. The event is November 21 at 2 p.m. EST. Here’s the link if you’re interested in learning more: Chips For Charity.

PS – I am now doing two ‘Panic With Friends’ podcasts per week. Thanks for listening and make sure you subscribe over on Spotify or Apple.