Ben’s interest in the market and investments began early—at age 10. He was fascinated by the idea of buying, owning, and selling a thing you would never see or touch. He wanted in.
This interest persisted, and in high school he bought his first stock and tracked it daily. One day he woke up to find his stock had doubled, and in his excitement, held onto it a bit too long. The result was his first loss — and one of the most powerful lessons he learned.
His interest in people and behavior led him to major in psych at Drake, which he didn’t love, and soon switched to a double major in finance and data analytics.
…His biggest contribution (so far)
During his junior year, he landed an internship at Baird. And after plotting one team’s book of business using visual data analytics, another team approached him to do the same. Soon, Baird’s inhouse data team took over and scaled the effort, which has since become a company-wide initiative.
Ben says what has surprised him is how much more engaging the work becomes when you can put a face to the name.
Within his first few months of working as a client assistant, Ben says what has surprised him is how much more engaging the work becomes when you can put a face to the name.
Seeing and meeting the clients, even outside the office, at industry and company events, gives the work dimension and meaning. You don’t see a client as a portfolio alone once you’ve shared a burger with them — something he looks forward to doing more of.
“Although I’ve been kind of interested with investments since I was a kid, I measure my professional experience at this point in months, not years.
If there’s one thing I can point to that has prepared me for the job, aside from my solid educational background, it was COVID-19, where I found myself in an unusual situation: Raising three children with the help of family and friends.
When the schools closed, I returned home just as my aunt had to take my uncle out of state for medical care. This presented a serious child-care need, one I was uniquely positioned to fill.
“Practically overnight, I became a single parent to three kids under 10.”
What this meant was that practically overnight, I became a single parent to three kids under 10. I bathed and fed them, helped them with homework, talked them off the toilet, tucked them into bed—all while managing a full course load of my own. I was lucky to have family nearby to help.
Of course, I knew this gig wasn’t going to last forever. But in two and a half months, I got a crash course in life and family that even seasoned parents struggle with.
What it taught me was that if I could do this, I could probably handle anything! It also taught me that you learn most things by doing them.
“Optimism is as much a practice as anything else, and it’s one I choose to make good use of in my life.”
I realize I’m on the newer end—of nearly everything—and while youth has its perks, it, too, is a limited-time offer. What I know has and will serve me well in this industry is not what I know yet, but what I don’t yet know, meaning, the fact that I have fewer preconceived ideas about what people are capable of.
My positive outlook has gotten me through some tough times, and I know that has nothing to do with luck. Optimism is as much a practice as anything else, and it’s one I choose to make good use of in my life, and with the people I’m privileged to work with.
Ben joined the Koenig Jones Group as a client assistant after receiving degrees in finance and data analytics from Drake University in 2023, where he served as president of the Investment Club. As an intern, he created Baird’s first client map, which led to a new company-wide initiative to leverage data analytics and visual mapping. Ben recently passed the Series 7 and Series 66.
He lives in St. Paul with his family, cherishes his alone time, loves to golf, camp, and hike, and has a growing vinyl collection—as well as an enviable collection of shoes.