Resident founds opportunities in market, entrepreneurship

Stern

Arlington resident Michael Stern has announced the launch of the Boston Finance Academy, which offers online summer business courses for teenagers.

If you are worried about your kids with little to do this summer, Stern says that the academy will keep entrepreneurial kids engaged with fun, exciting business courses that sustain learning and prepare them for future academic and career pursuits.

Stern, founder of the academy, is an experienced entrepreneur, investment adviser and Teacher. A 20-year resident of Arlington, he is an instructor with the Arlington Community Education, a member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, a Precinct 14 Town Meeting member and a coach for the Arlington Soccer Club.

“I had a friend approach me about teaching their child about the stock market,” Stern said in a news release. “It dawned on me there must be legions of high schoolers whose summer plans have been disrupted. While STEM courses are easy to find, business programs are less common.”

Boston Finance Academy offers online business courses via Zoom for high school students interested in the stock market and entrepreneurship. Delivered via remote learning, courses offer live instruction and are available for any student with an internet connection.

“Wall Street 101” propels business-savvy students with a weeklong session mastering the fundamentals of the stock market. Students will learn the basics of how the stock market works, perform equity analysis and participate in a stock-market game. Additionally, students will meet via Zoom with Wall Street professionals, including hedge-fund managers, investment advisers and Wall Street traders.

The course runs from June 29 through July 3; Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. 

“Entrepreneurs' Bootcamp” offers a fun, fast-paced program where students master the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Students will learn the building blocks of turning concepts into companies, participate in writing a business plan as part of a team and present their prototype to a mock "Shark Tank" of students and instructors. Additionally, students will teleconference with entrepreneurs, CEOs and venture capitalists.

This course runs from July 6 through 10; Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. 

The academy continues Boston's long heritage of leadership in finance, venture capital and education. For example, the first mutual fund was founded in Boston in 1924 as Massachusetts Investors Trust.

Stern leads Arlington Investment Advisors, which includes financial planning and investment advice, He is a former financial consultant with Merrill Lynch.

This news announcement was published Monday, May 25, 2020.