2022 Best & Brightest Business Major: Colin Wexler, Fordham University (Gabelli)

Colin Wexler

Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business

“A curious innovator passionate about creating positive systemic change for his community through authentic relationships.”

Fun fact about yourself: On my 20th birthday, I was seated in the front row at The Tonight Show, starring Jimmy Fallon, and during the broadcast had a close-up on TV.

Hometown: Rye, NY

High School: Rye High School

Major: Finance with a Concentration in Financial Technology (Fintech)

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Blockchain: Industry Disruptor & Creator

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles During College:

School Awards and Honors

  • Ignite Honors Program
  • Woolworth Award
  • Dean’s List
  • Beta Gamma Sigma
  • Alpha Sigma Nu
  • Rho Alpha Sigma
  • William E. Boyle Society
  • Manresa Scholars Program

Community Work and Leadership Roles

  • Gabelli School of Business Freshman Advising Program: Freshman Advising Coordinator & DEI Committee Liaison (2021-2022), Freshman Advising Mentor (2020 – 2021)
  • Gabelli School of Business Dean’s Council: Gabelli Outreach Subcommittee Chair (2020 – 2022), Council Member (2018 – 2020)
  • Fordham FinTech Network: Vice President (2020 – 2022)
  • Office of Residential Life: Senior Resident Assistant (2021-2022), Student Life Council Voting Member (2021-2022), Resident Assistant (2019-2021)
  • Gabelli School of Business Tutor (2019-2022)
  • Rho Alpha Sigma Chapter President (2021 – 2022)
  • Student Advisory Council to the University’s Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Council Member (2020 – 2022)
  • Fordham Christian Fellowship Treasurer (2020 – 2022)
  • Fordham Dance Marathon Treasurer (2019 – 2020)

Where have you interned during your college career?

  • EY, New York, NY, Financial Services – Technology Transformation Intern
  • F. Lafferty, New York, NY, Equity Research Intern
  • Brunchwork, New York, NY, Operations Lead
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, New York, NY, Business Operations Intern
  • Giving Tree Global, Rye, NY, Director of Technology and Innovation

Where will you be working after graduation? EY, New York, NY, Financial Services Business Consultant

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? My interest in finance started from a young age. I’ve always been someone who is fascinated by numbers and technology. While growing up, I kept my parents on their toes, always telling them about new apps that they needed to download even though I was a 6th grader. Thanks to Fordham’s business program, my early curiosity and intuition for emerging areas has flourished into a future career.

True business leaders are individuals who can predict future trends before the general public even sees them. At Fordham, I concentrated my finance degree in the emerging area of Fintech. Through this program, I took courses in Blockchain, Algorithmic Trading, Python, Financial Modeling, and Introduction to Fintech. I also served as the vice president of the Fordham Fintech Network, the go-to Fintech network for students, faculty, and industry professionals to educate one another on the ever-evolving financial technology industry. This position, combined with my coursework, provided me with valuable lessons about predictive business. Through workshops, student-led research initiatives, and guest speakers from firms such as Barclays, Venmo, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and FT Partners, I was able to help create a network of Fintech enthusiasts that is an incubator for inspired students to pursue Fintech careers or entrepreneurial endeavors. These experiences ultimately affirmed my desire to pursue an unconventional course of business study, as Fintech continues to develop into a market disruptor.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Studying a business-related field gives students ample opportunities professionally. However, what is most important for prospective business students to discern is not only if they want to learn about business, but also what area of business excites them the most. Having a purpose in the work they do is critical. It’s essential to listen to one’s passions, not one’s insecurities. Although many struggle to identify their passions, I encourage all to think critically about the business situations that keep them up at night and connect to others in their network to share stories and use their passions to find purpose. Finding a sense of purpose in our work and in a college major, as I have learned through my time at Fordham and various internships, ensures that our work is meaningful. Even though the world might be telling us not to take a risk, we should! If we face a potential failure in the interim, it can teach us much more than potential success. I encourage everyone to find joy in what they do from the start. We shouldn’t tell ourselves that we will follow our passions once we are successful, as it is easy to follow accolades and money. Live each day with passion and purpose in your business-related field. You do not want to leave the workforce without meeting your truest, most passionate self.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? As a business major at Fordham, I was most surprised by the school’s commitment to educating its students about business with a purpose. The stereotypical view that decisions should solely be centered around short-termism was challenged in the classroom to show how decisions can actually drive both profit and long-term company interests, and sustainability through stakeholders.

The Gabelli School of Business’s mission to inspire and empower positive global change is something that I experienced throughout my four years on campus. As an AshokaU Changemaker Campus that focuses on educating its students on the U.N. Principles of Responsible Education, applied learning was at the forefront of the curriculum. In the Gabelli School, I had the pleasure of being a part of the Ignite Scholars Honors Program, where my cohort of students was able to take part in both curricular and co-curricular activities through the lens of social innovation and applied learning. Through this program, we were challenged to identify the solutions that businesses and society urgently need and design innovative solutions to these issues through economic, social, and political changes focusing on strategy. This experience opened my eyes to new and adaptive ways of learning and showed me that learning doesn’t happen purely from a textbook, an excursion, or solely in a classroom but the combination of the three.

Which academic, extracurricular, or personal achievement are you most proud of? My successful transition to Fordham was in large part due to the incredible mentoring I received from upperclassman leaders in the Freshman Advising Mentoring Program (FAM). I was thankful for the hard work these student leaders put in to ensure that I had a positive transition to college. Therefore, when I was eligible to become a mentor my junior year, I jumped at the opportunity.

This year I had the privilege of being selected as the Freshman Advising Coordinator for the Gabelli School of Business Class of 2025. Through this initiative, I worked closely with the Dean’s office to ensure that the 650 members of the most diverse class in the university’s history were onboarded successfully as they transitioned to the curricular demands of a university setting. This opportunity allowed me to inspire the youngest leaders in the business school and partner with 75 upper-classman mentors who exemplify academic excellence. Together, we implemented a year-long curriculum to first-year students with various touchpoints for the FAM to engage with their freshmen, including leading orientation sessions, small group sessions, panels, DEI educational events, and 1:1 meetings throughout the year. This opportunity was one that I was most proud of during my time at Fordham because it allowed me to be part of something bigger than myself and help students feel connected to their new home in the Bronx.

Which classmate do you most admire? I had the pleasure of meeting Katherine Doss during my sophomore year through the Gabelli School of Business Dean’s Council. As a first-generation American who is passionate about social justice, Katherine launched a committee within the Council focused on making the school a more inclusive place her sophomore year. She is a Wealth Management Private Banking Intern at JPMorgan Chase who has worked tirelessly to build a more inclusive community in which all belong at Fordham.

Over the last two years, I’ve been a member of her team and co-developed the curriculum for a business student leader enrichment series addressing the current need for more diversity, equity, and inclusion education. Through these efforts, she has committed herself to ensure students become more inclusive in their club meetings. She has enhanced their preparation for working in a diverse workplace, increased her peers’ awareness and open-mindedness towards other cultures, and educated students on how to appropriately respond to inequity. Additionally, she spearheaded a university initiative to launch a DiversityEdu sensitivity training for all first-year students to complete. Watching her grow as a fearless leader has taught me the importance of allyship and spreading awareness for social justice. I do not doubt that Katherine will be successful in anything she chooses to do after her graduation next year, and I look forward to seeing all she continues to accomplish!

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I feel honored and blessed to have such wonderful parents who always believed in me. God has blessed me in so many ways throughout my life, but the biggest of them has been my mom and dad. Both hold such a special place in my heart. The sacrifices they have made for me to be successful go beyond any description. My parents taught me the importance of always trying my best and treating the people in my life with kindness and compassion by challenging me to be the best version of myself. As business professionals with their own careers, they also instilled in me the importance of following my passions and only pursuing things that I am intrinsically motivated to do.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Much of my success as a business student would not have been possible without incredible mentorship. I have had the privilege of not only receiving great advice from mentors but also the encouragement and confidence to take risks and believe in myself. One of my biggest professional goals is to participate in a mentorship program to help develop young professionals. I hope to share the same leadership and professional advice I received to get to where I am today. Another item on my professional bucket list is to reach an expert level of understanding in my field and be able to speak at an industry conference. In today’s society, where media is easily accessible, I see tremendous value in being someone with a deep understanding and skill set that is able to draw in peers.

What are your hobbies? Besides my academic endeavors, I enjoy participating in sports, including tennis and skiing. I also enjoy aviation and traveling, with the goal of visiting each U.S. state. For the holidays, I even received a Scratch Off USA Map to track my treks across the United States!

What made Colin such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“I remember the first time Colin and I discussed changemaking, in his first year of study. He stopped into my office to give me feedback on his Career Exploration course. He made excellent recommendations and over the next few weeks, the School implemented the changes for a future iteration of the course. In that very early interaction, he demonstrated courage, by identifying a problem and speaking up, inventiveness, by coming prepared with innovative solutions to the problem he identified, and flexibility in openness to feedback and ideation. Since that time, Colin has been a true partner, to me personally and to our community at large. The scope of his impact reaches much further than the gates of the Rose Hill campus. Throughout his tenure, Colin has made it a priority to actively and regularly connect Gabelli School students to our Bronx community through partnerships with local businesses. He has also prioritized care for the others especially through organizing a clothing and goods drive to support Bronx community members affected by the recent devastating Bronx fire. In each effort, small and large, his motivations are founded in his belief that we are each responsible for making our community a better place. His impact will live on because of the strong examples he leaves behind and the mentorship he offers so many students.”

Marisa Villani
Senior Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies

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