About Us
Empowering Future Finance Leaders
The Silk Family Investment Institute was founded through a generous gift from University of San Francisco Trustee Jeff Silk '87 and his wife Naomi Silk, with a shared vision of empowering the next generation of finance and investment leaders. Their gift has enabled the university to build a premier hub for hands-on financial education, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and real-world experience needed to excel in the industry.
At the heart of the institute's impact is the Investment Lab, made possible alongside a generous gift from Michael Gaughan, a prominent casino owner and operator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. This state-of-the-art facility provides students with access to industry-leading financial tools and data, fostering a dynamic learning environment where theory meets practice.
The institute has also developed a one-of-a-kind Investment Minor, offering students a structured path to deepen their expertise in portfolio management, financial analysis, and capital markets. Additionally, the institute oversees the investment portfolio managed by the Student Investment Club, open to participants from across the university, giving students direct experience in managing real investments-an invaluable stepping stone to careers in finance.
Through the visionary support of the Silk family and other dedicated donors like Michael Gaughan, the Silk Family Investment Institute is preparing students to become the next generation of investment professionals, ensuring they enter the workforce with confidence, experience, and a competitive edge.
An Investment in USF Students
The Silk Investment Institute was launched with an extraordinary gift to the university from USF Trustee Jeff Silk ’87 and his wife Naomi. Their generous investment will bring value to students, the university, local businesses, and the global investment community.
Executive Director Ludwig B. Chincarini
Ludwig B. Chincarini, CFA, PhD, is Professor of Finance in the School of Management at the University of San Francisco as well as an advisor to United States Commodity Fund Investments with over fifteen years of experience in the financial industry specializing in portfolio management, quantitative equity management, and derivatives. He also works with an angel group to help start-up companies. Prior to that he was a member of the academic council of Index IQ which was bought by NY Life in 2015, where he was instrumental in creating and developing some of the newest alternative ETFs, like QAI (the first hedge fund replicator), CPI (the first real return-inflation hedged vehicle), and MNA (the first risk-arbitrage ETF), as well as others. He was on the academic council of Future Advisor, one of the early Robo-Advisor firms, which was bought by Blackrock in 2015.
Director Tim Rasmussen
Tim Rasmussen ‘13, the Director of the Silk Family Investment Institute at the University of San Francisco, has spent the last twelve years in the finance industry. Most recently, Mr. Rasmussen was the VP of FP&A and Corporate Development at the digital asset trading platform, Uphold, ranked #1 in the San Francisco Business Times Fast 100 list in 2021. Prior to that he was a manager in the valuation group at Alvarez & Marsal where he specialized in the valuation of privately held companies and derivative instruments.
