Stephen Malinak

Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager

2024

The Fund is designed with the core philosophy that solving the world's biggest problems is the world’s biggest investment opportunity. Our investment strategy is informed by a mapping of global challenges and corresponding solutions. We use multiple lines of evidence to identify stocks in the global universe that are well positioned to address the most critical global challenges. We apply a comprehensive fundamental analysis to each stock identified to validate our conviction. We implement proprietary quantitative portfolio construction methods to achieve diversification.

Advisor

2023 - 2024

Venture Partner

2022 - 2023

Ulu is a seed stage venture firm focused primarily on enterprise IT. At Ulu, we focus on the market opportunity created by the Stanford and Silicon Valley communities and seek to generate great financial results using a disciplined, repeatable decision-making process that analyzes risk-reward trade-offs. We also follow logical principles of portfolio construction. This approach makes us conventional in the world of institutional investors but contrarian as compared to other VCs. We believe entrepreneurship is the best tool set for solving the world’s toughest problems. As a result, we strive to learn about our entrepreneurs on a human level, to celebrate who they are and support them in being authentic to their visions. Diversity is not an altruistic goal for Ulu, it’s our investment thesis. We fund diverse entrepreneurs with outstanding ideas. Founders with diverse professional backgrounds and life experiences are better at problem solving and create better business opportunities.

Global Head - Quantitative Research & Development

2020 - 2022

Established in 1976, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is a globally-diversified investment institution that prudently invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi through a strategy focused on long‑term value creation. The ADIA Quant Team seeks to crack the hardest challenges in systematic investing by bringing together scientific minds, those with a passion for rigorous research, those with exceptional skills in technology and development, and those who approach problem solving with curiosity and persistence.

Chief Data and Analytics Officer

2017 - 2020

Applied artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to create new financial signals from unstructured data. Measured sentiment around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) events as covered by third parties while the events are happening. Expanded product portfolio into quant market by focusing on data quality and algorithm specifications.

Global Head of Persistent Analytics and Data Science

2016 - 2017

Collaborated with proposition managers across all Financial and Risk business units to identify the most useful predictive analytics for the widest variety of customers. Optimized analytics research and development pipeline to deliver the most value. Brought together data scientists from across the company to share best practices and accelerate creation of new analytics.

Senior Site Officer for San Francisco

2014 - 2017

Responsible for site leadership including communication, compliance, facilities planning, social events, and volunteer activities across the Financial & Risk business in the largest Thomson Reuters office on the West Coast of the United States.

Global Head of Content Analytics

2013 - 2016

Built intelligent analytics across the full range of Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk content sets, businesses segments, and asset classes. Focused on novel and underutilized content sets and launched investigations into Big Data analytics based on text, transactions, and sensor data.

Global Head of Investors Analytics

2012 - 2013

Designed analytics for the full range of Investors: Investment Management, Wealth Management, Investment Banking, Corporate Services, Enterprise Risk, and Hedge Funds. Developed Smart Economic Polls with ability to predict macroeconomic surprises and drive top-down modeling.

Global Head of Intelligent Analytics

2011 - 2012

Guided analytics strategy for Investment Management business. Produced innovative new quantitative Company Credit Risk models (Structural, Smart Ratios, and Text Mining).

Global Head of Quantitative Research

2008 - 2011

Expanded team to 20 quant researchers, data scientists, and fundamental analysts. Built Smart Holdings predictive model based on factor popularity among fundamental managers as revealed by ownership data. Supplemented Smart Money suite in US with Short Interest and Insider Filings models.

Director of Quantitative Research

2006 - 2008

Grew quant research team from 3 to 12 researchers with diverse backgrounds, sharing data infrastructure and best programming practices. Coached researchers on techniques for developing intelligent predictive models that emulate human judgment and fundamental research processes. Developed best-of-class versions of traditional equity quant models: Analyst Revisions, Earnings Quality, Intrinsic Valuation, Relative Valuation, Price Momentum, and Value-Momentum.

Senior Managing Economist

2000 - 2006

Damages analyst for major litigation cases in telecommunications, technology, and pharmaceuticals. Calculated “unjust enrichment” and lost profits from alleged misuse of intellectual property, based on forecasting what profits would have been but for the actions of another party. Performed detailed cash flow valuations of wireline and wireless voice, video, and data carriers, as well as equipment makers. Determined proper set of comparable companies for profit margin forecasts and valuation multiples.

Senior Engagement Manager

1999 - 2000

Created integrated business strategy and financial model for portfolio of telecommunication and technology startups for a railroad with wireless spectrum, right-of-way, and logistics software assets. Worked with senior executives, investment bankers, and partners to implement strategy.

Senior Consultant

1997 - 1999

Built up practice area in commodity trading and risk management. Analyzed global supply/demand fundamentals and modeled stochastic price processes for chemical and metal markets, correctly predicting significant turns. Designed shorter-term technical trading strategy for agricultural markets.

Consultant

1995 - 1997

Constructed detailed financial model to value subscribers for a cable company in the early days of broadband. Several years later, client reported that the forecasts for explosively growing broadband Internet access and cable telephone services were right on target.

Associate Consultant

1991 - 1992

Optimized the vehicle portfolio for an automaker. Facilitated idea generation from various business functions to redesign A/C system in response to the banning of Freon refrigerant, preventing costly recall.

Program Planning Intern

1990 - 1990

Formulated long-range hospital capacity strategy that saved substantial expense by contracting local excess capacity rather than building a new hospital.