The Challenge

Like many non-target universities, Iowa State students historically faced significant barriers when pursuing careers in investment banking and private equity. Although Iowa State had ambitious students and strong alumni support, there was no institutionalized program dedicated to preparing students for the highly technical and accelerated recruiting process required for high finance roles. According to Ty Claiborne, the inspiration for IIBI came after competing in a stock pitch competition against students from the University of Iowa.

“It became really apparent to me during that stock pitch that there was a huge difference in technical understanding and preparation. They weren’t just speaking to slides; they deeply understood the material.”

Ty realized Iowa State students needed more than interest in finance; they needed structured technical training, mentorship, and long-term institutional support. 

Ty’s full story on How a Student-Athlete Co-Founded the Ivy Investment Banking Initiative at Iowa State was featured in Episode 31 of The Coffee Chat Podcast.

The Solution

IIBI was created to provide students with a roadmap into high finance beginning in their freshman year.

The program includes:

• A Freshman Introductory Program focused on networking, behavioral preparation, and career exploration

• A selective sophomore cohort focused on technical interview preparation and recruiting

• Weekly meetings and employer speaker series

• Networking trips to Chicago, New York, Kansas City, and Minneapolis

• Alumni mentorship and institutional support from Iowa State leadership

To support the technical side of recruiting preparation, IIBI integrated Adventis’s FMC® Program directly into the curriculum. All freshman and sophomore participants are required to complete Adventis Level I and Level II certifications. 

Ty explained that Adventis became the technical foundation for the initiative’s students:

“Adventis was really the main foundation laid so that the sophomores and freshmen could compete in case competitions and be prepared for recruiting.”

Why IIBI Chose Adventis

Although Iowa State had partnered with Adventis for years, previously through the Wall Street Club, Ty’s personal experience with the FMC® Program reinforced why the partnership remained central to IIBI.

“Adventis is how I learned how to build financial models. During my private equity internship, the first thing they asked me to do was build a model from scratch, and I referred back to the Adventis financial model multiple times.”

Ty also noted that the program stood out during his own investment banking recruiting process.

“I talked about Adventis during my Superday with UBS, and that was one of the things they were most impressed by — that I already had financial modeling experience and had led the boot camps.”

The in-person Adventis boot camps also became a key engagement tool for IIBI students.

“Being in person and blocking out seven hours of your day to knock it out is way more effective than trying to do it online by yourself.”

Early Results and Impact

Although still in its first official year, the results have already been significant.

Key Outcomes:

• 9/9 IIBI sophomore members from the class of 2029 are Adventis-certified

• 5 of 7 in the class of 2028 placed into 2027 investment banking or private equity internships

The initiative has also expanded Iowa State’s visibility among recruiters and alumni. Historically, Iowa State has placed only one or two students into high-finance roles each year. The new initiative has significantly accelerated that momentum.

Long-Term Partnership with Adventis

Adventis has partnered with Iowa State since 2013.

Since the partnership began:

• 110+ Iowa State students have earned Adventis FMC® certifications

• Adventis has hosted 15 on-campus boot camps

• Iowa State has produced multiple Adventis Student Trainers and Campus Leaders

• The majority of Iowa State’s high finance alumni are Adventis-certified

According to Ty, Adventis has consistently been part of Iowa State’s high finance pipeline:

“All of our students who have placed into investment banking over the last decade have come from Adventis and earned the Adventis certifications.”

Why the FMC® Program Works for Iowa State Students

As a non-target school, Iowa State students often need to differentiate themselves earlier and more aggressively during recruiting.

The Adventis partnership helps students accelerate their technical development while building the confidence and preparation needed to compete against students from larger target programs.

The initiative’s combination of technical rigor, alumni engagement, institutional support, and structured recruiting preparation is helping Iowa State create a stronger reputation within high finance.