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BEAM Fund

Beedie Endowment Asset Management Fund

Founded in 2011 with the generous support of the Beedie family, Beedie Endowment Asset Management (BEAM) is an experiential learning program for undergraduate students from Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business.

  • BEAM is one of the largest undergraduate student investment funds in Canada, with $8.25 million (as of December 31, 2022) invested in Canadian equities, global equities, fixed income, and cash.
  • BEAM members are responsible for fund operations, preparing economic research and analysis, and making investment decisions. SFU Beedie faculty and staff oversee the program providing support and guidance to the students.
  • BEAM is not a trading game or simulation. It manages a portfolio on behalf of Simon Fraser University and is ranked along with the university's professional money managers. Fund performance and compliance are tracked daily by BEAM members, and reported on at quarterly reviews.
  • Students selected for BEAM undergo a rigorous, hands-on training program including Bloomberg terminal certification, financial analysis, and equity research. The emphasis is on developing the same applied skills that would be expected in a real-world finance job.
  • BEAM accepts approximately 10-15 students per year with successful applicants joining the program for two years.

The combination of volatility in capital markets and an uncertain and challenging job market for new graduates mean that talented students are often left with virtual portfolios and stock games as their only options to learn vital skills in financial analysis and asset management.

In 2011, Simon Fraser University took an unprecedented step towards offering a solution to this situation with the establishment of Beedie Endowment Asset Management (BEAM) – a $5 million endowment fund, made possible through the generous support of the Beedie family, to be managed entirely by undergraduate students.

Building on Simon Fraser University’s previous success with the Student Investment Advisory Service (SIAS), a fund managed entirely by graduate finance students for over ten years, BEAM provides approximately 10 students each year the opportunity to manage one of the largest undergraduate student-run funds in Canada.

BEAM is not an investing simulation or game – the current cohort of students (following in the footsteps of the alumni now placed in roles in Vancouver, Toronto and New York) has been managing the fund since June 2013, after completing an intensive four month course on security analysis and fixed income fundamentals and an additional session on investment management, under the guidelines of an Investment Policy Statement. Since then, they have created over 50 equity/ fixed income research pitches, formulated research reports and developed multiple comprehensive research books. In addition, the team regularly presents its results to an advisory panel of Vancouver’s Top Industry Professionals.

BEAM is not just a student-run endowment fund – it is the future of undergraduate finance education: an extremely demanding, hands-on experience that will equip students with the abilities necessary to enter and excel in capital markets.

We invite you to learn more about BEAM from this site and welcome any questions you may have about the fund, its operation, or its members. Finally, we extend a special welcome to current SFU students considering applying to BEAM – it has been an unforgettable experience for the current cohort and we look forward to successful future generations of BEAM members strengthening this venture’s role as one of Canada’s largest and most innovative undergraduate-run investment fund.

Deniz Anginer, Faculty Advisor


BEAM is one of the largest student run investment funds in North America. Students invest real funds and manage a portfolio of global securities on behalf of the SFU Treasury. 

Students in BEAM run the fund and manage all aspects of its operations including investment research, asset allocation, security selection, trading and risk management.  Students are also responsible for the performance of the fund and report each quarter to an advisory panel on the fund’s operations and performance.   

BEAM provides a unique experiential opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have learned in class.  As students are responsible for all aspects of the fund, they gain not only financial skills highly desired in the workplace, but also gain valuable experience in leadership and accountability. 

Graduates of the program place well in the job market and many have gone onto build impressive careers in finance.  BEAM students completing the program join this remarkable network of alumni.

As the faculty advisor I had the privilege of advising and mentoring students in BEAM for the past year.  As with financial markets, there is always change, with new challenges but also opportunities, and I look forward to working with the new members joining BEAM.  

Glenn Powers, Industry Advisor

BEAM is a unique program. First, because it is the largest undergraduate program in Canada, with over $8 million in assets under management. Second, because the investment decisions are made entirely by students. Students determine the allocation between asset classes, choose the stocks and bonds in the portfolio, and monitor compliance with the university’s investment policies. Four times each year, they present their performance to a board of industry advisors and university administrators. In the academic side of SFU’s BBA program, students learn how to analyze problems; in the BEAM program, they learn how to make decisions.

BEAM students are an extraordinary group. They are all top students in a rigorous BBA program. Strong academic performance is required for admission to the BEAM program. We think these students bring more than just good grades.

BEAM students have made investment decisions and monitored their consequences. They have learned about taking risks. The triumphs of going against the grain and being right, the pain of explaining simple blunders to a board. They have learned about leadership and how teams can produce more than individuals. They have gained experience in organization, management and delegation. Finally, they learn how to recruit their successors and build continuity between cohorts.

BEAM participants have usable skills, with the most obvious application in jobs in asset management and capital markets. But we think they’d be an asset to any company. The skills gained from BEAM: problem solving, making decisions, communicating results, building teams – are valuable across a wide range of organizations.

I’ve been a part of BEAM since its inception, first on its advisory board, then as Faculty Advisor, and now as Industry Advisor. We’ve added a third asset class, so students now make investments in Fixed Income, Canadian Equities and Global Equities. We’ve worked to reduce climate risk in the portfolio by eliminating fossil fuel investments. We are committed to educating ethical and thoughtful decision makers, and I'm glad to be part of the team that is working on that goal.