Churchill Investment Competition 2026
The Churchill Fund is pleased to invite secondary school students across the world to compete in the 2026 Stock Pitch Competition, with final round presentations held at Columbia Business School.
Teams of up to 4 students will pitch an equity security they believe has the greatest potential for total shareholder return over the next 3-5 years. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of investment professionals and senior finance executives from the Churchill Fund board. Teams advancing to the final round receive written feedback and several weeks to refine their work before presenting live at Columbia Business School. All finalists are invited to a closing dinner with the judges.
1st place receives $5,000. 2nd place receives $2,500. 3rd place receives $1,000. 4th and 5th place receive Honorable Mention.
To enter, register your team and submit first round materials by November 4, 2026. One registration per team; designate a team captain as primary contact.
Top 3 finalists earn a spot in the Young Investors Society Global Stock Pitch Competition finals.
All participants who submit a 2-page equity report receive a certificate of participation.
All finalist participants will be invited to a post-competition dinner with the judges.
Entry fee: $30 per person
Submission requirement: One equity research report submitted as a PDF, plus a résumé/CV for every participant. The report must be exactly 2 pages long and use 11-point font.
Presentation: Top 10 finalists pitch a 10-minute presentation at Columbia Business School covering their research report in front of the judges, and must supply printed copies of their final 2-page report.
Investable universe: A long position, short position, call, or put on any equity security with a market capitalization of at least US $1 billion, domiciled anywhere in the world, with a 3-5 year time horizon.
Eligibility: Teams of up to 4 secondary school students. Teams must provide both a Team Name and the School Name each participant attends. Listing a school identifies participants’ school affiliation only and does not mean that the team represents or speaks on behalf of the school. All work must use publicly available information and cite all sources. Participants may not identify themselves as agents or representatives of their school, The Churchill Fund, or Columbia Business School when contacting management, sell-side analysts, or third parties.
AI Policy: Use of artificial intelligence is allowed and you can leverage this to your own advantage. However, the goal of this competition is to develop your investment acumen, so complete reliance is discouraged.
Key Dates
November 4, 2026: First round submissions due
November 18, 2026: Top 10 announced, feedback provided to advancing teams
December 17, 2026: Final round submissions due
December 19, 2026: Final presentations at Columbia Business School and closing dinner
Please email info@thechurchillfund.org with any questions.
The Churchill Investment Competition is organized by the student leadership of The Churchill Fund, a student-run investment organization dedicated to educating the next generation of investors. This competition extends that mission beyond our own members: it gives secondary school students anywhere in the world a reason to read a filing, build a model, defend a thesis, and hear directly from professional investors about how their thinking holds up.
Co-Director, CIC 2026
Trinity High School
Henry Conway is a senior from Louisville, Kentucky interested in Finance, Statistics, and Special Situations Investing. He is the founder and CEO of The Churchill Fund and a member of the Financials investment team. Previously, he interned at Ethos Investment Management on their emerging markets research team.
Co-Director, CIC 2026
Deerfield Academy
Dima Kasumov is a senior at Deerfield Academy and currently lives in Monaco. Born in London to a multiethnic, multicultural family, and having lived across France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Dima brings an internationally informed perspective to Churchill's investment philosophy. As Chief Investment Officer, he oversees sector operations, QRM, and final investment decisions. Last summer, he interned at the Azerbaijan Sovereign Wealth Fund on the fixed income trading floor.
Co-Director, CIC 2026
Gonzaga College High School
Emmett Burns is a senior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. interested in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Equity Ownership. He is currently co-founder and CFO of The Churchill Fund and President of Gonzaga's Young Investors Society. Last summer, he interned in Finance and Accounting at Comstock Companies (Nasdaq: CHCI).
Director of Operations
Trinity High School
Landen Blincoe is a senior from Louisville, Kentucky, interested in Applied and Theoretical Math, Quantitative Finance, and Mechanical Engineering. He is the cofounder and COO of The Churchill Fund and a member of the QRM Team. Last summer, he interned at Advisory Group for Life.
Director of Technology
Deerfield Academy
Isaac Chen is a student at Deerfield Academy and a Portfolio Manager at The Churchill Fund, where he leads the technology behind the competition's registration and submission platform.
