Strength in Numbers

In the basement of Avery Library while studying for physics, Columbia Engineering students Sophia Moore BS’26  and Anna Zueva BS’27 found themselves discussing something else entirely – a shared ambition to break into quantitative finance. They also bonded over the frustration of feeling like outsiders in an overly competitive and male-dominated field. 

By the end of that evening, the two industrial engineering and operations research students had begun brainstorming the foundation for a different kind of organization built on collaboration, rather than exclusivity. They created a social media account for the club, drafted recruiting emails, designed a logo, and even named a mascot for their new club: the lioness. “Everything fell into place from there,” Moore said. 

The outcome of that brainstorming session in 2024 was the Columbia Lioness Quantitative (CLQ), a student-run organization advised by faculty member Ali Hirsa that helps women and non-binary students navigate one of finance's most technical and notoriously difficult career paths. 

As a discipline that utilizes math and statistical modeling to inform strategic financial decisions, breaking into quantitative finance often hinges on aspiring "quants" mastering technical concepts like conditional probability, market-making, and mental math. Landing a job in the field results from surviving grueling interviews filled with brain-teasers and logic puzzles, said Moore. 

This is not the first student club at Columbia focused on quant, but CLQ’s main mission is fostering a supportive network, especially for women–and "especially if you're a newcomer and wish to learn about the field,” said Zueva.

Building a community for women in quant finance

CLQ’s tagline “strength in numbers” captures the core of the club’s mission, providing a support system for students to practice their quant skills, network with top companies in finance, and – most importantly – provide a supportive, collaborative environment to help students learn about and succeed in the world of quant. "We mention 'numbers' to invoke our purpose of educating members on key mathematical concepts," Zueva said. "But 'numbers' also means that together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts."

This is demonstrated in CLQ's weekly workshops, where students practice the technical skills that quant interviews demand. Members work through probability problems, practice mental math with the quant interview game Zetamac, and study brainteasers from the Green Book, a guide to mastering concepts essential for quantitative finance recruiting. CLQ also runs a mentorship program that pairs upperclassmen with newer students exploring the field, as well as site visits to top firms to gain hands-on experience in the recruitment process. 

“We have a ‘no gatekeeping’ ideology where we believe that resources should be made available to all students,” said Grace Wu BS’28, the vice president of CLQ, also majoring in industrial engineering and operations research. “We send out regular newsletters with quant internship applications, helpful books and articles, and interview practice advice.”

In less than two years since its establishment, CLQ has grown to draw approximately 50 students per event and secured sponsorships from top firms, including Jane Street and Hudson River Trading. 

And the organization is not slowing down. This spring semester, they plan to host a quant stock pitch competition, a poker tournament co-hosted with Poker Power, Women@CORE, and Barnard Investment Group, with sponsorships from Optiver, Chicago Trading Company, and Alliance Bernstein on the horizon. 

In the long term, CLQ hopes to expand nationally and establish women-forward quantitative finance clubs at other universities. “We are currently working on organizing an event with the University of Chicago and will see from there on how to scale,” said Zueva. She added that women in quantitative finance still lack a national support network. “We hope to change that."

Lead Photo Caption:  Members of the Columbia Lioness Quantitative, from left to right: Shrina Dong, education chair; Anna Maria Zueva, founder & co-president; Grace Wu, vice president; and Sophia Moore, founder & co-president. 

Lead Photo Credit: Columbia Lioness Quantitative