This spring, 79 student teams at UNLV spent eight weeks managing simulated $500,000 portfolios using live market data. Prices moved in real time, and economic headlines hit the same way they would in an actual portfolio. The only thing that wasn’t real was the money.
Some teams posted returns of more than 180 percent. But the highest-returning portfolio didn’t win.
For the final round of the 2026 President’s Investment Challenge, teams had to stand before a panel of industry judges during live presentations and explain every decision — how they built their strategy, how they managed risk, and when they chose to act or wait.
That’s when Quantum Flash stood out.
Gabriel Galindo, a computer science and mathematics major, and his teammate Karlie Wilcox didn’t post the highest returns in the competition. But when it came time to defend their decisions, they had answers.
The competition is open to students across majors and is experiential learning in practice. The competition tests how they think under pressure.
Students from computer science, engineering, chemistry, and other fields competed alongside business majors, using data and their own judgment to guide decisions.
“Students have to make decisions and stand by them,” said Daniel Chi, chair of the Department of Finance.
The Quantum Flash difference was simple: they didn’t try to out-trade everyone. “Sometimes emotion overtakes logic in the market,” the team wrote in their submission materials. “That idea shaped how we made decisions. We didn’t trade just to trade.”
The two split responsibilities: Wilcox tracked current events and sentiment while Galindo focused on price action and trade structure, and they talked through each decision before acting. They also used AI tools to test assumptions and spot patterns, but kept final decisions grounded in their own analysis.
Galindo and Wilcox built their strategy around patience, waiting for clear opportunities. In the final week, that got harder. It was difficult to tell where the market was going. But they believed it wasn’t about making the most moves. It was about making the right ones.
“That uncertainty was a reason to stay disciplined, not force a position,” the team explained.
For Galindo, the experience shifted how he thinks about applying technical skills in finance.
“This pushed me to think about how I can use data, math, and computer science to find an edge,” he said.
2026 President's Investment Challenge Winners
The competition was created to enhance student financial literacy. Under the mentorship of faculty advisors and industry experts, participants learn about investment strategies, financial markets, and portfolio management. The challenge encourages critical thinking, teamwork, and decision-making skills.
First Place & Audience Choice – Quantum Flash
- Gabriel Galindo (Computer Science and Mathematics, B.S.)
- Karlie Wilcox (Computer Science, B.S.)
Second Place – M3
- Calvin Moore (Business Administration, Finance, B.S.)
- Samantha Marquez (Business Administration, Accounting and Finance, B.S.)
- Carlos Mendez (Business Administration, Accounting and Finance, B.S.)
Third Place – AKinvest
- Ka Wu (Electrical Engineering, B.S.)
- Alexander Yeung (Business Administration, Pre-Business, B.S.)
Honorable Mention – Quantum Capital
- Ivan Isaac (Chemistry, Ph.D.)
- Nikita Gopakumar (Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.)
