​Building a Long-Term Investment Culture in Armenia

​Stories and timeless lessons from one of the world's leading institutional investors.

​Why does this matter to every person in Armenia? Because every person's wealth, every family's financial future, and every prosperous economy is built by investing long-term.

​Join us for a rare opportunity to meet Joseph (Joe) Simonian, PhD, one of the world's leading experts in institutional investing, quantitative finance, AI, and financial data science. This event is a part of the Ground Zero Financial Series, where our community meets, learns from, and connects with world-class investors, innovators, policymakers, and global thought leaders they would rarely have the opportunity to engage with in such an intimate setting.

​As Armenia's capital market continues to develop, one of our country's greatest opportunities is to cultivate a culture of long-term thinking, disciplined investing, and informed financial decision-making. Such a culture strengthens families, supports entrepreneurship, expands access to capital, and lays the foundation for sustainable economic growth.

​Joseph is a seasoned investor and globally recognized researcher who has conducted extensive research in quantitative finance, machine learning, factor investing, and portfolio construction. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience at some of the world's premier investment organizations, Joe will share fascinating stories and practical lessons from the front lines of global investing. Together, we'll explore how the world's largest institutional investors think, manage risk, embrace long-term discipline, and what Armenians can learn as Armenia builds its own investment culture.

​Today, Joseph serves as Head of Equity Portfolio Design & Analytics at CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the United States, managing more than US$637 billion on behalf of over 2 million public employees, retirees, and their families. He is also the founder of Autonomous Investment Technologies LLC. He's a Senior Affiliate and Member of the Technical Committee at CFA Institute.

​Joseph has authored more than 40 publications in leading finance journals, serves as Co-Editor of The Journal of Financial Data Science, sits on the editorial board of The Journal of Portfolio Management, and chairs the Financial Data Professional Institute. He is the author of Computational Global Macro and co-author of Quantitative Global Bond Portfolio Management. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

​Joseph is a Member of the Board of Trustees at ZINAPAH, the National Insurance Foundation for Servicemen in Armenia

​The conversation will be hosted by Karen Gyulbudaghyan, the Tech Diplomacy pioneer, venture capitalist, innovation ecosystem architect, Founder of Ground Zero Venture Café, Global Ambassador & Key Advisor to UC Berkeley SkyDeck, and a member of Armenia's National Council for Science and Technology Development. Through his work, Karen has built strategic bridges between Armenia and the world's leading innovation ecosystems, creating unique opportunities for the community to learn directly from global leaders.

​Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, engineer, business leader, policymaker, investor, or simply curious about building a stronger financial future, this conversation is for you. No background in finance is required, only curiosity.

​📅 August 15, 2026 🕣 10:00 AM
📍 Ground Zero Venture Café, 1 Saryan Street, Yerevan