NYSE trader, Lauren Simmons will be honored with the YACE (Rising Star) Award at the FACE List Awards gala during the 2019 Pan-African Weekend July 18-21st.
At 23 years old, Lauren made history when she became the youngest female on the floor as well as the second-ever African American woman working as a trader at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in its 225-year-history.
Since her story broke last year, she has been featured on ABC, CNBC, CNN, and Fox to name a few. Lauren, “Fearless Girl” Simmons has traveled to several countries to share her inspiring story.
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Lauren graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in genetics and a minor in statistics, and originally aspired to go into genetic counseling. However, she made a decision to put that on hold.
What had not changed was her passion to move to New York City, where networking led her to meet Richard Rosenblatt, the CEO of Rosenblatt Securities. Beyond her many qualifications, it was ultimately Simmons’ confidence that led Rosenblatt to take her under his wing as an Equity Trader.
The job wasn’t completely hers; she still had to pass the series 19. This test has a pass rate of 20% in a class of 10. She studied the book cover to cover for a month straight and successfully passed on her first try.
“I had a month to take the exam,” she told CNBC Make It, “and when I tell you a lot of people did not think I was going to pass, they really did not think I was going to pass.”
“When I see statistics that say ’80 percent don’t get through,′ I look at the 20 percent,” she added. “So when everyone kept saying, ‘It’s a hard test. Don’t worry if you don’t pass,’ for me, I needed to pass to prove to myself that I could do this.”
In 2018, Lauren made the list of Politico’s Women of Impact.Hollywood- AGC studio is producing a film based on her life. She is the executive producer on the project and actress Kiersey Clemons will portray her in the movie. Lauren hopes the movie, upon its release, will motivate and inspire others.
“If my story motivates other young women, and women of color, then I’m absolutely honored. I want my story to do that,” she said. “I want there to be more success stories. I want to hear more women doing more things, especially being bold in male-dominated fields.”
Additionally, Lauren has received endorsements from Invisalign, Ford Motor Company, Club Pilates and LinkedIn. Lauren is actively working on her first publication focused on women, and millennials in finance.
Join Face2Face Africa as we honor Lauren Simmons and other distinguished global leaders at the 2019 FACE List Awards Gala on Saturday, July 20, at Edison Ballroom in New York City. Visit panafricanweekend.com to see our full list of honorees, speakers, etc., and to register. For corporate tables, contact info@f2fafrica.com.
About the FACE List Awards:
The FACE List Awards are a prestigious celebration of pan-African achievement that honor the black diaspora’s most influential pioneers and trailblazers, while providing an opportunity for the business community to connect and celebrate our success stories. The black-tie affair includes a pre-reception, live performances, a full-course dinner, and award presentations. Click Here for Tickets
