This fall DASH Financial Technologies will be once again participating in Rides FAR (For Autism Research), the annual charity cycling and walking event series benefitting the Autism Science Foundation (ASF).
Bringing together the institutional trading community in support of the ASF, Wall Street Rides FAR is an event that many in the financial industry – including DASH Head of Equities Jennifer Fagenson, who also sits on the Rides FAR board – find especially meaningful given autism’s increasing prevalence. According to the most recent CDC data, 1 in 36 children in the US is diagnosed with an ASD.
Team DASH has grown its ridership and support for Rides FAR over the past years. When Fagenson joined DASH in 2019, that was the first year the company sponsored the event. “I thought it was a great event, I loved it,” Fagenson recalled.
“During Covid, we had the virtual ride, and in 2021 we increased our participation,” she said.
When Wall Street Rides FAR co-founder Bryan Harkins reached out to Fagenson and asked her to be on the Board to help them continue to grow these events and create awareness and raise money, she “happily accepted”.
“For me, it brings a lot of personal joy. And obviously, Team DASH is growing. We had 20 people partake last year for Tema DASH, and expect a lot more this year with the addition of the Chicago ride!” Fagenson added.
She joined the Board at a time of considerable growth for the charity event series. “Over the past few years, I’ve become more active. It is a pleasure to work with co-founder Bryan Harkins for a charity that is doing so much good,” she said.
Fagenson doesn’t personally have someone in her family that is dealt with autism, but she has a lot of close friends that have children with autism. “For me, it’s something that touches everybody’s life,” she told Traders Magazine. “The most important thing that I can provide is emotional support, but also educational support.”
She thinks that’s where the Autism Science Foundation (ASF) plays a huge part.
“I love what ASF has done in terms of research, it’s great to see where the money we have raised is going,” Fagenson said.
Fagenson said that Rides FAR is an incredible charity event experience.
“It’s very different from a lot of the things that we’ve done traditionally in the Wall Street world,” she said. “Rides FAR is not just about if you’re a good biker or not, you can partake in the event in so many different ways to support the cause,” she added.
Fagenson helps to drive awareness of the ride in the U.S. listed options trading community in particular given DASH’s prominence in the space. “Social media is a big part of that,” she said.
“I think that’s how WSRF has been able to grow across multiple cities. One of the paths we want to take is to continue to grow, not only in the US, but abroad as well,” she added.
This year’s Wall Street Rides FAR is set to take place on Saturday, September 28 in Chicago, IL and Columbia, MD, as well as on Saturday, October 5 in Toronto, ON and White Plains, NY.
