Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chuk Orakwue. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chuk, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Investing is crucial for financial well-being and retirement planning. For those that do not have time or the skill, one has to rely on investment firms to create a portfolio that is tailored to them and actively manage it. Sadly, Wall Street firms require high investment minimums which shuts the door for more minorities.

Xantos is a black-owned SEC-registered investment firm founded to help close this gap. We offer actively managed portfolios that anyone can invest with as little as $500. Our client accounts are separately managed meaning the account is in your name when you download the app and signup. How much you put in or take out is up to you.

We simply manage it and keep you educated along the way. We found this helps minority communities where folks just need to start investing without breaking the bank and also educates them, closing the financial literacy gap versus if one invested in an ETF sticker.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Honestly, this issue was personal for us. When I started working, I didn’t know how to manage my savings, and earning <1% per year in the bank makes no sense. Putting it into an S&P500 fund for 8-10% per year also wasn’t enough for me to grow it or even be a better investor. So I assembled college friends, all successful in their respective careers, and with a team of engineers/economists, we set off to tackle the challenge of better investment outcomes and improved financial literacy for ourselves. We built a system to manage money for us and put our own money into it for three years before we accepted a dime from a paying client.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Most of our clients come from existing clients via word-of-mouth at dinner tables, family gatherings or similar events. We truly appreciate the trust by our current clients.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

We engage our clients through client update emails as well as research blogs on our website. Our updates are visible in our mobile app 24/7 so clients can catch up to how we see things. Clients can also reach our team through in-app chat or phone call.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://xantoslabs.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xantos-labs