Christina Qi
CEO @ Databento.
Founding Partner @ Domeyard.
Board of Trustees @ MIT.
Former Co-Chair of the Board @ Invest in Girls.
Forbes 30 Under 30 Board Member.
We chose the name Databento because the cooler ".com" domains were taken: www.databento.com
(You can also customize market data on our website, like a bento box.)
Biography
Christina Qi is the CEO of Databento, one of the fastest-growing market data providers in the world. She formerly founded Domeyard LP, a hedge fund focused on high frequency trading (HFT) that traded up to $7.1 billion USD per day. Christina is a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Board of Trustees. She was Co-Chair of the Board of Invest in Girls and served on the Boards of Forbes Under 30, The Financial Executives Alliance (FEA) Hedge Fund Group, the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association, and the U.S. Non-Profit Boards Committee of 100 Women in Finance. Christina earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from MIT in 2013 and earned her CAIA designation in 2015. She lives in her home state Utah with 10 chickens, 2 turtles, and a 15-year-old dog.
I wrote a pretty crazy book about my hedge fund journey, but I don't have time to publish it. If it ever gets published (many years from now), you can sign up for a notification here: https://financesnake.substack.com/p/coming-soon.
Finance Snake is a terrible name. I already regret it. 😂
How to Start a Hedge Fund
I don't consult or give advice 1-on-1. If you need advice, Tweet @christinaqi.
Good & Bad Stuff Written About Me
"I admire your honesty and success, but you're young. The toughest part for you isn't earning a lot of money; it's earning the respect of your peers. I don't envy you." - Jim Simons, Founder of Renaissance Technologies, The Man Who Solved The Market (I'm no longer young, but I have yet to earn the respect of my peers. Sorry Jim.)
"I'll be surprised if Databento makes it to launch." - David Magerman, ex-Renaissance Technologies, the man behind The Man Who Solved the Market and one of Databento's earliest investors
"Christina always gets top ratings from my class even by comparison to much older, very successful guest speakers including founders from the financial services industry. They resonate to her in so many dimensions...honesty, talent and a sense that one should be giving back to society from the outset and not just after a cumulative great success." - Robert C. Merton, MIT Professor, 1997 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Services
"Domeyard has captured the interest of the greater financial community for its distinct managerial philosophy, embrace of AI and its positioning as a next-generation hedge fund." - Gregg Schoenberg, The Financial Revolutionist
"Doomyard." - My friends
"I don’t know if you realize what you did in class. You became a multiple symbol for the pains and aspirations of so many of our students. You were a young novice. You were for so many the prototype of the prejudice they felt they had or would receive if they tried to do what you DID. AND you had spunk and endless commitment and tried every damn thing you could try to get going. So many of our class, for the right reasons, saw themselves in your shoes. And they knew they would NOT have continued to push until SUCCESS, BUT YOU DID." - Edward B. Roberts, Founder of the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship at MIT
"The Jim Cramer of quant finance." - Anonymous Redditor
"How rude! Don't insult Cramer like that." - Me
Random Old Articles
Thankfully I no longer need to update this.
Forbes - Front Page and Editor's Pick
The Three Quants in Their 20s Running a Hedge Fund Making $1 Billion of Trades Daily
World Economic Forum - Contributor
The New Physics of Financial Services - How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the Financial Ecosystem
Nikkei - Front Page
金融に新たな風を 巨人の支配に挑む
The New Wind of Finance - Challenging the Financial Giants
Harvard Business School
Domeyard: Starting a High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Hedge Fund
The Financial Revolutionist
A Conversation with Domeyard's Christina Qi
Forbes
Softbank Finally Finds a Bargain
Other media: CNN, Quantopian, Risk.net, Forbes, CAIS19, Time Summit, Harvard, 100 Women in Finance NextGen Initiative, Deseret News, NBC.
Very Old Talks
Thankfully I no longer need to update this. It does make me feel old though.
Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, October 2018, 7000+ attendees, Boston
"Wall Street in 2018"
Wall Street’s as competitive as ever, so how do you build your own firm when the incumbents are trillion dollar businesses? One of the largest millennial events in the world, hosted by Forbes.
AIM Summit Dubai, November 2018, 1000+ attendees, Dubai
"Reinventing Hedge Funds"
The paces of technological change and the rise of artificial intelligence is leading some to question whether the hedge fund proposition will even exist in a few years. What should hedge funds do to maintain their value amidst artificial intelligence and related technologies, and a growing demand for responsible investment options? This is one of the premiere hedge fund events in the Middle East, hosted by The AIM Summit.
Bloomberg Live, October 2018, New York
"The Future of Investing: Staying Ahead in Today's Market"
For today's investor it's all about gaining access and staying ahead of the competition by being better, faster, and smarter and technology is an undeniable component of that. From the explosion of data to advances in artificial intelligence and quantitative strategies how are today's investors evolving with the digital landscape? What's the right mix of new versus traditional strategies and research? Are the concerns about technology causing instability and volatility overblown? We'll gather leaders in the space to look out on the horizon to better understand how investors and the industry are evolving. This is private event, hosted by Bloomberg Live.
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta - 2018 Financial Markets Conference, May 2018, Invite Only, Amelia Island
"Machines Learning Investments"
Machines have been learning finance for decades, and algorithmic, high-frequency trading has received much attention. However, recent developments in data availability and storage, computer speed, and learning techniques might dramatically change and accelerate technology's participation in the financial system. This session will explore the strengths and weaknesses of using ML to design and execute portfolio strategies. This is a private event for government officials, global financial firms and policy institutions, hosted by The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Time Summit, April 2018, Private Investor Event, Greenwich
"Recent Developments in High Frequency Trading - 2018"
An annual update on the HFT industry. This is private event for hedge fund investors hosted by Bridge Alternatives.
MIT AI Conference, April 2018, 1000+ attendees, San Francisco
"The Algorithmic Hedge Fund"
A fireside chat with Bloomberg News about the uses and limitations of machine learning in quantitative trading. This is an annual event hosted by MIT CNC.
Future of Fintech, June 2017, 1000+ attendees, New York
"The Algorithmic Hedge Fund"
A chat with the Financial Times about the wave of quant, HFT, and cryptocurrency hedge funds in recent years. This is an annual event hosted by CB Insights. Additional coverage here and here.
Macquarie Global Quantitative Research Conference, June 2017, 500+ attendees, Hong Kong
"The State of HFT"
An update on the current state of high frequency trading, including the recent M&A activity, impact on the markets, and effect on smaller HFT firms. This is an annual event hosted by Macquarie.
QuantCon, April 2017, 1000+ attendees, New York
"Recent Developments in High Frequency Trading - 2017"
Recent headlines about high frequency trading mention decreased profits, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and a surge in competition. To what extent are smaller firms affected by these developments? In this talk, we discuss some current trends in automated and high frequency trading, from the latest infrastructure developments to the challenges that funds are facing amid stiff competition. The discussion examines unique challenges and insights from the perspective of an HFT hedge fund. This is an annual event hosted by Quantopian.
MIT Investment Management Conference, February 2016, 1000+ attendees, Cambridge
"Challenges and Opportunities"
In partnership with 100 Women in Finance, we discuss the economic and financial challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in 2016. This is an annual event hosted by MIT Sloan.
100 Women in Finance New York Gala, November 2015, 1000+ attendees, New York
"The CAIA Foundation Scholarship"
In partnership with the CAIA Foundation, Christina spoke at the 100WF Annual Gala about the CAIA Charter and the doors that it has opened. Christina was introduced by Jane Buchan, CEO of PAAMCO. This is an annual event hosted by 100 Women in Finance.
Open Data Science Conference, March 2015, 1000+ attendees, Boston
"Fast and Smart: A Paradox in Quantitative Trading"
This talk presents a common paradox in the context of quantitative trading and how advancements in technology can confront this problem. This is an annual event hosted by Open Data Science Conference.
Bloomberg Quant Conference, October 2014, 500+ attendees, Cambridge
"The Modern Hedge Fund"
After the 2008 crisis, hedge funds today face higher barriers to entry and a surge in competition. In this talk, Christina discusses the modern hedge fund and how to overcome early challenges. This is an annual event hosted by Bloomberg.
Past Clients and Partners:
