Orange Value Fund Celebrates 20 Years of Investment Excellence

Fernando Diz posing with OVF students in the Ballentine Investment Center in 2012.

Whitman School is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Orange Value Fund LLC, and the academic program built from the ground up to prepare students to manage it. Together, these two pillars form what Whitman proudly calls the Orange Value Fund Program, or “OVF.” 

Without question, OVF has long stood as a model of experiential learning at Whitman. When it was launched in 2006, it was a bold and uncertain endeavor—one made possible only through the vision, support and dedication of individuals such as Martin Whitman ’48, H’09, Steven Ballentine ’83, Bernard Kossar ’53, L’55, Michael Dritz ’59, Steven Barnes ’82, H’19, Mike and Mort Derchin ’53 MBA, and others. Their contributions went far beyond financial backing; they offered the time, wisdom and encouragement necessary to bring this ambitious idea to life. 


The success of OVF is perhaps best captured in the words of the late Bernard Kossar, speaking in April 2024: 


“We had dreams and expectations that this Fund would provide benefits for the students first and the University and Whitman second. Listening to the 150 placements that you alluded to, the status of the fund today, its significance and the hiring of our graduates, I can only say it has met and exceeded our 2010 expectations.” 


Indeed, the program has surpassed those expectations. To date, OVF has graduated and placed more than 170 analysts, contributed over $2.2 million to the Whitman School’s Ballentine Investment Center, established a $1.5 million OVF Scholarship Fund to support students in need and created the OBT Endowment Fund—now totaling $2.5 million—as a vehicle for donors to invest in both the University and the Orange Value Fund. 

Professor Diz and graduating OVF students in 2014.

The program’s home in the Ballentine Investment Center at the Whitman School, made possible through the generosity of donor Steven Ballentine, provides students with Bloomberg terminals, real-time market data and collaborative workspaces that mirror professional trading environments.  


“I founded the Ballentine Investment Center back in 1992 because I believed that real-world experience, in addition to classroom knowledge, was a critical component of a world-class finance education,” says Ballentine. “The mission was then, and remains today, to give Whitman students the professional tools, exposure and hands-on management that would set them apart. For the past 20 years, the Orange Value Fund program has been central to that mission. I take great pride in playing a role in providing this opportunity to our Whitman students.” 


The OVF community remains closely connected through annual reunion events in New York City, where alumni gather to network, share career insights and mentor current students. This year’s reunion is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13.  

Fernando Diz, Nathaniel Hicks, Daniel Paccininni and Guiseppe Castelli during the 2019 OVF reunion.

In honor of the 20th anniversary, alumni and friends of the program have come together to support the next generation of student investors through philanthropy. This initiative was spearheaded by a generous $250,000 gift from longtime Whitman supporter and Whitman Leadership Circle donor, Michael W. Derchin. Alumni, parents and friends are invited to continue to support this campaign by making a gift today at cc.syr.edu/OVF. 


For more information about the Orange Value Fund and how to support student success, visit www.orangevaluefund.com.