Student-Led Islamic Finance Ecosystem Takes Shape in New York at Inaugural Conference at Baruch College

Students, practitioners and civic leaders connect through Baruch Islamic Investment Research Group and The Mahalla Network, ahead of the 2027 MPower Summit.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — More than 160 students, professionals, community leaders and industry practitioners gathered at Baruch College on September 17, 2026, for the Inaugural Islamic Finance Conference. The evening centered on the institutions students are building for Islamic finance and Muslim professional development in New York.

The Baruch Muslim Business Association hosted the conference in collaboration with the NYU Muslim Student Association and Columbia Muslim Student Association. The organizers treat it as the start of longer-term work. The conference brought student initiatives together with practitioners already working in the industry, and the organizers plan to follow up with research, mentorship and education.

Students building their own institutions

The Baruch Islamic Investment Research Group (BIIRG) was one of the main student initiatives at the conference. Oleg Godun, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, leads it with Co-Founder Yazdaan Sarwar.

BIIRG was set up to give students interested in investment management a more institutional way to build research, analytical and portfolio-management skills while applying Sharia-aligned investment principles. Its work covers equities, fixed income and sukuk, real assets, macroeconomics and quantitative research. Students research investments, present pitches, analyze the economy and manage simulated portfolios. The aim is to give students with an interest in Islamic finance the practical analytical experience that investment management and capital markets careers require.

The conference also introduced and launched The Mahalla Network, presented by its student founders Yazdaan Sarwar, Mahdeer Rahman and Naima Islam. Mahalla is a professional and community platform for the next generation of Muslim leaders in business, finance, law, engineering, entrepreneurship, technology and other fields. Its founders plan to offer long-term mentorship, collaboration, career development, community-building and service. A central idea discussed at the conference was that Muslim students and young professionals should not have to separate their professional ambitions from their identity or principles in order to succeed.

The two initiatives complement each other. BIIRG works on investment research, technical skills and Islamic finance. Mahalla is building the professional network and community around Muslim students and young professionals.

“What made this conference important was the range of people it brought into the same room—students, industry professionals, community leaders, and organizations that are all contributing to the growth of Islamic finance and Muslim professional development in different ways,” said Yazdaan Sarwar, Co-Founder of BIIRG and Student Leader and Founder of The Mahalla Network. “When Oleg and I co-founded BIIRG, part of the goal was to create something that had not previously existed on our campus: a serious platform where students could develop investment research skills while engaging with Islamic finance at an institutional level. The conference showed how much demand exists for that kind of infrastructure. The same principle sits behind The Mahalla Network. We want to build relationships that continue beyond individual events and create lasting opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and professional growth across industries. The conference was an important milestone, but the more important question is what we build from it.”

Students and practitioners in one room

Three industry professionals led the conference’s main Islamic finance discussion:

Dr. Mohamed Sawwaf, Founder and CEO of Manzil
Dr. Aamir A. Rehman, Partner and Chair at Innate Capital
Nusrat Ahmed, Head of Education at Musaffa

The panelists talked about how Islamic finance principles work in real financial institutions and how students can prepare to join the industry. Topics included:

Sharia-aligned investing and financial products
How the Islamic finance industry has developed
Investment management, capital markets, entrepreneurship and financial technology
Expanding Islamic financial education
Career development, mentorship and professional networks
Keeping religious principles and identity while pursuing ambitious careers

The panel put students in direct contact with people working in the sector. The organizers now plan to build on those relationships through research, mentorship, professional programming and future industry events.

“The Inaugural Islamic Finance Conference was meaningful because it was not only a conversation about where Islamic finance stands today, but also about what students are beginning to build around it,” said Oleg Godun, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of BIIRG. “Through BIIRG, we are creating a platform where students can develop institutional-level investment research and analytical skills while remaining grounded in Sharia-aligned principles. At the same time, initiatives such as The Mahalla Network are building the broader professional community around that work through mentorship, collaboration, and long-term relationship building. Having Dr. Mohamed Sawwaf, Dr. Aamir A. Rehman, and Nusrat Ahmed engage directly with students gave those efforts an important industry perspective. The objective now is to make sure the momentum does not end with one conference. We want to continue building the research, relationships, and institutions that allow the next generation of Muslim professionals to participate seriously in finance and other industries while remaining grounded in their values.”

Recognition from the Public Advocate’s office

Kashif Hussain, New York City Deputy Public Advocate for Infrastructure and Environmental Justice, spoke to attendees. The Office of the New York City Public Advocate formally recognized these organizations and individuals for their service to the community:

Baruch Muslim Business Association
Baruch Islamic Investment Research Group
Dr. Mohamed Sawwaf
Dr. Aamir A. Rehman
Nusrat Ahmed

The recognition closed the evening.

What comes next

BIIRG will continue its research projects, educational programming, industry engagement and mentorship, and it will work with students and professionals at other institutions. The Mahalla Network will keep growing its professional community ahead of its planned flagship event, the MPower Summit. The summit is expected to launch in Fall 2027 and will bring together students, founders, executives, recruiters, professionals and community leaders from across New York.

About the Baruch Muslim Business Association
The Baruch Muslim Business Association is a student-led organization at Baruch College. It expands professional, educational, entrepreneurial and networking opportunities for Muslim students pursuing careers in business and finance.

About the Baruch Islamic Investment Research Group
The Baruch Islamic Investment Research Group is a student-led investment research organization. Its members build institutional-style research, analytical and portfolio-management skills while applying Sharia-aligned investment principles.

About The Mahalla Network
The Mahalla Network is a student-founded professional network. It connects Muslim students and young professionals across industries through mentorship, collaboration, career development, community-building and service.

Oleg Godun
BIRG
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