The Sohn Conference Foundation

The Sohn Conference was founded in 1995 in memory of Ira Sohn, a Wall Street professional, who died of cancer at the age of 29. At that time the Conference raised money for Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund.  In 2006 the Foundation was launched to further the cause of raising money to support medical research, the development of research equipment, and programs to help children with cancer and other childhood illnesses. As of 2016 more than $75 million has been raised.^[1]

History of the conference

Launched in 1995 ^[2] as the Ira Sohn Research Conference, it is now called the Sohn Investment Conference. It was created after the premature death from cancer of Ira W. Sohn, by his friends and colleagues Douglas Hirsch, Lance Laifer and Daniel Nir, together with Sohn’s mother Judith Sohn and brother Evan.^[3]

In May 2016, the Foundation and CNBC announced a partnership to present the Sohn Investment Conferences in collaboration. The first conference presented as a partnership took place in New York City on May 4, 2016.^[4]

Key people

• Dan Nir- Co-Chair, Sohn Conference Foundation^[5]
• Doug Hirsch- Co-Chair, Sohn Conference Foundation^[5]
• Evan Sohn- Co-Founder, Vice President and Treasurer^[6]
• Graham Duncan- Board Member^[7]
• Jennifer Schiamberg- Global Marketing Director^[8]
• Paula M. Bernstein- Development Manager, Sponsorships^[9]

The Sohn Investment Conference

Each year the conference brings together about 3000^[10] investors and hedge fund managers who present their views and ideas about investing. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Sohn Investment Conference “is the Superbowl of investing conferences.” Because of its importance, the conference can be a showcase for some historic messages, the most prominent being when David Einhorn predicted the failure of Lehman Brothers.^{[11] [12]} Next Wave Sohn was launched in May 2014. It showcases the next generation of hedge fund managers whose resumes and past performances predict that they will become Wall Street’s future stars.^[13] Next Wave Sohn is held in the morning before the main conference event. It is in the same format and spirit as the main conference, but for emerging funds instead.^[14]

The Sohn Scientific Conference

In March/April 2016 the Foundation held its first international scientific conference in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences to sponsor, “Sohn Conference: Pediatric Cancer in a Post-Genomic World.”^[15]

Pediatric cancer research and care

The Foundation takes an investor’s approach to choosing strategies to fight pediatric cancer. Focused on the New York metropolitan area, the Foundation encourages collaboration among the area’s well-known research institutes. Among its goals are to support a new generation of cancer researchers; to support access to the most current technologies for treating cancer; and to improve the quality of life for children who are living with cancer.^[16]

References