Cassandra Toroian | Source | Founder at FirstHand Research

Founder of both a Broker Dealer and RIA, Ms Toroian is an entrepreneur and free thinker passionate about helping others using her skills and knowledge in the finance industry. She began her career as a buy-side analyst at a Pennsylvania-based mutual fund company. Subsequently, she was a sell-side analyst for the banking sector and was named one of the top five analysts in the country as a Wall Street Journal “All Star” Analyst for her stock picking in the banking sector in 1999 before age 30. Because of her expertise over the years as investor, she became a resource used by national media, including Fox Business, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg Television, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and various print media. She is the author of personal finance book, “Don’t Buy the Bull – Dispelling Disastrous Investment Advice and Money-Myths in our New Economy”. She received her B.A. from Lafayette College and her M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Miami. She has taken a very active role in civil liberties issues related to the tyrannical regulatory government framework that has taken over the US governmental system and is an advocate for the homeless and animal cruelty.