Roaring Fork High School sophomore Dylan Riley has an early grasp on his financial future, thanks to a unique summer camp experience that is expanding and moving to a new venue this year.
Last summer, Riley attended The Finance Camp, founded by Carbondale businessman Ron Speaker, which taught him about investing, trading and generally conducting himself in a businesslike manner.
“It’s just a great way to learn how to start your account, what to look for in your stock picks, AI crypto manners, things like that,” Riley said, “… definitely things you can use in your life, whether it be a career or just personal finance.”
Riley was the winner of the 2025 investment competition, using the concepts he learned during the camp to invest $1,200. Over the course of 5 ½ months he increased his portfolio by 50%, the best result in the three-year history of the Finance Camp.
It was an invaluable experience that Riley encourages other students his age to take advantage of, if given the opportunity.
“You’re learning a lot of information and how to be successful for the rest of life,” he said.
Now going into its fourth year, The Finance Camp was inspired by the personal mentorship Speaker said he had early in his career, and aims to provide general financial education to young individuals.
To date, the camp has supported over 45 students, and another 200 through various events over the course of the year, Speaker said.
Applications are open until April 15 for the next group of 15-20 students, ages 14 to 17, who will be participating in the camp. The camp takes place from June 8-12 at a new location, the Hoffman Hotel conference center in Basalt.
For the first three years, Speaker held the camp in the Fourth Street building in Carbondale previously owned by one of his mentors, Tom Bailey, founder of Janus Capital Group along with Michael McGoldrick.
“The camp was really an ode back to those mentors of mine who were kind enough to give me their time and attention and support over all those years,” Speaker said.
Speaker operated his own company, Equus Private Wealth, out of the same location until Bailey’s death this past year. The building has since been sold.
There is no fee to enroll in the camp, but selected applicants are expected to earn their spot by performing $500 worth of community service, or 25 hours, before the camp begins.
Speaker works with the investment firm Charles Schwab to provide the $500 in working capital, which is transferred into the trading accounts the students will set up at the start of the camp.
“I’m really adamant about using real money versus fake money, because kids behave differently when it’s a game using simulations,” Speaker said. “And I firmly believe that this head start gives these students 50 years of compounding, where they can grow their money over 100-fold.”
Starting at a young age also gives people the chance to learn from mistakes early on, so that they don’t make the same mistakes later in life when the stakes are higher.
“Someone like Dylan is easy to celebrate, but we also want to help the kid who was maybe down 30% and is looking for ways to increase their yield,” Speaker said, adding that he has a goal to help 100 kids from the Roaring Fork Valley become millionaires before he dies.
He even had that goal tattooed on his forearm. Speaker and one of his own sons are also working on a financial gaming app that he hopes will spark interest among young people.
“But the message of the camp is that you don’t have to make a million dollars to have financial freedom, you just need to have the discipline to make good money decisions,” he said.
Like when you get that bonus check later in life, and instead of buying that boat you always wanted and saddling yourself with a loan, you invest it instead, Speaker explained.
Helping to run the camp are various crypto and AI experts, and longtime Valley resident Alex Yajko, who conducts the etiquette session.
And, for his part, to help share his new wealth of knowledge with other students his age, Riley is trying to start an investment club at Roaring Fork High.
For more information about The Finance Camp and how to apply, visit www.thefinancecamp.com