Lauren Cassidy, CFA, Named Chief Investment Officer of the Founders 100 ETF (FFF)

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 1, 2026--

Lauren Cassidy, CFA, has been named Chief Investment Officer of the Founders 100 ETF (ticker: FFF), a U.S. growth equity ETF investing exclusively in Founder-Led companies.

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The Factor Most ETFs Miss

Bain & Company research shows Founder-Led companies in the S&P 500 Index outperformed non-founder-led peers by 3.1x over 25 years (1990-2014) and 2.1x over the following decade (2015-2024). Despite that track record, the 300 largest U.S.-listed equity ETFs, representing 90% of category AUM, allocate just 12.55% of their portfolio weight to companies with an original Founder still serving as a chief officer, according to Founder ETFs analysis. FFF is built to close that gap.

What's Your Founder Exposure?

Cassidy brings more than 23 years of institutional equity research and portfolio management experience, including roles at Sanford Bernstein, Cantillon Capital, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Westwood Holdings Group, where she co-managed billions across Large Cap Quality Value, All Cap Value, and Mid Cap Value strategies. She holds an MBA with Honors from Columbia Business School's Value Investing Program and a BBA with Honors from Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business.

"Upstream of the sustainable competitive advantages I identified was often a Founder," said Cassidy. "The Founder Factor is persistent across cycles, rate environments, and market regimes. Most investors inherit the Founder exposure of their indexes and own far fewer Founder-Led companies than they realize. We're happy to calculate your Founder exposure. Send us your holdings."

Designed for Consistency

As CIO, Cassidy leads a disciplined, repeatable process: screening approximately 6,000 U.S.-listed common stocks and REITs, identifying nearly 1,000 Founder-Led companies, filtering to the 200 largest by free-float market capitalization, and selecting 100 holdings based on proprietary fundamental criteria including balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, and valuation metrics. The portfolio may participate in select Founder-Led IPOs, typically exits when a Founder announces plans to step down, and reconstitutes quarterly following earnings season.

The resulting portfolio includes 100 Founder-Led companies across 10 GICS sectors, 21 industry groups, and 35 industries. FFF currently has a 31% allocation to Software and is primarily large cap, with 96% of holdings by market capitalization above $10 billion.

Two Founders. One Strategy.

"Lauren's institutional research depth and breadth, fundamental stock selection experience, and Founder philosophy make her the ideal partner to run this strategy," said Michael Monaghan, Founder, CEO, and Portfolio Manager of Founder ETFs. "Lauren has spent her career staying disciplined through fear and greed. FFF's rules-based framework, 80% systematic and 20% discretionary, is designed to help remove emotional decision-making at market extremes, when investors are most prone to excessive risk-taking, abandoning the investment process, or selling near market bottoms."

"Michael brings 28 years of combined investing and entrepreneurial experience, including roles at Goldman Sachs, Riverstone Holdings, Sanford Bernstein, and UBS. As a two-time Founder, he previously built Beartooth, whose wireless networking technology protects American and allied troops globally. Michael and I first worked together at Sanford Bernstein more than two decades ago. He is a bold, charismatic Founder whose vision complements my analytical, disciplined, and detail-oriented nature," said Cassidy.

Built for the Long Run

Founders 100 ETF seeks capital appreciation by investing at least 90% of assets in Founder-Led, U.S.-listed equities for investors with a 5+ year investment horizon. The fund reconstitutes quarterly with a maximum position size of 7.5% and has a net expense ratio of 0.75%. FFF trades on the Cboe BZX exchange (CUSIP: 350933107).

Founder ETFs LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser dedicated to providing investors access to high-conviction, Founder-Led companies through actively managed ETFs with the vision to "fill the world with the peace, joy, and freedom of prosperity."

Skin in the Game

"Raised by a Founder in Texas, I experienced both the thrill of success and the hardship of failure. From an early age I knew my calling was to help families build lasting prosperity. Michael and I are among FFF's largest investors and plan to invest alongside our shareholders for the next 30 years," said Cassidy.

Planting Seeds

A former Capital for Kids board member, Cassidy is donating one share of FFF to more than 70 rising seniors at Irma L. Rangel Young Women's Leadership School in Dallas. "The world is waiting for what only you can build. Wealth is built through ownership. You deserve to start building now," said Cassidy.

Disclosures

Investors should read the prospectus and carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing at: https://FounderETFs.com/FFF

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not investment advice. No affiliation or endorsement by Bain & Company. Bain & Company research defines "Founder-Led" as a company with a Founder serving as a chief officer or board member during that year; FFF excludes board members from its definition of “Founder-Led.” Founder exposure reflects weight of Founder-Led companies. All data as of June 30, 2026, subject to change. Distributed by Vigilant Distributors LLC.

Lauren Cassidy, CFA, Chief Investment Officer of the Founders 100 ETF (FFF) at the New York Stock Exchange.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookies are prone to mistakes. Cooper Ingle made a big one he may never forget.

Cleveland's left fielder lost track of the number of outs in the seventh inning and threw the ball into the stands, allowing the Texas Rangers to score the go-ahead run in a 4-2 victory over the Guardians on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, I feel terrible,” Ingle said, his face flushed red on a warm, humid night. "It’s a pretty embarrassing feeling.”

With a runner at second base and one out in the seventh, the 24-year-old Ingle, making just his second major league start as an outfielder, caught a routine fly ball hit by Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee for the second out.

Thinking it was out No. 3, Ingle briefly glanced at the ball in his glove before throwing it over the protective netting to fans as a souvenir.

The umpires immediately ruled the ball was dead and Osuna was awarded home plate.

It wasn't until then that Ingle realized his mistake and he walked back to his position in shocked disbelief. He was charged with an error.

“Yeah, honestly when I threw the ball out, I heard a bunch of yelling,” Ingle said. “Happens sometimes, but just got to learn from it and not make the same mistake."

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who has had to plug rookies into his starting lineup all season, offered his unwavering support to Ingle.

“These things happen,” Vogt said. “Rookie. Nonrookie. It’s happened to Hall of Famers. They’ve done it. We’re going to keep learning. We’re going to keep getting better.”

Vogt was proud of the way Ingle's teammates quickly rallied around him following the bone-headed play.

“It’s a mistake. Lost track of the outs. Pretty big spot,” he said. “We’ll learn from it and can’t control it once it happens. That’s why I was like, flush it. And I just want to give a credit to the dugout. Every one of his teammates, when he came back in, same messaging.”

One of the first to talk to Ingle was Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, who told him to keep his chin up.

“I’ve made so many mistakes,” Hedges said. “I can’t even remember half of them. I’ve embarrassed myself a billion times on the field. I mean, just check my offensive numbers for my career. It’s not super easy to go through that, but that’s the big leagues.”

After his mistake, Ingle said he immediately apologized to Bibee (2-9), who went toe to toe Jacob deGrom for seven innings. Bibee's response to his teammates was to try and make things right.

“I just told him to go tie the game right back up,” Bibee said. “Obviously, we all make mistakes. Everyone in this locker room has made multiple mistakes in the big leagues, whether you’re (rookie) Khalil (Waston) or me or Hedgie. It’s tough.”

Ingle was brought up from Triple-A Columbus last week. He made his big league debut on June 26 and got his first major league hit the next day, a two-run single against Seattle.

After his fielding foible, Ingle came up in the bottom of the seventh and grounded out. He got another chance in the ninth to avenge his gaffe but struck out looking for the game's final out.

What's most important now is that he move forward.

“Obviously learn from it and think about it,” he said. “It’s not something that makes you feel great, but things like that happen for a reason and learning from those things and moving on and getting better from them, it’s pretty much the only thing you can do.”

Vogt said the mistake doesn't affect his belief in Ingle.

“We’re going to help him through it. That’s what we’re here for,” he said. "You’re playing in your second game in the outfield in the big leagues and a mistake like that. Let’s learn. So what? It’s over. Flush it. We’re not going to be mad at him.

“We’re not going to hold it against him. He’s going to be right back out there the next time it’s his turn to play outfield. This was a mistake. This isn’t a judgment or anything like that, but we know how good of a player Coop is and we’re going to stick with him and we’re going to keep helping him.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran runs towards home plate to score on an error by Cleveland Guardians left fielder Cooper Ingle in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Cooper Ingle, left, runs in from the outfield with center fielder Steven Kwan, right, after the first half of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Cleveland, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Cooper Ingle watches his first Major League hit, a two-run single off Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert as Cal Raleigh moves into position during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long) CORRECTION: Corrects to a two-run single not an RBI single