One of Us

Kyle Baidas

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Kyle Baidas is an alum of Nease High School and currently serves as the student president of the Coggin College of Business Finance and Investment Society and the Osprey Sales Club at the University of North Florida. At 17 years old he began investing in the financial markets and also runs a basketball training company.

Can you please tell us a little bit about your background and what your goals are for the future?

 

My name is Kyle Baidas. I was born in West Palm Beach, where I lived for 14 years. In 2016, my family and I decided it was time for a change, so we looked around, and chose to venture up to Ponte Vedra.

I then attended Nease High School, where I played basketball, and served as the captain of the varsity team my senior year. After I graduated from Nease, I chose to stay local and attend the University of North Florida, and double majored in finance and financial planning.

My goals in the future are to work in wealth management and use my knowledge of investments to help people make the right decisions when it comes to planning for their financial goals.

 

Where does your interest in business and finance come from?

 

Funny story, for the longest time I imagined myself working in the medical field, possibly as a physical therapist, until that all changed when I was about 17 years old. Until then, I thought it would be my career.

One day however, I stumbled upon some motivational podcasts by an entrepreneur named Ed Mylett. He preached the idea of what it meant to be a high achiever in the business world, and that was all I needed to hear. I knew I needed to find my niche, and I managed to stumble upon the stock market.

So, at the age of 17, I began investing in the financial markets. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed developing my knowledge in the way market’s function, as well as understanding what it means to have some big wins, and how to protect myself from large losses. Markets are tricky but figuring out what cause-and-effects exist in macroeconomic environments has been a lot of fun. Making a few bucks along the way hasn’t hurt either!

 

What is it like being president of the Coggin College of Business Finance and Investment Society and the Osprey Sales Club?

 

Both organizations have been wonderful to lead. I have been able to develop very strong relationships with the faculty at the Coggin College of Business, and I have also been able to provide new opportunities to UNF students interested in both the financial and sales worlds.

Being tasked with leading both organizations has been quite enjoyable, and I am looking forward to what we have planned for the spring semester.

 

What are the most rewarding parts of your role as president of both?

 

There are certainly a few. For one, being able to open the eyes of my colleagues and provide them with employment and internship opportunities from quality companies in Jacksonville has been extremely rewarding.

Another would be having the opportunity to develop a team around me, almost like the way one would structure a company. Everyone has roles, and we work together as a team to ensure that deadlines are met, and we always strive to be well organized and on the same page.

 

What are some of the challenges that you face in a position like that?

 

Time management is certainly a challenge that I have dealt with when it comes to holding those positions. Balancing schoolwork, my company, UNF organizations, along with many other things that come up along the way can be quite difficult. However, I would have it no other way- being involved in the college community and being able to have an impact has been so worth it.

 

I know you have a basketball training company as well. How did that get started, and what do you hope to achieve with it?

 

Great question. Just under five years ago, I was scrolling through my neighborhood’s Facebook page, and there was a mom looking for a local basketball trainer to help her son learn how to play basketball.

A big lightbulb went off in my head like “I play basketball! I can coach it too!” So, I reached out, and I ended up coaching her son. That then grew into me coaching her son and two of his buddies- and then it grew into me coaching their team, and then word-of-mouth-referrals started taking place.

Since 2017, I have had the pleasure to work with 100-plus athletes between the ages of 5 to 16. I still run the company today, and I really enjoy it. I hope to continue utilizing the business to give back to the community, inspire young athletes and build relationships with great people in the Northeast Florida region.

 

What do you enjoy most about living in the Northeast Florida area?

 

There are so many things to list here. From the beaches to the quality of people, to the warm weather, there are so many things to like. My No. 1 would have to be the quality of people I get to be around all the time. Compared to where I grew up, the folks here in Ponte Vedra are so friendly, and they have taught me so many valuable life lessons.

 

 

 

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

 

I enjoy spending time outdoors- playing tennis, hiking local trails and spending time at the beach. I also enjoy listening to podcasts, reading books, and of course, performing equity research.

Most of all though, I enjoy spending time with great people.