Arlington, Texas – Feb 24, 2026 — The Quaint Quant Conference—the South’s only dedicated quantitative finance event—returns on Friday, April 10, 2026, hosted at the SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas. Now in its fourth year, the conference continues its mission to unite leading quantitative finance professionals, academics, and students to explore the innovations shaping financial markets and the future of data‑driven strategy.
The Quaint Quant Conference has established itself as a national destination for the quantitative finance community. What began as a regional gathering has evolved into a premier event attracting experts in mathematics, statistics, AI/ML, computational modeling, risk management, and financial analytics. The 2026 conference is presented in partnership with Agora Data, SMU Cox School of Business, and Fancy Quant—organizations that embody the growing influence and diversity of quantitative practice across the financial sector.
Held in the heart of Dallas at SMU Cox School of Business, the conference offers an intentionally casual environment designed for meaningful, high-value engagement. Attendees participate in deep-dive presentations, applied discussions, and career-focused sessions. The event builds on the momentum of the 2025 conference, which featured distinguished speakers from institutions including Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, KeyBank, JP Morgan Chase, Google, and H2O.ai.
“The Quaint Quant Conference has become an essential forum for driving innovation in quantitative finance,” said Matt Burke, President & COO of Agora Data. “Agora is proud to support an event that brings together the brightest minds in analytics, modeling, and financial technology. Creating this level of collaboration—right here in the South—is critical as our industry continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace.”
“SMU Cox is excited to host the Quaint Quant Conference at a time when there’s real energy and momentum across our campus,” said Shelly Heinrich, senior assistant dean of graduate admissions and the Career Management Center at the Cox School. “We’re seeing growing demand for quantitative skills in every industry, and we’re committed to meeting that demand through rigorous coursework and innovative new programs—like our MS in AI for Business launching this fall. This conference is a perfect fit for the future we’re building at SMU Cox and the future of students, faculty, and industry partners committed to advancing the positive real-world impact of quantitative disciplines.”
“The pace of change in quantitative finance has never been faster, and the Quaint Quant Conference gives us the rare chance to step back and engage in deeper conversations,” said Dimitri Bianco, Founder of Fancy Quant. “Bringing together bright minds from across research, banking, fintech, and academia helps push the industry forward and ensures we’re solving tomorrow’s challenges—not just today’s.”
About Quaint Quant Conference
The Quaint Quant Conference is a premier annual event that brings together professionals and students who apply advanced quantitative techniques—including machine learning, artificial intelligence, computational modeling, and statistical analysis—to address challenges in financial markets, risk management, and data‑driven decisioning. Now in its fourth year, the conference continues to cultivate a highly engaged, collaborative community devoted to advancing quantitative practice across the South and beyond.
Event Details
- Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM CT
- Location: SMU Cox School of Business, Dallas, Texas
- Sponsors: Agora Data, SMU Cox School of Business, Fancy Quant
- Website and Registration: www.quaintquantconference.com/
About Agora Data, Inc.
Agora Data, Inc. is a leading non-prime auto fintech innovator transforming access to capital across the automotive finance ecosystem. Through advanced AI-driven analytics, credit modeling, and capital markets expertise, Agora empowers loan originators to improve portfolio performance, unlock capital, and scale responsibly. Backed by deep automotive roots, Agora has delivered multiple industry firsts, including the industry’s first asset-pooled non-prime auto securitization in 2020, and continues to pioneer innovative structured finance and funding solutions for auto dealers, financial institutions, and investors. Agora drives greater efficiency, transparency, and long-term performance in non-prime auto finance. For more information, visit www.agoradata.com or call 1-877-592-4672.
About SMU Cox
The Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU Cox) is committed to influencing the way the world conducts business via prolific research that provokes innovation, change and global thought leadership. SMU Cox offers a full range of business education programs including B.B.A., Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA (part-time), Executive MBA, MBA Direct (online, for early-career professionals), Online MBA, Master of Science degree programs, graduate certificate programs, and Executive Education. In 2020, the Cox School celebrated 100 years of business education at SMU. Consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools, SMU Cox maintains an active alumni network globally. SMU Cox is accredited by AACSB, the leading U.S.-based organization for global business school accreditation.
About Fancy Quant
Fancy Quant is a Dallas based quantitative finance platform founded by industry expert Dimitri Bianco. Through its brand Fancy Quant Nation, the organization provides educational resources, consulting, career development guidance, and public-facing content designed to demystify quantitative finance. Fancy Quant produces widely followed YouTube content, podcasts, and written materials covering topics in statistics, machine learning, risk modeling, data science, and quant careers. The company also offers mentoring, public speaking, university partnerships, and training services aimed at empowering both students and professionals in the rapidly evolving field of quantitative finance. www.fancyquantnation.com
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