A Bright Spot on Wall Street

Between racking up over three million air miles over his Wall Street career and his eclectic signature fashion sense, Dan Ives, MBA ’00, lives his life in elevated style.

Having built a reputation as a renowned tech analyst backed by over two decades of experience succeeding in the demanding and frenetic Wall Street lifestyle, Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Technology sector at Wedbush Securities, continues to fly above the fray.

Operating at the intersection of technology and investing, Ives describes his environment as intense and competitive, but ultimately one that he enjoys. “It’s a chaotic environment, but it's one that I think I’ve thrived in,” he said of his typical and dynamic daily routine.

Also serving as the Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush, Ives is perhaps best known for his regular TV appearances on business news programming. Since the early 2000s, he’s popped on screen in a sea of traditional business suits, earning viewers' endearment for his wardrobe of bright, bold clothing.

“I dress very similarly to how I call stocks. Out of the box,” Ives said of his signature look. “But I’ve always been very comfortable in that environment.”

Ives said he always had his own look, dating back to his days growing up on Long Island. Those with an eye for fashion have noticed, too. The New York Post named him the best-dressed man on Wall Street in 2024, and he now has his own clothing line, danivesclothing.com, a collaboration with Williamsburg-based Snow Milk.

But that recognition has never swayed Ives from his roots.

During a visit to Smith in November as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series, Ives said some people “put themselves on a pedestal” because of their appearances in the media. He, instead, has viewed it as an opportunity to share his message and insights with a larger audience.

“I never take myself too seriously. I think too many people think they are the smartest person in the world. I just viewed it as like it's all part of a journey,” Ives said.

Part of that personal journey includes a stop at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to earn his MBA, which Ives said had “a huge influence” on his career.

He specifically cited the school’s focus on entrepreneurship and strong finance department as drivers in his decision to pursue his degree in College Park.

“I think the professors were very plugged into what was going on in the tech scene,” he said, adding that it was also the network he built with classmates that was an essential part of his time at Smith. “I was going there for more than an education; it was also about meeting a great group of people from around the world.”

Though Ives said his background in technology was limited, he landed in tech early on and “recognized pretty quickly this was a right place, right time moment and took full advantage of it. The rest is history, but there was a lot of hard work, a lot of weekends to build myself from a technology outsider to gaining credibility within tech.”

The rigor of large schools like Maryland and Penn State, the latter being where he earned his undergraduate degree, gave him the tools to succeed in the workforce. He encouraged students at UMD, now also part of the Big Ten, to take advantage of those opportunities. “When you can successfully survive Big Ten schools and thrive, I think it creates athletes in the workforce. And it’s not coincidental that so many people have been so successful coming out of Penn State and Maryland and so many other Big Ten schools.”

Paying his success forward to help others with their career is something Ives said is a priority at this stage in his career. For people following a similar path, he hopes to create more “on ramps” to help them get into the industry. “Just being on the other side and helping people with their journey, and not to forget where you came from.”