Strive was created in January 2022 to solve a problem that had emerged in the United States over the prior decade: large financial institutions, including the biggest asset managers, were using their clients' money to advance social, cultural, and political agendas in corporate America's boardrooms. Asset managers and for-profit corporations have a fiduciary duty to maximize value, and that duty had been neglected.

On a mission to depoliticize corporate America and restore the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence, Vivek Ramaswamy and Anson Frericks raised capital from some of the country's most prominent venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to found Strive.

Ramaswamy and Frericks recruited some of the most talented and mission- aligned minds from across the country to join them at the Columbus, Ohio, headquarters. One of the first recruits was Matt Cole (CEO & CIO), who had previously served as Portfolio Manager at CalPERS, overseeing more than $70 billion in actively managed Fixed Income portfolios. Another was Head of Corporate Governance Justin Danhof, who is known as the “grandfather” of this movement. A thought leader at the National Center for Public Policy Research, Justin has one of the strongest backgrounds in the country on taking on Corporate America.

With a highly motivated team and an unapologetic commitment to the financial interests of its clients, Strive launched its first fund on August 10, 2022, ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Strive would go on to launch six more funds before the end of the year.


Co-founder and Senior Advisor Anson Frericks with co-founder Vivek Ramaswamy at Strive's first NYSE bell ringing.

Early in 2023, Vivek resigned as Executive Chairman of Strive to serve public America by announcing his candidacy for President of the United States. Following Vivek's resignation, Strive appointed its first CEO, Matt Cole, to lead the company.

Since Cole has been the CEO, the company has experienced exponential growth. Strive was recognized in June 2023 as the fastest growing asset manager with under a billion dollars in assets under management (AUM), before outgrowing the category just a few months later by eclipsing the billion-dollar AUM mark in September 2023.

The Strive Story is only just beginning. As we continue to add to our story, shattering expectations and succeeding with the contrarian position to protect and preserve shareholder primacy across corporate America, one thing will never change: we will always put the financial interests of our clients first. We are proud of our history and grateful for those who have joined us in taking the stand against the current state.