Martin Cabrera Jr.

Playing a game changed Martin Cabrera Jr.’s life. While previously he had aspired to become an architect, he changed course when his high school economics class participated in the Stock Market Game—a program that teaches financial literacy and the operations of financial markets. Cabrera was so motivated by the program that he decided to study finance, obtaining a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1994 and furthering his studies at the London School of Economics.

Cabrera started his professional career as a registered representative with Olde Discount Stockbrokers and found subsequent employment as a portfolio manager for Corporate Securities Group, Inc. Shortly thereafter, he was named senior vice president of Amerivet Securities, Inc. Currently the CEO of Cabrera Capital Markets, LLC and Cabrera Capital Partners, LLC, he oversees daily and long-term activities in investment banking, municipal finance, corporate debt, initial public offerings, institutional sales, and trading.

A celebrated member of the business and Latino communities, Cabrera is the 2007 recipient of the Minority Business Advocate of the Year award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. Cabrera has also received Chicago United’s Business Leader of Color Award and the Securities Industry Association’s Outstanding Recognition Award. In 2004, he was named to Hispanic Business magazine’s list of the 100 most influential Hispanics of the year.

Cabrera is dedicated to giving back and participates in numerous civic activities. He is a devoted supporter of the Stock Market Game, enabling thousands of students to participate in the same program that touched his life years ago. Cabrera has also served on the board of trustees of the Illinois Council on Economic Education, the ECON Illinois governing board, and the U.S. Bank, Chicago, advisory board, among others.