Bradley Fluetsch Raven Asset Management.

• Author: PARMELEE, CATHERINE

As a child, entrepreneur Bradley Fluetsch earned money picking berries and mushrooms. Today the 37 year old financial analyst picks stocks. He discovered his true calling, managing portfolios and selecting and buying stocks, while employed as a financial analyst for Sealaska Corp.

After 12 years of maneuvering through the financial world and working for others, Fluetsch launched his Juneau-based Raven Asset Management company last June. The financier hopes to help Natives manage their funds for a better future. Fluetsch also teaches a personal investments class at the University of Alaska Southeast.

ARM: What made you decide to open Raven Asset Management?

Fluetsclz: Investing is my passion. I love Juneau, and I love to fish for king salmon. Here, you can go to work early in the morning and then fish in the afternoon, because the market, which operates on East Coast time, closes by noon our time. I also love to manage equities. My primary motivation was me. It was the only way I could manage equities and stay in Juneau. It's something that can be done from anywhere. It's a good, fun industry. I love my job; every day it's different. I get all kinds of thrills from it.

Hopefully, I can also encourage more Native Americans in this business. There are so few Native Americans in financial investment management--only a handful, maybe 20 in the nation. With Raven, I can provide an opportunity to see if they like this industry. It's a difficult business to break into unless you know someone.

ABM: What is your background in the financial arena?

Fluetsch: I spent eight years, from 1987 to 1995, with Sealaska, and I spent four years working with the Alaska Permanent Fund. I earned my Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1996; it's a minimum of a three-year process.

ABM: What is the significance of involving more Native Americans in this industry?

Fluetsch: A friend was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal about this. He said that the need for Native attorneys was recognized in the 1960s. And the result of Native involvement in the legal profession is that they were successful in getting their rights and financial rewards. Now that Natives are getting those financial rewards, there's a need for financial management. With my company, I hope to provide the opportunity for Natives to get involved. Once you've proven yourself in the industry, Wall Street is color-blind. The one thing that matters is performance.

ABM: Why are you interested in...