Asian Financial Society

What Asian Financial Society does

The Asian Financial Society (AFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in New York City in 1984 by pioneering Asian Wall Street bankers. Its mission is to advance members' financial careers through networking, education, and mentoring, with an explicit focus on bridging business opportunities between the US and Asian markets for professionals of Asian heritage working in finance. AFS serves more than 4,000 listed members across major Wall Street institutions and reaches an additional 11,000 friends and affiliates across the US and Asia, running 50+ premium events with industry leaders and 30+ seminars annually.

AFS's core offerings are portfolio-based rather than software-based. They include AFS Premium Membership ($100/year for new members, $80/year for renewals), Special Interest Groups (Trading, Investment, Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Risk Management, and China Business SIGs), the "In Our Opinion..." publication series for finance and investment analysis, the annual AFS Summer Program on topics such as fintech, stablecoin, and immigration, the AFS Real Estate Forum, and formal/informal mentoring programs. There is no proprietary technology platform; AFS's "product" is community access, content, and convening power.

AFS generates revenue from three streams: recurring membership dues ($100 new / $80 renewal), tax-deductible individual donations, and corporate sponsorship arrangements with institutions seeking visibility among AFS members. Distribution is community-led via the website (afstoday.org), events hosted at partner venues (Bank of China, EastWest Bank, Preferred Bank, Fordham University), social channels including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Weibo, plus word-of-mouth referrals within Wall Street's Asian professional community. The organization is governed by an annually elected Board of Directors with no parent company, investors, or subsidiaries.

Name

Asian Financial Society

Legal name

Asian Financial Society

Website

https://afstoday.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Asian Financial Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1984 that serves 4,000+ Asian finance professionals on Wall Street through membership dues, events, seminars, Special Interest Groups, and mentoring programs aimed at career advancement and US-Asia business bridging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual premium membership dues providing access to events, seminars, networking opportunities, and exclusive member-only gatherings with industry thought leaders.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission of career enhancement, business development, and young professional support.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership arrangements with corporations seeking visibility and recognition among AFS members and the wider professional community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AFS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization that sells annual premium membership (priced at $100 for new members and $80 for renewals) granting access to premium events, seminars, and exclusive private gatherings with industry leaders. The organization also runs Special Interest Groups, the In Our Opinion publication series, mentoring programs, the annual Summer Program, and topic-specific forums (such as the Real Estate Forum) to advance members' careers in finance.

Product overview

Asian Financial Society (AFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1984. Rather than a unified software product, AFS offers a portfolio of membership-based services including premium membership access to networking events and seminars, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for focused professional communities, the In Our Opinion... publication series for financial analysis, the AFS Summer Program for educational sessions, and the AFS Real Estate Forum for industry-specific panels. These offerings collectively serve the organization's mission of advancing financial careers through networking, education, and mentoring for Asian finance professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFS Premium Membership
• AFS Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
• In Our Opinion... Publication Series
• AFS Summer Program
• AFS Mentoring Program
• AFS Real Estate Forum

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bank of China New York BranchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 March 2026Venue host for AFS Real Estate Panel: Impact of Private Credit Lending. Located at 1045 6th Ave, New York, NY 10018.
• The Chinese Finance Association (TCFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Collaborating partner for the NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026 event. TCFA joined AFS in hosting this panel event that drew nearly 200 registered attendees from the finance, real estate, and legal communities.
• Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Collaborating partner for the NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026 event. AABANY contributed to the strong turnout of nearly 200 registered attendees from diverse professional communities.
• Fordham Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Collaborating partner for the NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026 event hosted at Fordham University. Student volunteers from CSSA participated in organizing the event.
• Fordham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Event sponsor and venue provider for NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026. The event was held at McNally Amphitheater, Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Fordham students participated as volunteers.
• FBL Development LLCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Event sponsor for the NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026 event, contributing to the success of the panel discussion.
• Preferred BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 August 2025Venue host for 2025 AFS Summer Program #2 on Career Opportunities in the Fintech Industry. Located at 2 Pennsylvania Plaza 24th floor, New York, NY 10121.
• EastWest BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 August 2025Venue host for 2025 AFS Summer Program #3 on Stablecoin and Related Impact on the Banking Industry. Located at 535 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP): US nonprofit advancing minority participation in the securities and financial services industry through networking, mentoring, and education. Highly comparable mission of supporting minority professionals in finance, with a national scope and industry-wide focus.
• Financial Women's Association (FWA): NY-based membership professional organization for women in finance offering networking, mentorship, and educational events. Comparable membership model, NYC geography, and finance professional target audience, though focused on gender rather than ethnicity.
• ASCEND: Pan-Asian Pacific leadership nonprofit that serves Asian heritage professionals across industries, with programs in finance, technology, and entrepreneurship. Comparable in mission to AFS as a career and leadership community for Asian professionals, with broader industry and geographic scope.
• The Chinese Finance Association of North America (TCFA): Pan-Chinese finance professional association that has co-hosted events with AFS (e.g., NYC Real Estate Market Outlook 2026). Directly comparable in mission: networking, education, and career development for Chinese finance professionals in North America.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): Global nonprofit fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, and education, with a strong presence among Indian American professionals. Comparable in membership-driven, chapter-based model serving an Asian heritage professional community, though focused on entrepreneurship rather than finance.
• Committee of 100: Chinese American leadership organization of prominent business and civic leaders; Henry S. Tang, an AFS advisor, helped found Committee of 100. Strong overlap in elite-network mission and US-China business bridging, with a more exclusive, higher-profile membership model.
• National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP): National membership-based professional organization for Asian American professionals focused on career development, networking, and leadership. Closely comparable business model (membership dues, events, chapters) and similar target audience, though broader in industry and geography than AFS.

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: Global not-for-profit association of investment professionals with credentialing, events, and publications. Overlapping audience of finance professionals and educational content, but dramatically larger scale and focused on investment/credentialing rather than community/networking.
• Asia Society: Large established nonprofit promoting understanding and partnerships between Asia and the US through policy, business, arts, and education programs. Overlapping mission in US-Asia business bridging, but broader in scope and more institutional/policy-oriented than AFS.

Regional players

• Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY): NY-based professional association for Asian American legal professionals that has co-hosted events with AFS. Comparable professional membership structure and Asian American career-development mission, but focused on the legal profession rather than finance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afs_1984
• Facebookfacebook.com/AsianFinancialSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11157290
• Instagraminstagram.com/asianfinancialsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asian Financial Society