Kathryn Wilkens is a quantitative researcher, educator, and product builder whose work sits at the intersection of alternative investments, data science, and financial technology. She is the founder of Pearl Quest, LLC, where she develops research-driven analytical frameworks and forecasting systems designed to translate complex data into actionable investment insight.
With more than 25 years of experience across finance, education, and quantitative research, Kathryn is known for making advanced methods, such as generalized additive models, mutual information–based feature selection, and machine-learning pipelines, both practical and interpretable for professional investors. Her work emphasizes rigor, transparency, and real-world applicability.
Kathryn teaches in the Master of Financial Analysis program at Rutgers Business School, where she helps graduate students bridge financial theory, empirical research, and modern quantitative implementation.
Previously, she served as Curriculum Director at CAIA Association and as an advisor to the Financial Data Professional (FDP) program, contributing to the development of global education standards in alternative investments and financial data analytics. She is a research associate with the Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM) and has authored peer-reviewed articles and more than 40 published research summaries connecting academic research with practitioner decision-making.
Beyond finance, Kathryn serves as Treasurer and on the Board of Directors of the Coalition to End Homelessness, where she applies systems thinking and analytical insight to community-level challenges.
