The Judah Spinner Scholarship helps students attend trade school by providing essential resources and support.
BlackBird Financial’s founder, Judah Spinner, established this scholarship based on the belief that too many young people enroll in four-year college programs that offer little in the way of practical skills or a clear path to earning a good living.
At the same time, millions of hardworking individuals are stuck in low-wage service jobs, struggling to make ends meet, even though a trade school education could dramatically increase their earning potential in a relatively short period of time. This scholarship aims to change lives by opening doors to stable, well-paying careers through vocational education. Any high school senior who will attend trade school after graduation may apply for this scholarship opportunity.
To apply, tell us what excites you about trade school, which trade you’re pursuing, and what your post-graduation goals are.
Judah Spinner is an investment manager and philanthropist, focused on empowering communities and creating opportunities through strategic investments and education.Judah Spinner is a New Jersey-based investment manager, philanthropist, and the founder of BlackBird Financial LP, a value-oriented hedge fund that manages capital on behalf of high-net-worth families throughout the United States.
Together with his wife, Julie, Judah Spinner established the Judah Spinner Foundation in 2025 with a $2 million commitment to address some of the most persistent challenges facing American society—income inequality, rising incarceration, and the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople.
The Judah Spinner Scholarship is the foundation’s flagship initiative. Through this program, Judah Spinner and his wife aim to fund trade-school tuition and essential tools for driven students pursuing certifications in welding, HVAC, electrical work, plumbing, and other skilled trades. The scholarship reflects a simple but powerful conviction: that dignified, well-paying work should be accessible to anyone willing to learn a craft and apply themselves.
The Judah Spinner Foundation’s mission is to bridge the skills gap by investing in individuals whose potential is often overlooked by conventional educational pathways. The scholarship removes financial barriers and promotes skilled career education to help students achieve success and independence.
Judah’s Background and Philanthropy Judah Spinner, born on November 10, 1995, in New Jersey, was raised in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood. The son of immigrant parents, Judah learned the value of hard work and opportunity.
After earning his degree from Crestpoint University, he founded BlackBird Financial LP, where he serves as principal investment manager. As a CFA, Judah follows a Grahamian value investing strategy. In 2025, BlackBird delivered a 62.2% return, significantly outperforming the market. He has invested over 90% of his own net worth alongside his clients.
The Judah Spinner Scholarship helps students attend trade school by providing essential resources and support. Too many young people enroll in four-year college programs that offer little in the way of practical skills or a clear path to earning a good living.
At the same time, millions of hardworking individuals are stuck in low-wage service jobs, struggling to make ends meet, even though a trade school education could dramatically increase their earning potential in a relatively short period of time.This scholarship aims to change lives by opening doors to stable, well-paying careers through vocational education.
Any high school senior who will attend trade school after graduation may apply for this scholarship opportunity. To apply, tell us what excited you about trade school, which trade you’re pursuing, and what your post-graduation goals are.
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Investment manager, philanthropist, and CFA charterholder dedicated to empowering communities through education and skilled trades. Find recent news here.
Judah Spinner is an investment manager and philanthropist, focused on empowering communities and creating opportunities through education and skilled trades.
Together with his wife Julie, Judah established the Judah Spinner Foundation in 2025 with a $2 million commitment to reducing income inequality through vocational education and skilled trades. The Foundation also supports initiatives to help reduce healthcare costs and the Government Deficit.
The Judah Spinner Scholarship is the foundation’s flagship initiative. Through this program, Judah and Julie provide financial support to aspiring trade professionals — from electricians and welders to HVAC technicians and plumbers.
The Judah Spinner Foundation’s mission is to bridge the skills gap by investing in individuals whose potential is often overlooked by conventional educational pathways.
“Dignified, well-paying work should be accessible to anyone willing to learn a craft and apply themselves.”
Judah Spinner, born on November 10, 1995, in New Jersey, was raised in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood. The son of immigrant parents, Judah learned the value of hard work and opportunity.
After earning his degree from Crestpoint University, he founded BlackBird Financial LP, where he serves as principal investment manager. In 2025, BlackBird delivered a 62.2% return, significantly outperforming the market.
Mitigate income inequality and reduce incarceration rates in the United States by empowering youth to launch a lucrative and fulfilling career.
While the US economy has grown to be the envy of the world, income inequality is the widest it's been since the gilded age. Put simply, the bottom quartile by household income has not shared in the prosperity since 1980. By enabling students to begin a well paying job without taking on significant debt or spending years out of the workforce, millions more will share in the joys of the strongest economy on Earth.
The United States roughly two million people incarcerated, more than any other country on Earth. We believe that steady, dignified work is among the most effective deterrents to crime. When someone is self-sufficient and proud of their career, they are far less likely to turn to crime. For millions, the most suitable career will start in one of America's great trade school. The Judah Spinner Scholarship exists to help them get started.
America’s construction and maintenance sectors currently face a shortage of hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, a gap that inflates costs, slows critical infrastructure projects, and leaves capable individuals underemployed. By empowering youth to become skilled tradesmen, we position our country to construct skyscrapers, highways, bridges, and the millions of housing units we will need in the decades ahead.
Celebrating our outstanding scholarship recipients
Our inaugural scholarship winner will be announced on March 2, 2026. Stay tuned for this exciting announcement!
