Our founder

James Schroeder, Principal and Founder

As the son of small business owners, James Schroeder had a front-row seat to what it takes to run a family agricultural business. After attending the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Schroeder spent nearly a decade in Chicago as a successful options market-maker and proprietary trader.

Schroeder began his career with a summer internship at a market-making firm on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). He would eventually hold memberships at the CBOE, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. During his time in Chicago, Schroeder traded in ten options pits, five futures pits, as well as electronically and over the phone in a variety of other products. Even during the financial crisis of 2007-2009, Schroeder profitably managed a proprietary portfolio of over 250 equity and commodity option positions for his employer.

In 2013, Schroeder’s time in Chicago allowed him to choose a quieter existence and move his growing family back to his native Wisconsin. There he combined the hard-earned lessons from the trading floors of Chicago with the experiences of his youth in Wisconsin to start a new position as the Director of Marketing and Risk Management for an agricultural cooperative. After a few years, several clients encouraged him to create what would become Quartzite. Those clients valued Schroeder’s financial advice and deep understanding of grain hedging, combined with his down-home customer service.

Today, Schroeder lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife Christina, his two boys Hank and Orion, and his yellow lab Einer. In his spare time, Schroeder enjoys climbing, skiing, and, most of all, spending time with his family exploring their new home.