Matthew Bielski, founder and CEO of Defiance ETFs, recently joined Scarlet Fu and Eric Balchunas on Bloomberg’s ETF IQ to discuss the Defiance Autism Impact ETF (ASD) and the personal family experience that helped inspire its development.
Key Takeaways
- Personal experience inspired ASD. Bielski’s family experience helped drive the development of an ETF focused on companies serving the autism community.
- ASD targets a broad ecosystem. The fund invests across pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, behavioral health, specialized education and related services.
- The fund includes a philanthropic commitment. Defiance has pledged to donate 100% of ASD’s net advisory profits during its first two years and at least 50% thereafter to organizations supporting autism care, research and services.
The Motivation Behind Launching the First Autism ETF
For Bielski, the idea for ASD was born out of a deeply personal journey. His son, Lev, now four years old, was diagnosed with severe autism. Navigating the daily reality of caring for a child with profound autism — from managing communication barriers and behavioral challenges to seeking out effective therapies — highlighted how underserved many families in the neurodivergent community truly are.
While searching for answers, Bielski and his wife discovered promising emerging therapies. According to Bielski, his family learned that the drug had completed a Phase 2 clinical trial and that the company reported a 53% efficacy rate among children in the study. He subsequently said his family obtained expanded access to the treatment, allowing Lev to receive it outside the usual clinical-trial enrollment process.
