Alexander R. Shepard

Cowen & Co. LLC is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2004 and is a subsidiary of Cowen Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE: TD) in Canada. Cowen & Co. offers industry-focused investment banking for growth-oriented companies, domain knowledge-driven research and a sales and trading platform for institutional investors. Their institutional sales and trading business serves both equity and fixed-income clients. Sales and trading execution platform is structured around the following key verticals: (1) healthcare (2) technology, telecommunications and media (TMT) (3) REITs and financials (4) aerospace and defense (5) consumer and (6) alternative energy.

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. (Broker) (CGMI-Broker) is the broker/dealer division of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., an investment bank headquartered in New York City with additional offices across the US. The firm was founded in 2004 and is a subsidiary of Citigroup Financial Products, Inc., ultimately held by Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C). CGMI-Broker covers all market capitalizations of the major global indices and provides macro and quantitative analysis of global markets and sector trends. Their core focus of the group is to help investing clients make informed decisions by providing value-added, independent, insightful analysis.

Man Strategic Holdings Ltd. engages in alternative investment management business. It provides asset management and investment management services to private investors, institutions and financial professionals. The firm delivers open-ended products tailor-made solutions to private and institutional investors. It operates through its subsidiaries, including Man Investments Ltd., Man Investments AG, Man Investments (USA) LLC, Man Investments (CH) AG, Man Group UK Ltd., E D & Man Investments Ltd., and Man Group Holdings Ltd. The company was founded on April 22. 1994 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

HII Mission Technologies Corp. engages in the provision of engineering, information technology, and operational solutions and services. It offers artificial intelligence, LVC training, modernization and sustainment, networks and software, systems engineering and integration, and weapons platforms. The company is headquartered in McLean, VA.

Guggenheim Securities LLC is a SEC-registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of Links Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Guggenheim Partners LLC. Guggenheim Securities’ specializations include the sales and trading of fixed-income securities and sophisticated structured products. The firm offers in-depth analysis and expert execution of trading opportunities to large institutional investors and asset originators. They offer sales and trading services relating to a wide range of instruments.

Founded in 2004, TD Securities (USA) LLC is a broker/dealer located in New York City with additional offices in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm is a subsidiary of Toronto Dominion Holdings (USA), Inc. and their ultimate parent is Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD). TD Securities (USA) provides a wide range of capital market products and services to corporate, government and institutional clients in five areas of finance including: investment banking, debt capital markets, institutional equities, foreign exchange and money markets. Their services include the underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues, providing advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures and executing daily trading and investment needs. The equity group provides research coverage of media and communications, technology, financial services, oil and gas, mining and metals, industrial products, forest products, technology, utilities and power, real estate, biotechnology, consumer products and merchandising and quantitative analysis strategy. The fixed-income group provides a full range of underwriting sales and trading products for Canadian, U.S. and European debt issuers and investors.

Sanders Morris Harris LLC (SMH) is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA, SIPC, located in Houston, Texas. The firm is also an SEC-registered investment advisor. SMH was formed in January 2000 as the result of a merger between Sanders Morris Mundy, Inc. and Harris Webb & Garrison, Inc. The firm is now wholly-owned by Summer Wealth Management LLC. The ultimate principal owners of Summer Wealth Management, LLC are Lee Equity Partners LLC and The Edelman Financial Center, Inc. through intermediaries. SMH provides provides brokerage, asset management and similar services to individuals, high net-worth individuals, pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporations and other business entities.

MF Global Holdings Ltd. provides execution and clearing services for exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivative products. It offers customized solutions in global cash and derivatives markets. The firm also provides research and market commentary to help clients make trading decisions, as well as providing client financing and securities lending services. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

Cohen & Co. provides accounting services. The firm offers services in the areas of investment industry, private company, and management advisory. Its services include collective investment trust, enterprise tax solutions, ownership succession, management consulting, and business valuation. The company was founded by Ron Cohen in 1977 and is headquartered in Cleveland, OH.

Cercano Management LLC /Private Equity/ (Cercano Management) is a venture capital subsidiary of Cercano Management LLC founded in 1986 by Paul Gardner Allen. The firm is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Cowen Prime Services LLC (CPS) is a broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm is directly owned by Cowen PB Holdings LLC, which, in turn, is primarily owned by Cowen Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: COWN). CPS is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and FINRA, and as a an introducing broker with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association. CPS was formed in 2015 following Cowen Group’s acquisition of Concept Capital Markets LLC. Concept Capital was established in 2010 following the spin-off of the Concept Capital division of Sanders Morris Harris Inc., whose origins date back to 1995. CPS' offering includes world-class custody and clearing options, multi asset class capabilities, leading execution and order management systems, a seasoned execution desk, a range of financing options, a highly professional operations and customer support team, comprehensive portfolio reporting capabilities, capital introduction, and live, intraday and post-trade risk and performance analytics.

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. is a FINRA-registered broker/dealer headquartered in San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary of the Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE: SCHW). They are members of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, NASDAQ and NYSE Arca, Inc. Charles Schwab & Co. is an exchange member engaged in exchange commission business other than floor activities. They also retail mutual funds and OTC corporate equity securities. In addition, the firm underwrites and/or sells corporate securities, underwrites and/or sponsors mutual funds, is a put and call broker/dealer and/or option writer and provides investment advisory services

Digi-Key Corp. distributes electronic components. It also distributes semiconductors, discrete, electromechanical parts. Its products include audio products, batteries, cable assemblies, capacitors, computer & video accessories, connectors, crystals & oscillators, discrete semiconductor products and many more. The company was founded by Ronald A. Stordahl in 1972 and is headquartered in Thief River Falls, MN.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides health care services. It offers medical and healthcare services for the people who are above 65 years. The organization also runs State Children's Health Insurance Program which helps states to cover children. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was founded in 1977 and is located in Baltimore, MD

Founded by Dana Telsey in 2008, Telsey Advisory Group LLC (TAG) is an independent equity research and consulting firm focused on the consumer sector, including retail and apparel companies and restaurants. They provide hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity firms and private and public consumer companies the detailed analysis and market context that is necessary to make strategic and investment decisions. TAG covers both US-based and international companies across the consumer landscape, including apparel manufacturers, children and teen retailers, consumer electronics, department stores, discounters, home furnishings, luxury goods, off-price retailers, quick service and specialty restaurants and specialty apparel retailers. Their consulting services include acquisition due diligence, benchmarking, competitive analyses, financial analysis, investor relations functions, market assessments, and valuation.

Milken Institute provides research and analysis services in the areas of economic issues. The private company is based in Santa Monica, CA. Michael L. Klowden has been the CEO of the company since 2001.

Founded in 1958, Merrill Lynch Piece Fenner & Smith, Inc. is an SEC registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of BAC North America Holding Co. and their ultimate parent is Bank of America Corp. (NYSE BAC).

Global Equities Research LLC is an independent broker/dealer headquartered in Red Wood City, California. The firm provides fundamental research in global equities, focusing on near-term, mid-term and long-term trends to facilitate stock selection. Their research also tries to capture significant stock moving catalysts, shifts and inflexion points, based either on Business Model, customer Purchasing Behavior or on the Technology Shifts, which may affect certain stocks. Global Equities Research currently focuses on global companies in the areas of: Internet, IT Services and Software.

Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. provides and disseminates ideas on foreign policies to individuals, corporate members, journalists and policy makers. It operates a forum for government officials, students and other interested parties to study and discuss world issues and impact on American foreign policies. The company publishes Foreign Affairs, a magazine that comes out six times a year, along with books and studies by its own scholars. Council on Foreign Relations was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in New York City, NY.

The Economic Club of New York operates as a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization. The company was founded by J.W. Beatson in 1907 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Allina Health System, Inc. operates hospitals and clinics. The company was founded by Kaye J. Ehlen in 1983 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.