Dean T. Smith

MacKay Shields LLC is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The original predecessor to the firm, MacKay-Shields Economics, was founded in 1938 as an economic consulting firm and it became MacKay Shields Financial Corp. (MSFC) in 1969. In 1984, MSFC was purchased by New York Life Insurance Co. (NYLIC). NYLIC established New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC (NYLIM Holdings) in 1999 and transferred ownership of MSFC to NYLIM Holdings. In 1999, MSFC was converted to MacKay Shields LLC. The ownership, control and management of MacKay Shields did not change as a result of this conversion. The firm is wholly owned by NYLIM Holdings, which is wholly-owned by NYLIC. MacKay Shields provides discretionary investment management services primarily to institutional clients. The firm is a signatory of the United Nation Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).

Founded in 1999, Credit Suisse Asset Management LLC (CSAM) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS), a publicly owned foreign bank holding company based in Switzerland.

BlackRock Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1994 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BlackRock Advisors manages assets for US-registered investment companies and 529 Plans.

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (DBSI) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1971 and is a wholly-owned investment banking and brokerage arm of DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB, FRA: DBK) in Germany. DBSI provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services to domestic and international private clients and institutions. They are also a primary dealer in US government securities as designated by the Federal Reserve.

UBS Securities LLC is an investment bank and registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 as UBS Warburg LLC. They are a subsidiary of UBS Americas Holding LLC, ultimately held by UBS Group AG (SWX: UBSG, NYSE: UBS) in Switzerland. UBS Securities is a primary dealer in US Government securities and provides a full range of investment banking services which includes corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, trading and sales, fixed-income, equity research, private banking, underwriting and prime brokerage operations. The firm also provides advisory services and access to capital markets for corporate, institutional, intermediary and alternative asset management clients.

Mizuho Securities USA LLC is the US-based securities broker/dealer and futures commission merchant arm of Mizuho Americas LLC, ultimately held by Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (TYO: 8411, NYSE: MFG) in Japan. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1994 and provides institutional and corporate clients access to commodity and financial markets around the world. Mizuho Securities USA covers the following industries: Consumer, Energy, Financial Institutions, Financial Sponsors, Healthcare, Industrial & Diversified Industries, Power, Utilities & Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT). The firm and their affiliates hold memberships on all major futures and options exchanges worldwide.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. (MSIM) is an investment management firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1975 and is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS). MSIM provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management services and products to institutional clients and individual investors. The firm also advises clients as to the appropriate allocation of assets among multiple separate accounts and/or investment companies or other pooled vehicles that the firm advises.

Monness Crespi Hardt & Co., Inc. is an independent equity research firm and full-service broker/dealer located in New York City. Founded in 1996, the firm's origins can be traced to the establishment of their predecessor firm in 1964. Monness Crespi Hardt & Co. clears all trading activity through Goldman Sachs Execution & Clearing LLC. The firm's research team produces proprietary, fundamental research that seek to identify undervalued or undercover special situations without regard to size. They focus on the following industries: automotive services, chemicals, defense, pharmaceuticals, gaming, healthcare, home builders, industrials, medical instruments, oil & gas, retail, semiconductors and special situations. Monness Crespi Hardt & Co. is a member of FINRA and the SPIC

AllianceBernstein LP (AB) is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2000, the firm is owned by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co., ultimately held by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH). AB provides investment advice to investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, banks and thrift institutions, trusts, estates, government agencies, charitable organizations, individuals, corporations and other business entities.

McKinsey & Co., Inc. provides management consulting services. It specializes in design, marketing and sales, analytics, operations, transformation and restructuring, risk, strategy and corporate finance, and sustainability and resource productivity. The company was founded by James O. McKinsey in 1926 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Cornell University is an educational institution that offers undergraduate and post graduate programs. It was founded in 1865 and is based in Ithaca, NY.

University of Washington functions as a College/University. The company is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Harvard University engages in the provision of teaching and research. It has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a global education. The university was founded in 1636 and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA.

BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC (BTG) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was formed in 2011 as the successor to BTG Pactual US Asset Management Corp., founded in 2008. They are a subsidiary of BTG Pactual NY Corp. and their ultimate parent is Banco BTG Pactual SA (BVMF: BPAC11, Euronext: BTGP), a Brazilian investment bank. BTG is a sub-adviser to certain private funds managed by BTG Pactual Global Asset Management Ltd. They also provide both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to institutional and high-net worth clients on an individually segregated account basis and within its wealth management group.

ABL Two LLC operates as a real estate investment trust. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hoboken, NJ.

Asset Based Lending LLC engages in the provision of asset based, hard money loans to real estate investors and brokers. The company was founded by Paul A. Ullman in 2010 and is headquartered in Hoboken, NJ.

Part of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Corp. is a company based in New York, NY.

Founded in 2002, Maxim Group LLC is a registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm provides an array of financial services including: investment banking, equity research, private wealth management, structured products and global institutional equity, fixed-income and derivative sales and trading to a diverse range of corporate clients, institutional investors and high net-worth individuals. Maxim Group's niche is emerging-growth companies in a variety of sectors including healthcare, technology, retail and others. They utilize a fundamental, bottom-up approach to investment recommendations. The firm combines rigorous financial analysis of specific companies and industries with due diligence that includes frequent consults with suppliers, customers, competitors and senior management. The firm focuses on under-covered, small- to-mid-cap companies where valuation levels may be out of sync with fundamental trends. Maxim's coverage universe often represents attractive niche industries where stocks tend to be inefficient. This research coverage fills a void created by the downsized research ranks and shrinking coverage of small- to mid-cap stocks by large investment banks. Maxim Group is a member of FINRA, the MSRB, the SIPC, the ISE, NASDAQ and NYSE Arca.

Street Diligence, Inc. is a contract intelligence platform that helps business professionals negotiate and manage contracts to their advantage. The private company is based in New York, NY. The platform includes direct lending and commercial lending, equity and derivative trading, leveraged finance and restructuring, LIBOR transition, liquid credit, structured credit, venture capital, and investment management. It allows users to identify off-market terms, negotiate better agreements, and manage loan portfolios more effectively. The company was founded in 2012 by Stephen Hazelton, who has been the CEO since 2012.

Creativity Explored provides artists with developmental disabilities the means to create, exhibit, and sell their art in our two studios and gallery. The company was founded by Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz in 1983 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Fordham University provides college and university. It offers undergraduate colleges and graduate & professional schools. The company was founded in 1841 and is headquartered in Bronx, NY.