Nicholas Huerta

Wedbush Securities, Inc. is a full-service investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm was founded in 1955 as Wedbush Morgan Securities, Inc. They are a subsidiary of Wedbush Financial Services LLC, which is owned by Wedbush, Inc. Wedbush Securities provides a wide range of securities brokerage, wealth management, and investment banking services to private and institutional clients. Their research focuses on providing coverage of small and mid-sized companies in the following industries: (1) consumer products and services (2) technology (3) entertainment and media (4) life sciences and (5) industrial growth and clean technology.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (RJA) is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. The firm was founded in 1962 and is a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF), a diversified holding company. RJA offers a full array of capital markets services, strategic advice and planning for institutional investors.

Victory Capital Management, Inc. (Investment Management) (Victory Capital-IM) is the investment management division of Victory Capital Management, Inc., a financial services company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The firm was founded in 1894 and formerly known as Key Asset Management, Inc. They are an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Victory Capital Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCTR). Victory Capital-IM provides specialized investment strategies to institutions, intermediaries, retirement platforms and individual investors.

Founded in 2007, Moelis & Co. LLC is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of Moelis & Company (NYSE: MC), a global investment bank that provides financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to corporations, institutions and governments. Moelis & Co. LLC provides an array of trading and execution services for their clients. They do not provide any internal research.

Southern Methodist University is a private university near the center of Dallas, SMU offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through seven schools in the humanities and sciences, business, the performing, visual, and communication arts, engineering, education and human development, law, and theology.

Duke University is an academic university that offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. It also has publications and research services. The university was founded in 1838 and is headquartered in Durham, NC.

Brazos Private Equity Partners LLC (Brazos Private Equity Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 1999 by Patrick McGee. The firm is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1967 and is a subsidiary of Alliance Capital Management LLC, ultimately held by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH). Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. provides trading and executions services to their clients.

Insight Equity Holdings LLC (Insight Equity) is a private equity firm founded in 2002 by Victor L Vescovo and Ted W. Beneski. The firm is headquartered in Southlake, Texas.

Princeton Equity Group LLC is a private equity firm founded in 2006 by James A. Waskovich and Douglas L. Kennealey. The firm is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.

International Franchise Professionals Group Inc. is a company that provides a platform for franchise consultants and brokers. The company is based in Parlin, NJ and was founded in 2012 by Don Daszkowski. The company offers a certified franchise consultant training program and can be contacted at 888-977-IFPG.

Radiance Holdings LLC is a company that represents a collection of premier brands in the beauty, wellness, and self-care sector. The company is based in Lakewood, CO, and has subsidiaries in the United States. The company is committed to investing in its brands, driving innovation, and helping their franchisees and their community of independent beauty professionals grow their businesses and improve their lives. Led by CEO Christina Kay Russell, Radiance's current brand portfolio includes Sola Salon Studios, the world's largest and fastest-growing salon studios franchise, and The Woodhouse Day Spa, the largest premium day spa brand.

DJNG, Inc. engages in the provision of waxing services for men and women. The company was founded on February 12, 2002 and is headquartered in Plano, TX.

Five Star Franchising, Inc. provides business support services for painters and entrepreneurs. It is dedicated to developing franchise systems in the service industry. The firm provides services through its brands Five Star Holiday Decor and Five Star Bath Solutions. The company was founded by Chad R. Jones, Scott Abbott and Conrad Kolba in 2004 and is headquartered in Spanish Fork, UT.

Stretch Zone Franchising LLC engages in the operation of fitness centers. The company was founded by Jorden Gold in 2004 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Ellie Mental Health PLLP is a clinician-owned mental health care company that aims to transform the culture of mental healthcare by providing creative solutions and reducing barriers in accessing mental health services. The company is based in Mendota Heights, MN, and provides mental health care in-person and online. The company offers individual and family therapy, couples counseling, psychiatric medication management, and community-based mental health services. The company has 20 corporate-owned clinics and has awarded over 250 franchise licenses across 26 states. Ellie Mental Health's mission is to make wellness accessible in every community. Founded in 2015 by Kyle Keller and Erin Pash, Ellie Mental Health is rapidly expanding across the nation through franchising. Erin Pash has been the CEO since 2015.

D1 Training operates as an athletic-based training facility firm. The firm offers online, scholastic, rookie, boot camp, strength and adult training services. The company was founded by Will Bartholomew in 2001 and is headquartered in Franklin, TN.

Joy Works LLC, headquartered in Austin, TX, is the leader in the celebratory yard greetings industry, with over 500 locations across 46 states. Committed to spreading joy within communities and collaborating with local organizations, Joy Works offers a yard card and yard greeting rental service for various occasions such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, back-to-school, and birth announcements. Leveraging a purpose-built, proprietary technology platform, the company ensures a seamless customer ordering experience while empowering franchisees to efficiently manage their businesses. Joy Works has been consistently recognized as a top franchise by franchise business review and entrepreneur. Part of Five Star Franchising LLC, Joy Works is a company founded in 2014 by Amy Arnold, James Stanley, Jessica Stanley, and Josh Arnold. Joy Works was acquired by Five Star Franchising LLC on April 18, 2024.

Accelerated Brands LLC provides consumer and commercial automotive services. The company is based in Winston-Salem, NC and has subsidiaries in the United States. The company was founded in 2012 by Justin W. Strickland.

Pirtek Fluid Systems Pty Ltd. is a leading supplier of premium fluid transfer solutions, including hydraulic hose and fittings. Pirtek is based in Australia and has subsidiaries in the United States. The Australian company has a reputable franchise network and has expanded internationally, making it the broadest footprint in the industry.

Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP (Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors) is a private equity subsidiary of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP founded in 1991. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Gamut Capital Management LP (Gamut Capital Management) is a private equity firm founded in 2015 by Stan Parker and Jordan Zaken. The firm is headquartered in New York.

BofA Securities, Inc. is a registered broker-dealer subsidiary of NB Holdings Corp., ultimately held by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). Headquartered in New York, the firm was founded in 2015 and offers trade execution, trading or brokerage services to institutional clients.

Vaquero Capital, Inc. provides financial services. The private company is based in San Francisco, CA.

International Automotive Components Group SA designs, manufactures, and supplies interior and exterior automotive systems and parts. Its products include instrument panels; consoles and cockpits; door and trim systems; flooring and acoustic systems; headliner and overhead systems; and interior and exterior components. The company was founded by Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. in October 2005 and is headquartered in Luxembourg.

Gauge Capital LLC (Gauge Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 2013 by Drew Johnson and Tom McKelvey. The firm is headquartered in Southlake, Texas.

Turn/River Management LP (Turn River Management ) is a private equity firm founded in 2012 by Dominic Ang. The firm is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Sky Island Capital LLC (Sky Island Capital) is an independent private equity firm founded in 2018 by Jack Waterstreet. The firm is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Founded in 1962, Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a diversified holding company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. The firm provides services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through their wholly-owned subsidiaries: Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Ltd. Raymond James operates through eight segments: Private Client Group (PCG); Capital Markets; Asset Management; Raymond James Bank (RJ Bank); Emerging Markets; Securities Lending; Proprietary Capital; and Other. The Private Client Group segment provides securities transaction and financial planning services to client accounts through the branch office systems of the company's subsidiaries. The Capital Markets segment's activities consist primarily of equity and fixed income products and services. The Asset Management segment provides asset management services for individual investment portfolios and mutual funds. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate, residential and consumer loans, as well as Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insured deposit accounts, to clients of the company's broker-dealer subsidiaries and to the general public. The Emerging Markets segment operates securities brokerage, investment banking, asset management and equity research businesses. The Securities Lending segment conducts its business through the borrowing and lending of securities from and to other broker-dealers, financial institutions and other counterparties. The Proprietary Capital segment consists of the company's principal capital and private equity activities, including various direct and third-party private equity and merchant banking investments. Raymond James' capital markets reach within the financial institutions segment focuses on community and regional banks and thrifts including equity research, sales, trading and investment banking resources and services. Raymond James is one of the largest research organizations in the brokerage industry and serves institutional investors domestically and abroad. The firm's capital markets activities are based on insightful, timely and comprehensive equity research. They publish research on over 1,000 companies in their core industries. Raymond James seeks attractive niches within broader industries and then covers these sectors deeply to develop differentiated sector expertise and relationships. Although their focus is mid- and small-cap companies, their coverage includes large, medium and small companies across each sector. Raymond James' Institutional Trading division is organized into 3 specialty departments: Sales Trading, Principal trading and Agency Trading. Their Sales Trading division covers over 800 domestic and 1,300 international financial institutions throughout North America and Europe. The firm's Principal Trading division consists of industry-focused teams and their OTC Principal Trading department makes markets in over 680 domestic stocks, 85% of which are covered by Raymond James Institutional Research department. Their Agency Trading department services the trading needs of over 5,500 financial advisors located in 2,500 retail offices across the US.

Founded in 2012, KLR Group LLC is an SEC-registered broker/dealer located in Houston, Texas. The firm is a subsidiary of KLR Group Holdings LLC, a full service investment and merchant bank. KLR focuses on the natural resources sector including oil & gas, metals & mining and agriculture. Their area of expertise includes exploration & production companies, service providers and midstream/infrastructure carriers and processors.

Spring Creek Investment Management LLC (Spring Creek Investment) is a venture capital firm founded in 2011. The firm is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.