Connor O'Keefe

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.

Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC (Hotchkis & Wiley) is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm was founded in 2001 and is a subsidiary of HWCap Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Warren A. Stephens Trust. They provide investment advisory services to institutional and individual investors. Hotchkis & Wiley is a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).

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.

JPMorgan Securities LLC (JPMS) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1985 and is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Broker-Dealer Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Inc. (NYSE: JPM). JPMS provides research on fixed income, credit, derivatives, emerging markets, foreign exchange, structured finance, technical analysis and bond indices. Their equity analysts cover equities throughout North America, EMEA, Asia/Pacific and the emerging markets. The firm's fixed income team formulates trading and portfolio recommendations for investors in global bonds and other fixed-income markets based on valuations, analytics and market dynamics.

Spring Education Group, Inc. is a multi-brand network providing private school education from infant care through high school. Its school brands include Laurel Springs School, Chesterbrook Academy, Starford School, LePort Montessori, Basis Independent School, and Merryhill School. The company is headquartered in Saratoga, CA.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is a registered broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1987 and provides debt and equity services including underwriting, M&A advice, securities dealing and brokerage and trade execution. Their client base ranges from large global institutional investors to hedge funds at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry.

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.

Graybill Bartz & Associates Ltd. (GBA) is an independent registered investment advisor headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. The firm was founded by Bob Graybill in 1969 as R.W. Graybill Ltd. GBA provides portfolio management services to individuals, high net worth individuals, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations, endowments, and trust accounts.

Shenkman Capital Management, Inc. (Shenkman) is an independent SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City, with offices in Stamford, Connecticut; and London, UK. It was founded by Mark R. Shenkman in 1985. The firm provides investment advisory services to a wide variety of clients through multiple platforms, including separately managed accounts, private funds, mutual funds and UCITS. Shenkman is a socially responsible investor and signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) which integrates environmental, social, and governance considerations into their investment process.

Barclays Capital, Inc. is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a subsidiary of Barclays Group US, Inc., ultimately owned by Barclays plc (LON: BARC) in Great Britain. Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients a full spectrum of prime brokerage services which includes equities and fixed income financing, OTC Clearing, Futures and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage and access to industry insights and analytics from their Strategic Consulting team.

Strength Capital Partners LLC (Strength Capital Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2000 by Mark McCammon and Mike Bergeron. The firm is headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan.

RBC Capital Markets LLC is a full-service brokerage and financial services firm headquartered in New York City. They are a direct subsidiary of RBC USA Holdco Corp. and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (TSE, NYSE: RY). Founded in 2010, the firm is comprised of 3 major business lines: the Private Client Group, the Fixed-Income Group and the Clearing and Execution Services Group. The Private Client Group serves individual investors, while the Fixed-Income Group provides services to institutions, municipalities and non-profit organizations. The Clearing and Execution Services Group is a provider of clearing and execution services to independent brokers/dealers throughout the US. RBC Capital Markets focuses on the following sectors: communications, media, consumer/retail, diversified industries, energy, financial institutions, forest products, healthcare, infrastructure finance, mining & metals, real estate, social infrastructure, technology and the US municipal markets.

Michigan Ross Zell Lurie Institute / Venture Capital/ (Zell Lurie Institute) is a venture capital subsidiary of Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Studies founded in 1997 by Samuel Zell, Ann Lurie and Robert H. Lurie. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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).

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.

Varsity Management Co LP (Varsity Healthcare Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2012 by David Alpern and Kenton Rosenberry. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Shore Capital Partners LLC (Shore Capital Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2009 by Justin Ishbia. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Ruffalo Noel Levitz LLC engages in the provision of technology enabled enrollment and fundraising management services. It offers student retention and completion, professional development, and student success. The company was founded by Albert Ruffalo in 1991 and is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Ninebot Ltd. engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sales of self-balancing mobility devices, including: KickScooter, E-Skates, mobile photo robot, Segway hands-free two-wheel electric vehicle, Ninebot high-handle bar transporter. Its products are used as personal transportation tools focusing on environmental, fashionable, convenient, and short distance. The company was co-founded by Mr. Gao Lu Feng and Mr. Wang Ye on 2012 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Auldbrass Partners LP (Auldbrass Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2011 by Howard Sanders. The firm is headquartered in New York.

China Heyang Education Group Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of private higher education services. It offers offer bachelor’s degree programs, junior college to bachelor’s degree transfer programs and junior college diploma programs. The company was founded on February 18, 2019 and is headquartered in Baoding, China.

Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt Ltd. provides management consulting services. The firm specializes in innovation advisory, technology commercialization, corporate strategy, corporate finance, international development, policy and regulatory and emerging markets. The company was founded by Kannan Vijayaraghavan, Vijayaraghavan Hemalatha and Kannan Ragunathan in 1985 and is headquartered in Hyderabad, India.

Sathguru Catalyser Advisors Pvt Ltd (Sathguru Catalysers) is a venture capital firm founded in 2016. The firm is headquartered in Hyderabad, India.

Part of Equitable Holdings, Inc., Bernstein Private Wealth Management is a company that provides investment strategies, planning, and risk management services. The company is based in Miami, FL.

Platte River Equity LLC (Platte River Equity) is a private equity firm founded in 2006 by J. Landis Martin. The firm is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

The American Accounting Association is a community of accountants in academia that was founded in 1916. The American Accounting Association is based in Sarasota, FL. The association shapes the future of accounting through teaching, research, and a powerful network, ensuring its position as thought leaders in accounting. The association offers various resources, including a digital library, journals, webinars, and conferences, to its members. The association also conducts research on topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion in accounting.