Alan Kort

The Connable Office, Inc. is a multi-family office headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The firm was founded in the late 1800s. They were acquired in 2024 by Cresset Capital Management LLC, a subsidiary of Cresset Manager LLC. The Connable Office provides wealth management and planning services to a limited number of client families throughout the US and abroad.

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.

Norris, Perne & French LLP (NPF) is a private wealth management firm and registered investment advisor headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The firm was founded in 1933 by Abbott Norris, Ford Perné & Charles French. NPF provides advisory services to individuals, banks, foundations, endowments, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities, school districts and state or municipal governments.

Goldman Sachs International (GSI) is the Great Britain-based, wholly-owned brokerage subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Group UK Ltd., ultimately held by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) in the US. The firm was founded in 1988 and formerly known as Trushelfco Ltd. Headquartered in London, GSI provides prime brokerage, securities lending, futures services and financing services for a range of clients such as corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net worth individuals.

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.

Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a global rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by John Knowles in 1913 as Fitch Publishing Co. They are a subsidiary of Fitch Group, Inc., ultimately owned by The Hearst Family Trust. Fitch Ratings seeks to provide independent and prospective credit opinions, research and data to the world's credit markets. Their approach is based on a foundation of local market experience that covers capital markets in over 150 countries. The firm's ratings analysis and rating decisions are based on established criteria, methodologies and ratings definitions which they apply in a consistent manner. Fitch Ratings provides coverage of the following markets: Economics, Banks, Insurance, Sovereigns, Corporates, Structured Finance, Public Finance – International, Public Finance – US, Infrastructure & Project, and Finance.

Blackford Capital LLC (Blackford Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 1999 by Martin W. Stein. The firm is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan with an office in Hong Kong.

Meijer, Inc. owns and operates supermarkets and pharmacies. It offers various products in the areas of baby and toddler, clothing and accessories, crafts and art supplies, electronics and computers, furniture and home products, garden and outdoor, gift cards, groceries, health and beauty, home utility and care, jewelry and watches, kitchen and dining, pet supplies, sporting goods, toys, games and bikes, and video games, as well as fresh produce and meat, pharmaceutical products, and apparel. The company was founded by Frederik Gerhard Hendrik Meijerand in 1934 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

EquaTerra, Inc. provides advisory services in information technology (IT) and business process transformation. It offers advisory services in the areas of finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, real estate services and facilities management, supply chain, procurement, business processes and shared services. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

RDV Corp. operates as a private investment and financial management company. Its services include investment management, tax, personal services, estate planning, and foundation administration services. The company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

Chardan Capital Markets LLC is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by Kerry Propper and Steve Urbach in 2003. The firm offers a range of services which include capital raising, merger and acquisition advisory, strategic advisory, equity research, corporate access and institutional trading to institutional clients.

Grand Rapids Symphony operates as a music association. The company was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

Mercantile Bank of Michigan provides financial products and services. The firm offers checking, savings, and student accounts. Its lending portfolio includes mortgage loan products; consumer loans, such as home equity, automobile, recreational vehicle, personal, and overdraft protection loans; and business loans comprising small business administration financing options. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

Lake Michigan Credit Union operates as a credit union. Its services include personal and commercial banking, mortgage, personal and business insurance and investments. The company was founded by Lloyd F. Hutt in October 1933 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

Grand Rapids Community Foundation promotes arts, community development, education, environment, health, and human services. It was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.

Charter Private Capital Management, Inc. (Charter Private Capital) is a venture capital/private equity, subsidiary of Charter Capital Holdings, Inc. founded in 1989. The firm is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Right Place, Inc. is a business assistance service provider located in Grand Rapids, MI. The non-profit company is located in Greater Grand Rapids, which is known for its fast-growing tech industry and strong talent pipeline of STEM graduates. The region offers affordable and easy access to major markets and has a robust infrastructure, making it an attractive location for companies of all sizes. The company has been helping West Michigan companies since 1985 to invest over $5.10 billion and create 47,000 new jobs in the region.

Detroit Venture Partners LLC (Detroit Venture Partners) is a venture capital subsidiary of Rock Ventures LLC founded in 2010 by Daniel Gilbert, Josh Linkner and Brian Hermelin. The firm is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Retirement Income Solutions, Inc. (RIS) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and wealth management firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The firm was founded by K. Larry Hastie and R. Griffith McDonald in 1992 and became a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Michigan in 1993. RIS provides investment advisory services to individuals, high net-worth individuals, trusts, estates and charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations or other business entities, and not-for-profit entities.

Braeburn Wealth Management LLC is a financial planning and investment management company that offers services such as retirement planning, investment strategies, and college savings plans. The private company is based in Norton Shores, MI. The company also provides assistance with company retirement plans, 401 (K) s, IRAs, Roth 401 (K) s, Roth IRAs, and Social Security planning. The company's goal is to help clients invest with knowledge and discipline throughout their entire lives.

Grow Michigan LLC (Grow Michigan) is a private equity firm founded in 2012. The firm is headquartered in Jackson, Michigan.

Sustainability Accounting Standards Board is a non-profit organization, which engages in the development and maintaining of robust reporting standards that enable businesses around the world to identify, manage, and communicate financially material sustainability information to their investors. Its market use include supporters, perspectives and case studies, SASB resources, SASB reporters, firm licensing SASB. The company was founded by Jean Rogers in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Tidal Investments LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and holding firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm was founded by Daniel Carlson and Michael Venuto in 2012 as Toroso Investments LLC. They are owned by Toroso Investments Topco LLC. Tidal Investments specializes in ETF focused research, investment strategies and services designed for financial advisors, RIAs, family offices and investment managers.

Red Cedar Investment Management LLC (RCIM) is a registered investment adviser headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was founded by Michael S. Gilmore. The firm is a direct subsidiary of 4100 Group, Inc., which is ultimately held by Renaissance Health Service Corp. RCIM provides discretionary investment management services to institutional clients including pension and retirement plans, registered investment companies, corporations, and foundations.

StockX LLC operates an online stock market platform of things. It enables users to buy and sell sneakers, watches, handbags, and streetwear. The company was founded by Daniel Gilbert, Greg Schwartz, and Josh Luber in February 2016 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI.

Lakewood Hughes Group LLC (Lakewood Hughes Group) is a private equity firm founded in 2020 by James V. Buzzitta and Gregory J. Corona. The firm is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Ascend Vietnam Ventures(Ascend Vietnam) is a venture capital firm founded in 2021 by Binh Tran and Eddie Thai. The firm is headquartered in Vietnam.