Dwight O. Badger

Advanced Equities Financial Corp. was founded in 1999 by independent business owners and securities industry executives Keith Daubenspeck and Dwight Badger, whose entrepreneurial spirit led them to defy old-line traditions and convention by starting a different kind of firm. Advanced Equities soon became the pioneer in providing qualified high-net-worth individuals access to late-stage private equity offerings-opportunities previously available only to institutional investors. AEFC has developed a reputation for being led by entrepreneurs who want to help other entrepreneurs. Blazing a new trail in the world of private equity was followed by a singular approach to retail brokerage through the acquisition of First Allied Securities, Inc., which helped AEFC reinvent the independent advisor model. The First Allied model focuses on meeting the requirements of entrepreneurs with a deep understanding of their need for choices, providing access to opportunities in an ecosystem where initiative and autonomy reign supreme. AEFC made its first of many acquisitions in 2003 and by 2006 was named as the nation's No. 1 fastest growing brokerage firm by Inc. magazine. Advanced Equities Financial Corp. is a leading provider of investment management, securities brokerage, and venture capital investment banking services through its subsidiaries: Advanced Equities, Inc.; First Allied Securities, Inc.; Advanced Equities Asset Management and Advanced Equities Wealth Management (Greenbook Financial Services, Inc.). Combined, AEFC represents one of the nation's top independent brokerage forces in the nation with approximately 900 financial advisors administering more than $30 billion in client assets. These advisors have been ranked as the industry's most productive and have access to an array of products, services and in-house expertise within the wealth management sectors that few firms can rival.

Founded in 1999, Advanced Equities, Inc. is a venture capital/private equity firm located in Chicago with additional offices in New York City and San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary of Advanced Equities Financial Corp.

Founded in 1974, LaSalle Street Securities LLC is a privately owned broker/dealer headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. The firm's product line includes access to individual securities, options, wrap programs, syndicate offerings/IPOs, mutual funds and insurance. LaSalle Street Securities clears through National Financial Services LLC. The firm provides a full array of trading and execution services for their clients. They do not provide any internal research. LaSalle Street Securities is a member of FINRA, the NASD and the SIPC. They are affiliated with Tilden Loucks & Woodnorth LLC and LaSalle Street Investment Advisors LLC.

MetricStream, Inc. provides enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and quality management solutions. It offers risk management programs, quality management process, regulatory and industry mandated compliance, and other corporate governance initiatives. Its solutions include enterprise GRC, financial control, vendor governance, supplier audit, and social compliance. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.

CIBC World Markets is a full-service investment bank headquartered in New York City. CIBC provides an internationally integrated research product through three primary strategies. In the US, the firm provides research coverage available in areas of focus, including technology, telecommunications, healthcare, energy, power generation and technology, financial institutions, consumer growth, real estate and media. In Canada, the firm offers the full spectrum of coverage for all of the sectors that form the TSE 300 Index. Their broad investment grade analysis of return bond Indices provides daily performance of the Canadian bond market. The sectors covered are: government of Canada bonds, provincial and municipal bonds and corporate bonds rated AAA/AA, A and BBB. Also available is a monthly ABS/MBS market report that provides information on ABS market conditions, market summary data and monthly performance reports on outstanding transactions. This report includes information about the MBS market, including key statistics on MBS spreads and prepayments. Another report contains MBS trading data, cash flows and other key data. A separate monthly Portfolio Valuation Report provides month end pricing for ABS and MBS transactions. Corporate debt research produces highly targeted credit analysis and research for investment grade and high yield debt securities. The corporate bond review covers bond market action, new issues, price/yield movements, rating changes, and buy/sell recommendations. The fixed-income research group produces actionable fundamental and technical analysis, strategies, products, and runs bond indexes and quantitative models relating specifically to fixed income markets, bond portfolios, and individual securities. CIBC provides risk management solutions to corporations, investors, financial institutions, and governments across all asset classes: interest rates, equities, credit, currency, and commodities. CIBC World Markets is a subsidiary of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. is a global investment banking, securities trading and brokerage firm located in New York City with additional offices in Dallas, Boston and San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary Bear Sterns Cos., Inc. (NYSE: BSC). Their equity research team consists of senior analysts located throughout the world. In addition to domestic coverage, they have research teams focusing on Latin America, Asia and Europe. The analysts use a bottom-up approach to stock selection. The Bear Stearns fixed-income research department provides coverage of every sector of the fixed-income universe. The financial analytics and structured transactions group (F.A.S.T) provides investment research, fixed-income portfolio management and analytical systems, trading technology and general financial expertise. The group also provides a broad range of services to financial institutions including asset-liability management, balance sheet restructuring, receivables-based financing analysis, security and portfolio analysis, peer analysis, and historical and real-time market-based information.