Vital Aelion

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.

UBS AG's (NYSE: UBS) New York City-based wealth management arm is known as UBS Private Banking (US). The firm provides a range of customized wealth management products and services for private clients.

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.

A.T. Kearney, Inc. engages in the provision of management consulting services. Its services include strategic, operational and technology consulting executive search services. The company was founded by Andrew Thomas Kearney in 1926 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Nexant, Inc. provides intelligent grid software and clean energy solutions. It is a globally recognized software, consulting and services leader that provides innovative solutions to utilities, energy enterprises, chemical companies and government entities worldwide. The firm provides intelligent grid software and clean energy solutions that advance electric power grid and alternative energy services. Nexant was founded by Basem Y. Sarandah on January 1, 2000 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Banc of America Securities (BAS) is the investment banking subsidiary of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC). The firm provides both the domestic and international equity and investment banking markets, and pursues a strategy pioneered by Citigroup that combines corporate lending with investment banking advice and services. They provide high-yield debt underwriting and leveraged finance, in addition to industry coverage groups such as healthcare, media and telecom, financial institutions, real estate and gaming. BAS also does a significant amount of work for Financial Sponsors, or private equity firms, often financing leveraged transactions. Following the strategy of Goldman Sachs, the firm lacks a standalone mergers and acquisitions department, instead employing mergers and acquisitions senior bankers throughout the industry coverage groups. The firm is registered as a broker/dealer with the SEC, is a member of the NYSE, and the NASD. The use of Banc in the BAS's name is indicative of the fact that the company is not a bank, and their deposits and other holdings are not insured by the FDIC.

Part of Standard Chartered Plc, Standard Chartered Bank (Los Angeles Branch) is a company based in Los Angeles, CA.

Cool Planet Energy Systems, Inc. develops negative carbon fuels. Its process, known as the carbon negative fuel cycle creates drop-in gasoline and can be used in any vehicle on the road today. The firm’s product that is CoolTerra biocarbon sequesters carbon and creates value for industries as diverse as agriculture, water, and livestock. The company was founded by Michael C. Cheiky in 2009 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO.