Barry Conrad

Diamond State Ventures LLC (DSV) is a private equity firm founded in 1999 by Joe T. Hays. The firm is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Aqueos Corp. provides marine construction and specialty subsea services. It offers commercial diving, remote operated vehicle (ROV) operations, and vessel services. The firm serves the offshore oil and gas markets, telecommunications and utilities, engineering, scientific, entertainment, municipalities, state, and federal agencies. The company was founded by Theodore K. Roche in June 2000 and is headquartered in Broussard, LA.

Custom Marketing Co., LLC provides grain management and storage solutions. Its products include pressure cure systems, binmanager, grain gauge, storage, material handling, aeration, and accessories. The company was founded by Bruce Halland in 1982 and is headquartered in West Fargo, ND.

Rodman & Renshaw, Inc. provides securities brokerage services. The private company is based in Chicago, IL. The company was founded by John Ferrara.

Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers operates cancer research centers. The private company is based in Dallas, TX.

Founded in 2007 by William Gross, Commerce Street Capital LLC is a registered broker/dealer located in Dallas, Texas with an additional office in Duluth, Georgia. The firm is wholly-owned subsidiary of Commerce Street Holdings LLC. Commerce Street Capital specializes in municipal and high-yield corporate bonds.

Stephens, Inc. is a full-service investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The firm was founded in 1933 and is a subsidiary of Susi Holdings, Inc., which is owned by Stephens Financial Services LLC. Stephens provides comprehensive securities sales and trading services, including customized solutions for clients in North America and abroad.

Founded in 1987 by Steven Wishnia and Paul Berz, Highland Capital Management LLC is a registered investment advisor located in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm was formerly known as formerly Highland Capital Management Corp. and as First Tennessee Investment Management, Inc. Until 2011, they were a subsidiary of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the holding company for First Tennessee Bank NA. First Horizon sold Highland Capital Management to Steve Wishnia in 2011. In 2013, the firm was acquired by Argent Financial Group Inc. Highland Capital Management firm specializes in managing domestic equity and fixed-income portfolios for individuals, pension plans, profit sharing plans and endowments.

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.