Erhard R. Chorle

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.