James Nichols

Piper Sandler & Co. (Broker) (PSC-Broker) is the full-service brokerage division of Piper Sandler & Co., a financial service firm headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are a subsidiary of Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR). The firm was founded in 1969 and previously known as Piper Jaffray & Co. They became Piper Sandler & Co. when Piper Jaffray Companies and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. merged to become Piper Sandler Companies in 2020. PSC-Broker provides brokerage and investment banking services to financial institutions, corporations and other financial investors. Their core focus sectors are Agriculture, renewables & cannabis, Business services, Chemicals & Materials, Consumer, Diversified industrials & services, Energy, Financial services, financial sponsors, Healthcare, and Technology.

Emerging Women International, Inc. engages in the operations of network to support the integration of business and feminine leadership. The company was founded by Chantal Pierrat in September, 2012 and is headquartered in Boulder, CO.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center provides research and education grants. Its services include financing, technology assessment, business planning, and marketing strategies implementation. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC.

FMR LLC engages in the provision of financial and investment services. It offers financial planning and advice, wealth management, retirement plans, trading and brokerage services, and investment products. The company was founded by Edward C. Johnson II in 1946 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. provides preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and usher syndrome. The firm also provides provide information on retinal degenerative diseases to all who request it, in order to increase knowledge and awareness of these diseases. It has locations in Columbia, Denver, Libertyville, New York, Plano, Raleigh and Santa Monica. The company was founded on September 16, 1971 and is headquartered in Columbia, MD.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences provides biomedical research services. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, NC.

First Flight Ventures (First Flight Ventures) is a venture capital subsidiary of First Flight Venture Center, Inc founded in 1991. The firm is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Protochips, Inc. engages in the development of analytical tools used for the research and development of nano-scale materials. It specializes in electron microscopy thin film products which are used for drug discovery and structural biology research. The company was founded by John Damiano Jr., Stephen E. Mick, and David P. Nackashi in 2002 and is headquartered in Morrisville, NC.

MCNC, Inc. is a non-profit company based in Durham, NC. The company is a team of innovators, collaborators, and creative thinkers who provide high-end services to the community.

SAS Federal LLC offers computer programming services. The company is headquartered in Arlington, VA.

RTP Capital Associates, Inc. is a venture capital fund that provides advisory services to and invests in technology-driven companies. The company is headquartered in Durham, NC.

Sotron Solutions LLC is a private company that provides webmail services through their Sotron.mailserver. The company is based in Fairfax Station, VA. Users can access their email accounts by entering their credentials on the Sotron.com website.

Part of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Chase Paymentech Europe Ltd. is an Irish company that provides payment processing services. The company is based in Dublin, Ireland.

POWERHANDZ, Inc. operates as a global athletic and rehabilitation tech product company. The firm serves to the athletes, coaches, fitness enthusiasts and rehab patients. The company was founded by Darnell Jones and Danyel Surrency Jones and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

JPMorgan Asset Management, Inc. operates as an asset manager for individuals, advisors, and institutions. It engages in providing clients with strategies and expertise that span the full spectrum of asset classes through its network of investment professionals. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Resilient Ventures LLC (Resilient Ventures) Is a venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Tom Droege and Keith Daniel. The firm is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

International Business Innovation Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization, which engages in the provision of services to members and non-members that facilitate the building of high-impact entrepreneurial ecosystems in every type of community or industry. It offers global community membership, training and education, industry news and resources, designations and accreditations. The company is headquartered in Orlando, FL.

University City Science Center (PE) (University City Science Center (PE)) is a private equity subsidiary of University City Science Center. The firm is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Opus Genetics, Inc. is a gene therapy company that focuses on treating inherited retinal diseases. The company is based in Raleigh, NC, and leverages knowledge of the best science and the expertise of pioneers in ocular gene therapy to transparently drive transformative treatments to patients. The company has a unique model and purpose, and is backed by Foundation Fighting Blindness's venture arm, the RD Fund. Opus Genetics has wholly owned programs in numerous orphan retinal diseases, and its AAV-based gene therapy portfolio tackles some of the most neglected forms of inherited blindness while creating novel orphan manufacturing scale and efficiencies. The company was founded in 2021 by Benjamin R. Yerxa, Peter L. Ginsberg, Jason D. Menzo, Jean Bennett, Russell Kelley, Jean Bennett. Benjamin R. Yerxa has been the CEO since 2021.