Metrobank is a financial service company that offers banking services to large local and multinational corporations. It also provides financial and banking services and products including commercial, consumer banking, corporate, as well as remittances, investment banking, credit card, trust banking, and leasing. Metrobank became the first of the private banks to move into American territory when it opened its office in Guam. It established its own credit card company, Unibancard Corporation (now Metrobank Card Corporation) in 1986. In 1981, Metrobank was listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange and acquired its universal banking license, gaining significant equity ownership in local and international subsidiaries. Metrobank was named Best Commercial Bank in the Philippines, Global Banking & Finance Review in 2015 and received the CFO Innovation Awards for Best Cash Management Provide in 2014. Metrobank was founded on September 5, 1962, and is headquartered in Makati City, Manila, Philippines.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. We recognize that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America's future, and to helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Overview & History Since its founding on July 30, 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. The SBA was officially established in 1953, but its philosophy and mission began to take shape years earlier in a number of predecessor agencies, largely as a response to the pressures of the Great Depression and World War II. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), created by President Herbert Hoover in 1932 to alleviate the financial crisis of the Great Depression, was SBA's grandparent. The RFC was basically a federal lending program for all businesses hurt by the Depression, large and small. It was adopted as the personal project of Hoover's successor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was staffed by some of Roosevelt's most capable and dedicated workers. Concern for small business intensified during World War II, when large industries beefed up production to accommodate wartime defense contracts and smaller businesses were left unable to compete. To help small business participate in war production and give them financial viability, Congress created the Smaller War Plants Corporation (SWPC) in 1942. The SWPC provided direct loans to private entrepreneurs, encouraged large financial institutions to make credit available to small enterprises, and advocated small business interests to federal procurement agencies and big businesses. The SWPC was dissolved after the war, and its lending and contract powers were handed over to the RFC. At this time, the Office of Small Business (OSB) in the Department of Commerce also assumed some responsibilities that would later become characteristic duties of the SBA. Its services were primarily educational. Believing that a lack of information and expertise was the main cause of small business failure, the OSB produced brochures and conducted management counseling for individual entrepreneurs. Congress created another wartime organization to handle small business concerns during the Korean War, this time called the Small Defense Plants Administration (SDPA). Its functions were similar to those of the SWPC, except that ultimate lending authority was retained by the RFC. The SDPA certified small businesses to the RFC when it had determined the businesses to be competent to perform the work of government contracts. By 1952, a move was on to abolish the RFC. To continue the important functions of the earlier agencies, President Dwight Eisenhower proposed creation of a new small business agency -- the Small Business Administration (SBA). In the Small Business Act of July 30, 1953, Congress created the Small Business Administration, whose function was to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns." The charter also stipulated that the SBA would ensure small businesses a "fair proportion" of government contracts and sales of surplus property. By 1954, SBA already was making direct business loans and guaranteeing bank loans to small businesses, as well as making loans to victims of natural disasters, working to get government procurement contracts for small businesses and helping business owners with management and technical assistance and business training. The Investment Company Act of 1958 established the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, under which SBA licensed, regulated and helped provide funds for privately owned and operated venture capital investment firms. They specialized in providing long-term debt and equity investments to high-risk small businesses. Its creation was the result of a Federal Reserve study that discovered, in the simplest terms, that small businesses could not get the credit they needed to keep pace with technological advancement. In 1964, SBA began to attack poverty through the Equal Opportunity Loan (EOL) Program. The EOL Program relaxed the credit and collateral requirements for applicants living below the poverty level in an effort to encourage new businesses that had been unable to attract financial backing, but were nevertheless sound commercial initiatives. SBA has grown in terms of total assistance provided and its array of programs tailored to encourage small enterprises in all areas. SBA's programs now include financial and federal contract procurement assistance, management assistance, and specialized outreach to women, minorities and armed forces veterans. The SBA also provides loans to victims of natural disasters and specialized advice and assistance in international trade.

Kalkomey is a provider of online recreational safety education, certifications and cloud-based agency management solutions. The company serves both outdoor enthusiasts and state and local government agencies in all 50 U.S. states, as well as Australia, Canada, Guam, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. Through its modern learning management system, Kalkomey delivers regulatory-approved safety education courses and certifications for a broad spectrum of outdoor recreational activities, including boating, hunting, snowmobiling, ATVs and scuba diving, among others. Each year, the company trains and certifies nearly one million outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, Kalkomey’s agency management solutions enable state agencies to drive greater operational efficiencies of key workflows from licensing and registration, to certification and event management, to compliance and reporting. Through the integration of its online safety education and agency management solutions, Kalkomey is able to deliver a single platform for recreational safety management that makes outdoor recreation more accessible, drives recreational activity participation and increases civic engagement.

U.S. Renal Care is a healthcare service provider that focuses on serving patients in dialysis facilities. It provides services to more than 25,000 patients in 335 dialysis facilities in 32 states and the Territory of Guam. The company has a business model, developing, and operating dialysis centers in joint venture partnerships with local nephrologists. U.S. Renal Care was founded in 2000 by Christopher Brengard and Jack Harrington and it is based in Plano, Texas.

The Stephens Group, LLC is a private, family-owned investment firm founded in 1933 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with additional offices in Frankfurt, London, and New York. The firm specializes in private equity and venture capital, focusing on mid-venture investments, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, and mature investments across a diverse range of sectors. Its investment portfolio spans agriculture, energy, industrials, software, consumer products, financial services, healthcare, and technology, among others. The Stephens Group typically invests between $10 million and $125 million in companies with enterprise values ranging from $50 million to $400 million and seeks both minority and control positions in its investments. The firm aims to partner with management teams, often pursuing a board seat in its portfolio companies to foster long-term growth and success.

Bank of Hawaii Corporation is a bank holding company. The Company’s operating subsidiary is Bank of Hawaii (the Bank). The Bank provides a range of financial services and products primarily to customers in Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific Islands. The Bank's subsidiaries include Bank of Hawaii Leasing, Inc., Bankoh Investment Services, Inc. and Pacific Century Life Insurance Corporation. The Bank's subsidiaries are engaged in equipment leasing, securities brokerage, investment services and providing credit insurance. It operates in four segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Investment Services, and Treasury and Other. Its other subsidiary is the BOHC Investment Fund, LLC (the Fund). The Fund was organized to invest in and hold securities of Qualified High Technology Businesses. As of December 31, 2012, its available-for-sale investment securities portfolio consisted of securities with an average base duration of less than three years.

Starboard Value is an investment adviser that offers investors with tips on investing in publicly traded U.S. small cap companies. It was created through a spin-off transaction from Ramius LLC, the investment management subsidiary of the Cowen Group. Starboard Value was founded in March 2011 and is based in New York, United States.

Lumina Foundation is an independent non-profit private foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, established in 2000. Its primary mission is to expand access to education, aiming to increase the proportion of Americans with degrees, certificates, and other high-quality credentials to 60 percent by 2025. The foundation employs an outcomes-based approach that emphasizes the design and development of an equitable, accessible, responsive, and accountable higher education system. Additionally, Lumina Foundation fosters a national sense of urgency for action to achieve its educational goals through research, information dissemination, and innovation.

JANA Partners is an activist investment management firm based in New York that specializes in identifying undervalued companies poised for significant change. The firm focuses on investment opportunities with clear catalysts that can unlock value, such as strategic campaigns or operational improvements. By offering both short- and long-term investment options, JANA Partners aims to provide capital that enables these organizations to grow and enhance long-term profitability. The firm’s approach is centered on engaging with the companies in which it invests to drive meaningful transformations that benefit all stakeholders.

Cove Hill Partners, L.P. is a private equity firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2017. It specializes in buyouts and debt investments, primarily targeting consumer and technology companies in North America. The firm focuses on companies valued between $100 million and $800 million and typically seeks control or influential minority ownership. Cove Hill Partners aims for longer-term investments, with an average duration of eight to nine years, although some investments may extend up to 15 years. The firm generally makes one or two investments per year.

Bain Capital Private Equity, LP is a private equity firm that specializes in a diverse range of investment strategies, including control buyouts, expansion financing, and growth capital investments. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm operates as a subsidiary of Bain Capital, LLC, with additional offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Bain Capital Private Equity primarily targets investments in sectors such as consumer, financial and business services, healthcare, industrial, and technology. Within these sectors, the firm focuses on various industries, including retail, healthcare devices, automotive, and digital media. The firm typically invests between $5 million and $1 billion in companies with enterprise values ranging from approximately $250 million to $836 million. Bain Capital Private Equity aims to partner closely with management teams to drive growth and enhance the value of its portfolio companies, leveraging its global presence and deep industry expertise.

CBIZ, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a professional services firm that offers a diverse range of business solutions primarily to small and medium-sized enterprises, individuals, governmental entities, and not-for-profit organizations in the United States and Canada. The company's services include accounting, tax advisory, financial consulting, litigation support, and real estate advisory. Additionally, CBIZ provides employee services such as group health plans, retirement planning, payroll services, and human capital management. It also specializes in medical management for hospital-based physicians and offers technology consulting, risk advisory, and mergers and acquisitions services across various sectors, including healthcare, construction, and technology. Through its subsidiaries, CBIZ delivers tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of its clients while maintaining a strong commitment to service excellence.

Inverness Graham is a private equity firm founded in 1996 and based in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The firm focuses on acquiring and developing high-growth, technology-enabled businesses, particularly in the manufacturing, technology, software, and service sectors within the United States. Inverness Graham employs various investment strategies, including add-ons, buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, and growth capital. Additionally, the firm has introduced the "Green Light" strategy, which targets investments in sectors related to agricultural technology, energy transition, industrial transition, and infrastructure development. As a Registered Investment Adviser, Inverness Graham aims to build strategic platforms that foster innovation and sustainable growth in its portfolio companies.

Riveria Investment Group is a private equity firm established in 2011 and headquartered in New York, New York. The firm focuses on providing investment opportunities in companies with operational cash flows across various sectors, including consumer products, retail, manufacturing, industrial, education, business services, media, entertainment, healthcare, technology, distribution, and logistics. Riveria Investment Group specializes in a range of financing strategies, such as growth equity, management buyouts, recapitalization, leveraged buyouts, acquisition financing, and corporate divestitures, aiming to support the growth and development of its portfolio companies.

Revelstoke Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm established in 2013 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with an additional office in New York, New York. The firm specializes in middle-market investments, focusing primarily on the healthcare sector and related business services. Its investment strategy encompasses acquisitions, buyouts, growth equity, and consolidations, targeting companies involved in healthcare services and products, including behavioral health, healthcare education, revenue cycle services, and medical technology. Revelstoke typically seeks to invest between $10 million and $250 million per transaction, targeting companies with an EBITDA of at least $5 million and a maximum enterprise value of $500 million. The firm engages in majority, minority, and control investments, operating either as a sole investor or within a consortium.

Valsoft Corporation is a holding company that focuses on acquiring and growing vertical-market software enterprises. The company aims to provide software and related technology services to a diverse and expanding consumer base. Valsoft employs a decentralized management approach, allowing its acquired companies to operate independently while benefiting from shared resources, analytics, guidance, and capital. This strategy enables these companies to achieve stability and enhance their marketing efforts, ultimately fostering growth and innovation in the software industry.

Fidelity National Information Services provides core processing and ancillary services to banks, but its business has expanded over time. By acquiring SunGard in 2015, the company now provides record-keeping and other services to investment firms. With the acquisition of Worldpay in 2019, FIS was providing payment processing services for merchants and holding leading positions in the United States and United Kingdom. But the company sold off a majority interest in Worldpay and now has only a minority stake.

Serent Capital is a private equity firm established in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm specializes in investing in successful companies that provide effective solutions to meet customer needs, primarily focusing on software-as-a-service and service business models across various sectors, including business services, education, finance, and healthcare. By targeting established businesses, Serent Capital aims to support their growth and navigate the evolving challenges they encounter. As a Registered Investment Adviser, the firm is dedicated to fostering the development of its portfolio companies while delivering value to its investors.

Saratoga was founded in 1984 to execute middle-market, buyout investments as part of Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. Since then, Saratoga has formed four partnerships for such investments, responsible for investing approximately $750 million in 35 portfolio companies. Saratoga has been an independent firm since its spin-off from UBS in 1998.

Callais Capital Management, LLC is a family office and venture capital investment firm based in Thibodaux, Louisiana, founded in 2014. The firm specializes in private equity, venture capital, and early-stage investments, focusing on sectors such as sports, social media, carbon production, and financial technology. Callais Capital seeks to build regional portfolios of startups that feature diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams, particularly emphasizing the evolving startup ecosystem along the Third Coast and Mississippi River Valley. In addition to equity investments, the firm also engages in debt financing and invests in real estate projects and corporate expansion financing.

SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank, providing a wide range of financial services to consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. The company is divided into two primary segments: Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment offers services such as deposits, payments, home equity lines, personal loans, credit cards, and brokerage products, along with residential mortgage offerings. The Wholesale segment focuses on capital markets solutions, asset-based financing, investment banking, and cash management services, including treasury and payment solutions. SunTrust delivers its products through traditional and in-store branches, ATMs, and various digital banking channels. Founded in 1891 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, SunTrust operated 1,218 full-service banking offices across several states as of December 31, 2018. In 2019, SunTrust was acquired by BB&T Corporation, subsequently merging to form Truist, the sixth-largest U.S. bank holding company.

Mizuho Asia Partners is a private equity firm established in 2012 and based in Singapore. The firm specializes in investing in and nurturing promising mid-cap companies, particularly within the technology sector, across Southeast Asia. By focusing on this region, Mizuho Asia Partners aims to capitalize on the growth potential of mid-cap enterprises, providing them with the necessary resources and support to achieve their strategic objectives and enhance their market presence.

SV Health Investors, established in 1993 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a prominent venture capital and growth equity firm specializing in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. The firm manages over $2 billion across seven private healthcare funds and has a 20-year track record of investing in transformative companies and treatments in both the US and Europe. SV Health Investors focuses on a diverse array of areas, including therapeutics, biotechnology, healthcare services, dementia, and medical technology, supporting entrepreneurs who drive innovation and advancements in healthcare. With additional offices in San Francisco and London, the firm is committed to fostering breakthroughs that can significantly improve patient care and health outcomes.

New Enterprise Associates, Inc. is a private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1977 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with additional offices in India and China. The firm specializes in investing across various stages of business development, from seed funding to public offerings, with a strong emphasis on the technology and healthcare sectors. Its investment strategy encompasses a wide range of industries, including information technology, consumer internet, financial technology, software, healthcare services, life sciences, biopharmaceuticals, and energy technology. New Enterprise Associates actively engages with entrepreneurs to support the growth of their companies, making investments between $0.05 million and $20 million. The firm has a global investment focus, particularly in regions such as Asia, Brazil, and the United States.

UnitedHealth Group is a leading healthcare company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that offers a wide range of services, including health technology, financial services, and pharmacy services. The company provides medical benefits to approximately 50 million members globally, emphasizing managed care through various insurance plans such as employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed options. UnitedHealth Group leverages clinical data and intelligence to redesign and automate processes, enhancing both administrative operations and clinical decision-making. Its expansive Optum division complements its insurance offerings by delivering comprehensive healthcare services, including medical and pharmaceutical benefits, outpatient care, and analytics to both affiliated and third-party clients. Through its investment arm, UnitedHealth Group Ventures, the company also supports startups that aim to improve healthcare affordability and transparency.