Advanced Equities Financial Corporation

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.