The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies wants to be the last word on spiritual healing. The not-for-profit organization offers workshops and retreats designed to improve spirituality and health. Its classes, attended by about 20,000 people each year, include yoga, meditation, and women's empowerment. Omega Institute offers its holistic studies at more than a dozen locations in California, Florida, and New York, as well as in Costa Rica and the Virgin Islands.

Preferred Hotel Group was founded in 1968. Preferred Hotel Group operates a network of independent luxury hotel brands that collectively include approximately 700 properties in some 75 countries. Brands include Preferred Boutique, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Summit Hotels & Resorts, and Sterling Hotels. Its Historic Hotels of America, an affiliation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, includes more than 200 historically significant hotels. The company provides sales, marketing, and technology solutions to its properties, as well as reservation and guest support services. The Preferred Hotel Group operates from some 30 worldwide sales offices.

Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis owns and operates a dockside casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, that offers gamblers a variety of table games and poker tables, as well as 1,200 slot machines. Other amenities include a 290-room hotel, meeting space, live entertainment, four restaurants, and a golf course. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, the property, then a casino barge called Casino Magic, remained closed for about a year. After renovations, it reopened as the land-based Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis. (The barge was finally hauled off to the scrap heap in 2009.) Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis is a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming.

Konami in Japanese means small wave. But as a leading innovator of slot machines and casino management systems for the global gaming market, Konami Gaming, Inc. and Konami Australia Pty. Ltd are creating big waves in the gaming industry. Built on a rich heritage, KGI and KAP are subsidiaries of the world-renowned entertainment developer Konami Corporation that was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1969 by Mr. Kagemasa Kozuki. And to this day, Mr. Kozuki still actively serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer to help ensure his original vision of creating engaging games that capture attention, push the limits of innovation and provide quality in every detail. Konami Gaming, Inc. is in Las Vegas, Nevada, in an impressive, state-of-the-art 120,000 square foot facility located next to McCarran International Airport – showcasing its commitment to the North American gaming industry.

Pennsylvania Lottery proceeds (more than $18 billion raised since inception) are dedicated to programs geared toward seniors (property-tax relief, rent rebates, reduced-cost transportation, co-pay prescriptions). Proceeds also fund more than 50 Area Agencies on Aging across Pennsylvania. State law mandates that at least 40% of lottery proceeds must be awarded in prizes, and about 30% must be used for benefit programs. Games range from the traditional Powerball to daily-wagering game Big 4.

Thomas & King is #1 in Applebee's neighborhood. The company is one the largest franchisees of Applebee's, operating about 90 of its signature restaurants. The casual dining establishments offer a variety of menu items, such as burgers, steaks, and seafood, but are most popular for their selection of appetizers. Thomas & King also operates a half dozen Johnny Carino's Italian-themed restaurants franchised from Austin, Texas-based Fired Up. Co-founded in 1988 by CEO Mike Scanlon, the company operates restaurants in Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The Continental Basketball Association is the grand daddy of pro hoops worldwide. The CBA, founded in 1946, is the oldest professional basketball league in the world, predating the NBA by just a few months. Considered minor league play, the CBA fields ten teams, located primarily in the Midwestern US with names like the Albany (New York) Patroons, Atlanta Krunk, and the Minot (North Dakota) Skyrockets. Most CBA players try to use the league as a launching pad into the NBA, about 600 have succeeded. It also serves as the training ground for officials and coaches who want to make the jump to the big leagues.The CBA is the "World's Oldest League," dating its origins back to April 23, 1946, when it was called the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League (1946-47). The league began with six franchises - five in Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Allentown, Lancaster and Reading) and a sixth team in New York (Binghamton, who later moved in mid-season to Pottsville, Pa.). In 1948, it was renamed the Eastern Professional Basketball League. Over the years, it would later add franchises in several other Pennsylvania cities, including Williamsport, Scranton and Sunbury, as well as place teams in New Jersey (Trenton, Camden, Asbury Park), Connecticut (New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport), Delaware (Wilmington) and Massachusetts (Springfield).

These restaurants have some industrial strength menus for foodies. The Cheesecake Factory owns and operates about 150 casual-dining restaurants in 35 states that offer some 200 menu items ranging from sandwiches and salads to steaks and seafood. The highlight of the menu, of course, is cheesecake, which comes in about 40 varieties, including Chocolate Tuxedo Cream and Kahlua Cocoa Coffee. Each restaurant has a unique design, but all of them feature over-the-top opulence and Las Vegas-style glitz. In addition to its flagship concept, the company has more than a dozen upscale Grand Lux Cafes that offer a similar menu. The Cheesecake Factory also sells desserts to grocery stores and foodservice operators.

The first Kerbey Lane Cafe opened on May 5, 1980 with the simple goal of having a cozy place to eat that offered healthy local food at a low price. At the time, this was a virtually competitive free restaurant concept. Austin’s cultural ideal of keeping it local by supporting area farmers, artists and businesses is as strong today as it was when Kerbey opened its doors. This cultural mantra is a large part of what shaped the environment of Kerbey Lane and continues to drive our efforts today.As expected, our cozy cafe seeping with local flair was exactly the kind of place Austin was looking for. With a successful restaurant, comprised of homemade furniture, family recipes and a staff of friends, we began to seek out expansion opportunities, which included longer hours and new locations. In 1986 the second location on South Lamar was opened with a diner inspired atmosphere. Our menu began to grow as the restaurant and community grew; now including more vegetarian items, salads and specials. Our preference for local and fresh ingredients actually shaped our menu, versus our menu dictating the ingredients we used. High quality, homegrown produce and meats are at the cornerstone of our success. Beginning in 2008 we began to sell our famous pancake mix at area HEB’s, Central Markets and Whole Foods. Kerbey Lane pancake mix is a Go Texan product, meaning it is produced locally by local employees. To see the mixes we have available, as well as several other great Kerbey retail items, check out our online store. Kerbey Lane believes we offer a unique product and atmosphere that definitely fits within the Austin culture and lives up to the “Keep Austin Weird” mentality. We strive to maintain our local reputation and increase our efforts at supporting and giving back to a community that has done so much to help us grow.

The Detroit Red Wings are flying high in the National Hockey League. Founded in 1926, the team is one of the most successful franchises in NHL history with 11 Stanley Cup championships (the last in 2008). Detroit has been a perennial playoff contender for more than a decade and regularly draws packed houses at Joe Louis Arena. Its roster has boasted such Hall of Fame players as Jack Adams, Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, and "Black" Jack Stewart. Mike and Marian Ilitch bought the team in 1982 and run the franchise through their holding company, Ilitch Holdings. The Ilitch family also owns the Detroit Tigers and pizza chain Little Caesar.

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