Ardent Mines Ltd. (ADNT)

Ardent Mines Ltd. is a NY-headquartered mineral developer with extensive ties in Brazil, the cultivation of which reached a high-water mark in 2011 with the acquisition of the company's primary foci, the Misty Hills Project (just 12.4 miles south of one of the planet's most well-known, high-grade gold and platinum group metal deposits, Serra Pelada) in Para and the Gold Hills Project (estimated resource potential calculated to be 931k oz Au) in Pernambuco.

With globally recognized exploration-to-production mining consultancy practice SRK Consulting Inc. in tow to handle NI 43-101 compliant technical reportage and the like, ADNT is fiercely proceeding with the Gold Hills Project in particular. The recent commencement of the geological exploration campaign at Gold Hills (exploration potential of the some 8,650 acres of mineral rights was previously calculated by SRK to be 3.6M to 6M tons at an average grade of 4.0 g/t to 7.0 g/t Au) along the 8.4-mile long gold trend was a good opportunity for ADNT to flex their managerial muscle, and the company's leadership has wasted no time in assembling an extremely proficient, veteran technical team to spearhead operations.

ADNT has a 100% interest in Gold Hills Mining Ltda., which owns mineral rights on the entire Gold Hills property, and the company brought in some serious muscle, with extensive knowledge of developing minerals in Brazil and Venezuela, to supercharge the local operation. A rigorous perusal of the extant geochemical/geophysical data on Gold Hills (including extensive work done by Brazilian government agency CPRM, who pulled over 100k ounces of gold from ore at grades of 60 to 260 g/t), combined with surveying, sampling, drainage, and underground work, was priority one for SRK and the ADNT team, and the results of this analysis/work, modeled via detailed geological and structural mapping, affirmed the main mineralized body dimensions, as well as allowing for the identification of seven, distinctly richer zones. SRK put in a good deal of work prepping the underground area for exploration, including clearing debris and reinforcing the main shaft and galleries.

Gold Hills is shaping up to be a globally-competitive, significant gold trend and will likely be the company's main focus moving forward, with the 70% interest (option for remaining rights after initial exploration), 24.7k-acre Misty Hills Project in second place, despite its tantalizing potential. The Carajás Mineral Province in which the Misty Hills project sits is extremely receptive to mining and has seen widespread mineral recovery activity since at least the local gold boom in the 1970′s. The Misty Hills geology looks like a clear extension of neighboring iron, copper, and gold mineralization in which millions of ounces of gold has been confirmed, with a 15 lb nugget being the biggest chunk recovered back during the Serra Pelada gold boom.

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO)

International Stem Cell Corp. specializes in the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. The company was first to perfect the natural phenomenon of parthenogenesis, which utilizes unfertilized human eggs to create hpSCs. These stem cells, created in a particular form called HLA homozygous, can be immune-matched to millions of people regardless of sex or racial background, with minimal expectation of immune rejection after transplantation.

hpSCs are as pluripotent as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and have significant therapeutic potential but their creation does not involve the destruction of a viable human embryo – thus sidestepping the controversy and ethical dilemmas associated with the use of human embryonic stem cells. Different from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs), hpSCs do not involve manipulation of gene expression back to a less differentiated stage – a practice that may become a safety or regulatory obstacle in clinical applications.

A relatively small number of hpSC lines can offer the potential of producing the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell, which ISCO intends to create as a means of serving populations across the globe. The company's scientists are currently focused on using hpSC to treat severe diseases of the eye, nervous system, and liver, for which cell therapy has been clinically proven but is limited due to the unavailability of safe human cells.

In addition to its therapeutic focus, ISCO also provides two revenue streams. Firstly through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology, specialized cells and growth media for biological research around the world, and secondly its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care, the company manufactures and sells anti-aging skincare products utilizing an extract from the hpSC and by leveraging the latest discoveries in the fields of stem cell biology, nanotechnology, and skin cream formulation technology.

SEFE, Inc. (SEFE)

SEFE, Inc. is focused on developing and deploying a promising solution to our world's energy problems. It is now more obvious than ever before that fossil fuels are increasingly more difficult to find and harvest. It is also well known by now that alternative energy, such as solar, wind and nuclear, has its own list of issues. SEFE's unique technology, in comparison, harvests unadulterated, carbon-free, always-on energy.

SEFE's solution works by capturing and converting naturally occurring static electricity in the atmosphere into a constant, abundant and decidedly green source of renewable energy. The patented technology has been designed to be robust, easy to implement and user-configurable from the start so that these systems can be deployed anywhere and generate current usable by any localized source.

Because the cost of deploying and maintaining SEFE systems is relatively low, the company believes it can produce competitive, cost-effective energy. Nuclear energy costs approximately $0.14 per kWh and wind energy costs approximately $0.07 per kWh. SEFE currently has four United States Patents protecting their core intellectual property with three patents pending. These patents provide barriers to entry and fortify their foundational business construct.

SEFE is also well supported by a highly capable management team that has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in corporate management and governance. The company also consults a host of associates who are experts in fabrication and product development, FAA regulations, engineering and utility consultation, among others.