For Immediate Release                                                         Press Contact:
January 4, 2004                                                                        Samantha Whitney
                                                                                               312.587.3030
                                                                                               swhitney@akoyacapital.com
                                                                                               www.akoyacapital.com

Akoya Capital, LLC, New Merchant Bank with a Distinctive Mission, Will Partner with Industry-Leading CEOs to Create Innovative New Enterprises

Chicago, IL, Max DeZara, the founder and Managing Partner for Akoya Capital, LLC, announced today that he and his partners are excited about starting their new operation. Akoya will specialize in bringing together market-leading Chief Executive Officers and private sources of capital to execute acquisition based strategies that result in innovative new businesses and the creation of significant shareholder value.

Bringing together leading executives, capital sources and platform companies to create highly competitive new enterprises has been a long-held vision for DeZara. More than 24 years ago he founded Carlyle Group, Ltd, a well-respected Midwest boutique executive search firm specializing in senior level executive search, where he is the Chairman. With many years of experience in executive search, management assessment, and human capital consulting, Max has partnered with private investors, Board Directors, and leading executives to successfully build numerous world class institutional and private organizations. DeZara and his partners have built operating companies that have created an aggregate shareholder value in excess of $1 billion. “Akoya Capital is a natural extension of my professional interests. I am working with great partners to help make this merchant bank an enormous success”, says DeZara.

Mike Popiel, Samantha Whitney, Dick Price, and Elizabeth Dominick, all very experienced executives with complementary backgrounds, are partners in Akoya Capital. DeZara notes that “these talented partners enable us to provide strategic consulting that includes evaluating and testing new ideas alongside the CEOs, as well as contributing data and creating the economic and financial models to support how value can be created. Our rich research expertise gives us the ability to assess quickly and thoroughly provide solid insights and build a case that will resonate with the investor community.”

About Akoya Capital, LLC

Akoya Capital is a merchant bank that brings together market-leading Chief Executive Officers and private equity funding to execute acquisition based strategies. Akoya is unique in its human capital approach beginning with CEO led strategies and leading to the creation of new organizations with significant competitive advantage and substantial shareholder value. Akoya Capital is the only organization with the combined resources of human capital and executive search expertise, strategic consulting, M&A, funding, and operating expertise. Akoya Capital LLC is headquartered in Chicago, IL. (www.akoyacapital.com)