Essex Investment Management Company, LLC

Essex Investment Management Company, LLC, established in 1976, specializes in providing discretionary investment management services to institutional clients, private clients, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. The firm primarily focuses on domestic growth equity strategies using fundamental analysis. Essex manages separately managed accounts and mutual funds, including the Pear Tree Essex Environmental Opportunities Fund and the 1290 Essex Small Cap Growth Fund. The firm charges fees based on a percentage of assets under management, with a minimum account size of $1,000,000 for separately managed accounts. Essex may negotiate fees based on client relationships and service requirements. The firm acts as a fiduciary and has a Code of Ethics to guide employee conduct. Essex exercises investment discretion based on client objectives, risk tolerance, and investment policy. The firm follows best execution practices in brokerage, including trade aggregation and step-out trades. Essex votes proxies in the best interest of clients and has policies to address conflicts of interest. The firm does not engage in cross trades and generally does not vote proxies for securities on loan. Essex has no financial conditions impairing its ability to meet client commitments.