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FAST COMPANY UNVEILS ITS DEBUT LIST OF "FAST 50" INNOVATORS

Tuesday, February 12 -- Fast Company, the magazine for management innovators, announced its first-ever "Fast 50" list, celebrating fifty "champions of innovation" whose achievements have led to significant change in their companies or society.

The Fast 50 will appear in the magazine's March issue, hitting newsstands on February 19. It features exceptional achievers selected from online submissions by Fast Company readers. Profiles of the Fast 50, as well as all reader submissions, may be accessed online at the Fast 50 Website at www.fastcompany.com/fast50

"The Fast 50 had the vision to see ways of improving our world - and the persistence to accomplish their goals," said Fast Company co-founder and co-editor William Taylor. "At a time when our nation is rediscovering what it means to be a hero, the Fast 50 recognizes 50 individuals who are each courageous in their own way."

The Fast 50 includes executives, activists, marketers, designers, scientists, engineers and other leaders from a variety of backgrounds. Some are solo entrepreneurs and researchers. Others come from wide range of organizations - from large corporations to small non-profits. Organizations represented include Microsoft, General Motors, Columbia Tri-Star, MetLife, Morgan Chase, the Pentagon, the UN Mission in Kosovo, The State of Missouri, among others. The list spotlights achievers in the following categories:

• Leaders - "senior executives who create value through the power of ideas, the intensity of their commitment, and the authenticity of their character"
• Change Agents - "activists determined to change the status quo and make a positive impact"
• Disrupters - "scientists and engineers who alter our sense of what's possible"
• Trendsetters - "creative thinkers whose sense of style and persuasion change what our world looks like and how our products perform"
• Social Entrepreneurs - "dedicated innovators determined to tackle society's deepest challenges by embracing new ideas from the world of business"

Included in the Fast 50 are:

Michael Weinstein of Snapple Beverage Group, White Plains, NY, who helped turn around the Snapple brand when people said it couldn't be done, bolstering a demoralized organization

Dr. Ernie Bodai of Pt. Reyes California, whose efforts led to creation of the Breast Cancer stamp, the first fundraising stamp ever produced.

Carl Caspers of TEC Interface Systems, Waite Park, MN, inventor of "harmony" prosthetics, reducing pain and increasing mobility in amputees.

Alyssa Royse, the Seattle-based Co-Founder of NYC's Twin Towers Orphans Fund

Freeman Hrabowski, President, of University of Maryland Baltimore County, who created the Meyerhoff scholarship program to support and encourage African-American males pursuing advanced degrees in science

Damon Gersh, President & CEO, Maxons Restorations Inc, New York City, which worked to restore the historic Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel and clean more than 50 office buildings damaged September 11.

Nate Allen & Tony Burgess, cofounders, companycommand.com, platoonleader.org, West Point, New York. The two former infantry officers created a thriving online community where army officers share knowledge and experiences.

Nabil Moukeibir, founder Connectance, Washington DC, creator of software helping physicians diagnose more than 100 kidney-related diseases.

Robin Chase, Zipcar, Cambridge Mass, provider of "wheels when you want them," the company promotes shared car ownership, helping members reduce pollution and increase mobility.

Annie Morita, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Columbia Tristar, Culver City, CA. Morita spearheaded the launch of CTIT.com, which has successfully marketed TV shows and feature films to broadcasters worldwide.

The Fast 50 were selected by a distinguished panel consisting of astronaut Sally Ride, management guru Tom Peters, noted futurist Watts Wacker, Kevin Roberts, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Zoe Baird, President, Markle Foundation.

Founded in 1996 and published monthly, Boston-based Fast Company (www.fastcompany.com) covers ideas, trends and individuals devoted to managing change in today's economy. The magazine was acquired in 2000 by G+J USA, one of America's largest magazine publishers. Fast Company is part of the company's newly-formed Business Innovator Group.

G + J USA also publishes Inc, Child, Family Circle, Fitness, Parents, Rosie, and YM. The company is 25.1% owned by the Jahr Group and 74.9% owned by Bertelsmann AG, the largest privately held and the fifth largest media company in the world with yearly revenues at $16 billion.