Guardian Awards Teen Entrepreneur at NAWBO Columbus 2007 Awards Banquet

NEW YORK, July 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), in conjunction with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), will honor Brooklyn Young, a local Ohio student who was named a finalist in Guardian's 2007 Girls Going Places(R) teen entrepreneur award program. Brooklyn will receive her award at NAWBO Columbus' 2007 Annual Board Installation and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, July 19, 2007.

This year marks the seventh anniversary of Girls Going Places(R), which recognizes and rewards entrepreneurial and community-minded girls between the ages of 12 and 18. In this year's competition, 15 entrepreneurs were selected from more than 4,000 nominations for their achievements. Guardian will award the fifteen girls a total of $30,000 to be used toward their college education or their businesses. The first, second and third place winners will receive prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000, respectively, and the 12 finalists are granted prizes of $1,000 each.

Brooklyn, 17, was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 nominations for her business venture, Big Baby Clothing, LLC, a line of custom screen- printed and embroidered apparel and accessories. With her love of fashion design, Brooklyn, 17, created Big Baby Clothing, LLC, after seeing what was missing from the market. Since its inception in 2005, Big Baby Clothing, LLC has been providing custom apparel to local companies, schools and colleges as well as church and youth groups. With the help of Girls Going Places and with her company earnings, Brooklyn plans to register The C. Barnett Foundation, a charity Brooklyn founded in honor of her mother, as a 501 (c) charity fund. The C. Barnett Foundation will serve as a resource center for low-income families to provide financial aid for medical costs for families stricken with cancer.

"It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to support Guardian's Girls Going Places program," said Carol Kuc, NAWBO's national president and president/CEO of Complete Conference Coordinators, Inc., in Naperville, Ill. "These young entrepreneurs represent the future of our organization and the success of women in business and we applaud Brooklyn for her outstanding accomplishments."

"In our seventh year of this program, we continue to be inspired by all the nominees who - at such a young age - have developed successful businesses," said Emily Viner, field vice president for Guardian. "Our partnership with NAWBO underscores our commitment to the advancement of women business owners and their strides towards financial independence. Brooklyn is an extraordinary young woman and we are pleased to recognize her for her outstanding business accomplishments."

The Girls Going Places(R) Entrepreneurship Award program anchors Guardian's Women's Initiative, which was established to help women create, invest and protect wealth. As part of this effort, Guardian is a National Patron of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), which partially underwrites the Girls Going Places(R) awards. Additional information about the program and nomination forms for the competition can be found at http://www.girlsgoingplaces.com/.

About Guardian

Founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY (Guardian) is one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in the United States. As of December 31, 2006, Guardian and its subsidiaries had $39.5 billion in assets (on a consolidated statutory basis). With more than 5,000 employees and 3,000 financial representatives, as well as more than 80 agencies nationwide, Guardian and its subsidiaries protect individuals, businesses, and their employees with life, disability, health, long-term care, and dental insurance products, and offer 401(k), annuities and other financial products and trust services. More information about Guardian can be obtained at: http://www.guardianlife.com/.

About the National Association of Women Business Owners

Founded in 1975, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power worldwide. Thirty years later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the interest of women entrepreneurs in all industries. The organization's mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit http://www.nawbo.org/ for more information.