Giddy Gander President Laura Wellington Named Winner of 2007 Best 50 Women in Business Award by NJBiz Magazine

Giddy Gander President Laura Wellington Named Winner of 2007 Best 50 Women in Business Award by NJBiz Magazine

40-Year-Old Mother, Widow, Mentor, Former Pre-School Teacher, Entrepreneur Cited For Creating, Producing New Animated TV Series, 'The Wumblers'

FORT LEE, N.J., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Laura J. Wellington, president of The Giddy Gander Company LLC, based in Ft. Lee, has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2007 Best 50 Women in Business Award by NJBiz magazine and their sponsors, Wachovia, Withum Smith+Brown and Morgan Lewis. She will be formally presented with the award at a reception on March 19 at The Palace in Somerset, NJ.

Wellington, a Ridgewood resident, is a 40-year-old mother of four, widow -- her husband Dean died in 2003 of two rare forms of cancer -- pre-school teacher, and entrepreneur who oversees five businesses, focusing on the technology, financial and television industries.

Her latest venture is Giddy Gander, through which she has created and is producing "The Wumblers," a new animated TV series for the pre-school set that will begin airing in September on both the Trinity Broadcasting and Smile of a Child networks. The first episode of the show, which has been granted to Dove Foundation's coveted Seal of Approval, is designed to impart to children values, responsibility, awareness of the environment, an appreciation and respect for differences, and an understanding that the common bond of humanity unites us all. Earlier this year, Wellington and Giddy Gander received the distinguished Forbes Enterprise Award for the series, widely considered the most prestigious citation for small business entrepreneurs.

"I am greatly privileged to be recognized by NJBiz as one of the Best 50 Women in Business for 2007," Wellington said. "I believe in the power of the female spirit and ability, and to be recognized for what I have been able to accomplish driven by this belief is truly an honor."

In addition to Giddy Gander, Wellington also runs Wellington Consulting Company and Wellington Financial Systems, both of which she established with her late husband Dean, as well as Ijie, a holding company, and The Silly Goose Company, a division of Giddy Gander.

An advocate for women, Wellington has been involved as a mentor for numerous professional associations, including National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association of Female Executives, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and Women Presidents' Educational Organization. She has also been a speaker for the Women of Influence Conference, Small Business Moms, New Jersey Commerce Association, and 1010 WINS Small Business Advisory Conference, among many others.

Wellington is also actively engaged in community and civic affairs. She is a supporter of a multitude of organizations, including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Donor's Choose, Avon Foundation, Blythedale Children's Hospital, and Children Now. Most recently, she and her team has spearheaded a partnership between Giddy Gander and Gilda's Club worldwide and their affiliates, in which that organization -- which was founded in honor of the late comedienne Gilda Radner and which supports families and children around the world whose lives have been impacted by cancer -- will benefit from the proceeds of a children's picture book being produced in conjunction with "The Wumblers" TV series.

The NJBiz Award is the latest honor Wellington has received for her entrepreneurship. In addition to the Forbes Enterprise Award, she has been recognized with the President's Award of Merit from her alma mater Ramapo College, the Business Woman of the Year Award for the State of New Jersey, and the Ronald Reagan Gold Medal Award for Business and Entrepreneurial Women, among many other awards.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Giddy Gander Company LLC

CONTACT: Bruce Bobbins, +1-212-981-5190, or Gillian Kocher,
+1-212-981-5230, both of Dan Klores Communications for The Giddy Gander
Company LLC

-------
Profile: intent