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THREE YOUNG BLACK ENTREPRENEURS HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE FOR GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK AS EMPACT100 LEADERS

Derick Pearson and James Taylor at the White House accepting their award.

Three African American entrepreneurs were recently among the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country. James Taylor, 28, CEO of Taylored Athletes, and Felecia Hatcher and Derick Pearson, both 28, owners of Popsicles of Feverish Ice Cream were honored at the White House on November 17th 2011.

The three entrepreneurs have been named to the Empact100 List, which recognizes the top 100 entrepreneurs under 30 in the United States for their accomplishments and positive influence on the American economy by giving back to the community and inspiring others to join the movement to revitalize our economy by starting a business of their own. The young entrepreneurs from 100 companies contribute over 2,500 jobs and $374 million to the U.S. Economy.

Empact100 Honorees took part in a recognition event on the afternoon of Thursday, November 17 from 2pm-5pm at the White House with senior administration officials. This year marks the 2nd year that the White House is recognizing Global Entrepreneurship Week. President Barack Obama signed the presidential proclamation declaring November as National Entrepreneurship Month back in 2010. The recognition event is held in partnerships with Startup America, The Kaufman Foundation, The Future of Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurship International, and the White House. The event was broadcasted live online at WhiteHouse.gov.

To celebrate their success and to share their knowledge, the three honorees have launched a national speaking tour, traveling around the country speaking to kids and young adults about entrepreneurship. “We are on a mission to show kids that no matter where you are or where you come from you can achieve your dreams. It’s not easy but with the right motivation kids and young adults will gain the tools to a prosperous future as an entrepreneur," says James Taylor. For more information about the speaking tour, contact Katie Caldwell at katie@feleciahatcher.com

About Taylored Athletes
James Taylor is the CEO and President of Taylored Athletes Sports, a South Florida based sports and educational leadership training company. James Taylors is a former professional basketball player and college hall of fame inductee. Taylor is committed to helping kids live healthier lives through his Pro At Your Door program that brings former professional athletes and college athletes into the home and gets kids off the couch focused on fitness. Taylored Athletes has trained more than 5,000 athletes to date and are well known for their One On One Pro At Your Door Basketball Training Concierge Service, Next Level Basketball Camps, and Leadership and Character Building After-School Programs which provides at risk youth access to positive role models to teach them self-discovery of inner greatness through sports. “Entrepreneurship is the key to revitalizing our nation’s economy. I’m honored to be recognized by the White House, The Kauffman Foundation, Empact100, and StartUp America. For more information about Taylored Athletes Sports, visit www.tayloredathletes.com or email info@tayloredathletes.com.

About Feverish Ice Cream
The married owners of the Miami based Feverish Ice Cream, Felecia Hatcher and Derick Pearson, started their gourmet popsicle company in 2008 after losing their marketing jobs. They run a fleet of eco-friendly carts and a mini ice cream truck mixing social media, unique marketing partnerships and social awareness with gourmet treats. With wild flavors like Chocolate Banana Sea Salt, Spiked Apple Martini, and Coconut Lemongrass they have attracted a large following, and boast clients like Capitol Records, Maker's Mark, Adidas, Biltmore Hotel, Whole Foods, Universal Music and Tom Cruise. The couple also runs a youth entrepreneurship program called PopPreneurs where they teach kids about entrepreneurship through ice cream carts. The company was recently featured on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets also donates a portion of each popsicle they sell to charity and travels the country speaking to students about college prep and youth entrepreneurship. "This demonstrates that America is, and will always be a place of unlimited opportunity for all who dream. As a kid growing up in Bainbridge, Georgia I would not have imaged that I would one day be honored at the White House. This honor serves as motivation to continue to help the people in our community and around the world. We are living examples that dreams do come true," says Derick Pearson. For more information about Feverish Ice Cream, visit www.feverishicecream.com or email mango@feverishicecream.com.

For more information about the Empact100 list, visit www.empact100.com or email Sheena Lindahl at sheena@iempact.com.