EILEEN FISHER Announces Recipients of 2012 Business Grant Program for Women Entrepreneurs

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EILEEN FISHER, the women's clothing retailer, today announced the recipients of the 2012 EILEEN FISHER Business Grant Program for Women Entrepreneurs. Now in its ninth year, the Business Grant Program is awarded annually to wholly women-owned businesses that are innovative and foster environmental and economic health in their communities. The committee received more than 1,600 applications and awarded grants to five businesses.

The recipients of the 2012 EILEEN FISHER Business Grant represent a variety of companies from the United States and overseas; each company is dedicated to giving back to its community, while focusing on social consciousness and sustainability. Recipients will receive a $12,500 grant intended to invigorate their existing businesses and will be recognized at a two-day EILEEN FISHER conference in New York City in the spring of 2013.

Designer and entrepreneur Eileen Fisher is thrilled that so many women are pursuing their passions and launching businesses. "It takes inspiration, confidence and commitment to follow your passion to go out on your own," says Fisher, who started her company with $350 and four garments in 1984. "It will be challenging with many twists and turns, but when you believe in your idea and others believe in you, the possibilities are endless."

2012 EILEEN FISHER Business Grant recipients include:

1. THE BLUE PIG of Croton-on-Hudson, New York
   Dedicated to quality, sustainability and unique flavors, Lisa Moir's Hudson Valley ice cream shop uses ingredients free from steroids, antibiotics, high fructose corn syrup and gums, while sourcing most of her ingredients locally. The store also acts as a community hub in the redevelopment of the village.
2. CARRIE PARRY of Brooklyn, New York 
   Designer Carrie Parry launched her eponymous label in 2011 with careful consideration of its social and environmental impact. The brand produces ethically in New York's garment district, in addition to sourcing environmentally conscious materials and textiles from artisanal communities worldwide.  Her concept of designing clothes of the finest quality rendered from responsible sources is combined with an appreciation for print, color and intricately textured fabrics that never go out of style.
3. GREEN HERON TOOLS of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania 
   With a shared passion for gardening, Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger co-founded Green Heron Tools in 2008. The brand provides high-quality agricultural and gardening tools designed to work with women's bodies, thereby maximizing comfort, efficiency, productivity and safety.
4. GUMDROP SWAP of Bridgeport, Connecticut
   Gabby Fludd's unique spin on children's consignment allows customers to purchase new and gently used children's and maternity items with cash or through earned points called gumdrops. 
5. UNPACKAGED of London, England
   Founded in 2006 by Catherine Conway, Unpackaged's vision is a world with less wasteful packaging. This retail store offers consumers a way to refill groceries using their own containers, which reduces excess waste for landfills and incinerators and offers customers a way to consume more sustainably.

The EILEEN FISHER Business Grant Program for Women Entrepreneurs was established in 2004 with a single grant of $20,000 to commemorate the company's twentieth anniversary. Since then, five grants have been awarded each year. Recipients must represent wholly women-owned businesses that combine the principles of social consciousness, sustainability, innovation, and foster environmental and economic health in their communities. Grant recipients are selected by a dedicated in-house committee, representing teams across the company.

For more information about the program and previous recipients, visit www.eileenfisher.com/grants.

SOURCE EILEEN FISHER