DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2006--AOL announced today that it has been named the Corporate Challenge Grand Prize Winner in the Women Presidents' Educational Organization's (WPEO) Done Deals(TM) Challenge. The award recognizes Washington area corporations that sign the most contracts with women-owned businesses.

The inaugural Done Deals Challenge asked WPEO member companies to report signed contracts with WBENC-certified women-owned businesses between April 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006. Out of 23 Corporate members participating in the challenge, AOL had completed the most deals with women-owned business during the period.

"We are thrilled to award AOL this grand prize. The Done Deal Challenge is designed to recognize and celebrate business being conducted between WPEO Corporate members and women-owned businesses. AOL proved that they are committed to ongoing efforts of this cause," said Ellyn McKay, Executive Director, WPEO-DC.

"At AOL we are committed to diversity at all levels of the company, including fostering relationships with a wide range of external partners," said Tiane Mitchell Gordon, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at AOL. "This award recognizes that our efforts are beginning to pay off, both for AOL and for women-owned businesses in this area."

A regional affiliate of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), WPEO is a non-profit organization with offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City. It provides advocacy and certification services to women-owned businesses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. WPEO's mission is to create increased access to business opportunities for women business organizations and women business owners.

About AOL LLC

AOL LLC and its subsidiaries operate a leading network of Web brands and the largest Internet access subscription service in the United States. Web brands include the AOL.com(R) website, AIM(R), MapQuest(R) and Netscape(R). AOL offers a range of digital services in the areas of education, safety and security, communications and music. The company also has operations in Europe and Canada. AOL, which is based in Dulles, Virginia, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

About the WPEO

The Women Presidents' Educational Organization (WPEO) is a regional affiliate of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation's premier third party certification organization for women owned businesses. The mission of the WPEO is to create increased access to business opportunities for WBEs. Our programs develop skills and knowledge for WBEs, advocate in the public and private sectors, foster relationships between WBEs, corporations and the government, and provide certification services. WPEO provides full service third party certification to women entrepreneurs in the New York, Northern New Jersey (including Princeton and points North), Southern Connecticut and the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. For more information see the website at www.wpeo.us or call (212) 688-4114.

Copyright Business Wire 2006

AOL

AOL

More from AOL