Seventh Generation Announces Winner of Spheres of Influence Contest

BURLINGTON, VT--(Marketwire - March 24, 2009) - Seventh Generation is announcing YouthBank, a micro business incubator for street youth in the world's megacities, as the grand prize winner of the company's Spheres of Influence Contest. Seventh Generation is the nation's top provider of environmentally preferable non-toxic household products and a pioneer in the corporate responsibility movement.

The contest asked businesses, organizations, and individuals to submit an entry that communicates the one idea in the company's 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report that inspired them the most. In her entry Neha Kenani, a YouthBank team member, wrote "Reading this [Seventh Generation's Corporate Consciousness Report] made me realize that YouthBank can only truly have an impact by building our purpose and values into the very backbone of our business model. We took time to talk about our organization's essence and realized that our values are all about inspiration, mentorship, and, most of all: community. We shouldn't just incubate, but regenerate. We hope our venture can be as successful as Seventh Generation has been in living its values."

YouthBank is a small business incubator program designed to connect street youth in the urban developing world with the skills, mentors, and resources they need to launch their own community businesses and pull themselves out of poverty. Successful entrepreneurs repay their in-kind loans and commit to hiring and investing in other YouthBank graduates. Built on the principles of microfinance, venture capital and community development, YouthBank is financially sustainable, scalable, and impactful for its young entrepreneurs and their communities.

"We felt the mission of YouthBank is aligned with our own directive of creating equity and justice in the world through socially responsible business and education," said Gregor Barnum, Seventh Generation's Director of Corporate Consciousness. "YouthBank is an incredible venture that will easily begin to change many lives while impacting the overall world economic shifts. We feel honored to recognize YouthBank with the Spheres of Influence award."

As the grand prize winner in the contest, YouthBank will receive a $5,000 grant to help carry out its mission. Seventh Generation partnered with JustMeans, a social networking community dedicated to social responsibility on the individual and corporate level, to implement the Spheres of Influence contest. Contest entries were judged by a panel of Seventh Generation employees and YouthBank was unanimously chosen as the winner of the contest.

About Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. Our products are healthy and safe for the air, the surfaces, the fabrics, the pets, and the people within your home -- and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation also offers products for baby that are safe for your children and the planet.

For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation's corporate responsibility, visit the Corporate Consciousness Report at: www.seventhgeneration.com/corporate-responsibility/2007.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Chrystie Heimert Seventh Generation 802-658-3773 x620 www.seventhgeneration.com