Minority Business Council Awards Top Honor

NEW YORK, -- The National Minority Business Council (NMBC) has named Celeste Gudas, Founder and CEO of 24 Seven, Inc. this year's recipient of the Dena Coye Outstanding Woman Entrepreneurship Award. The Dena Coye Award is one of NMBC's highest honors, presented annually, to a female business leader who demonstrates exceptional entrepreneurship and who continuously advances the progress of workplace diversity.

"Recipients of this award are visionary leaders, innovative thinkers and agents of change, committed to championing the cause for increased diversity in business," the group said.

Ms. Gudas is a Recruiting industry innovator who launched 24 Seven in 2000 as a strategic workforce solutions partner and creative talent provider for Fashion companies. A hands-on CEO in every business aspect, she has grown 24 Seven from a single New York office to 7 US locations and internationally to London, and has expanded the industries the firm serves. With continued domestic and global expansion plus service development planned for 2011, 24 Seven is set to dominate as the leading specialized talent recruitment firm for global brands and growing companies worldwide in the Fashion, Retail, Marketing, Interactive and Creative sectors.

Central to Ms. Gudas' management philosophy is the empowerment of 24 Seven's internal team, many of whom are women, with ongoing financial and professional growth opportunities. As a working mother of three, she is a passionate advocate of workplace diversity, personally committed to furthering the prominence of executive level women and minorities in the industries 24 Seven serves. Ms. Gudas has certified 24 Seven as a Women's Business Enterprise, and she is a member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the Women Presidents' Organization (Platinum & Zenith Chapters). She is a sought-after speaker and active member in organizations like NMBC that spearhead diversity initiatives, including ISM, Society for Human Resource Management(SHRM), Human Resource Association of New York (HR/NY) and AAFA.

Ms. Gudas accepted the award at the NMBC's 31st Annual Awards Luncheon at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York City.

About 24 Seven

24 Seven, Inc. is the leading specialized talent recruitment firm for global brands and emerging companies across the US and internationally. From design concept through product marketing, 24 Seven has the talent network to support brands at every stage of the consumer experience. We are the go-to talent source supporting the world's top teams in Fashion, Retail, Marketing, Interactive and Creative.

Our strategic recruiting professionals are proven industry experts and have either personally worked in or recruited exclusively for the industry practice they serve. Their hands-on experience makes them experts at perfectly matching candidates to unique client scenarios in Fashion, Retail, Advertising, Marketing, Design, Interactive/Digital, Media, Beauty, CPG and Entertainment.