CONTENTS

• Meet the Winners of the 2004 Fast 50
• Upcoming CoF Events: FC Now Guest Hosts
• CoF Gear and Goods
• Special CoF Discount for FC Subscriptions

Meet the Winners of the 2004 Fast 50

Our third annual readers' challenge generated more than 1,650 entries and 15,000 reader comments -- and 50 winners. From entrepreneurial monks to international artisans, their stories form an inspirational chronicle of creativity, struggle and triumph. Follow along with the winners -- champions of innovation -- for a year: The 2004 Fast 50.

Online, you can also learn about this year' s honorable mentions -- and sort the listing by category, industry, and location. Several CoF groups have already invited local winners to participate in CoF activities -- and to join the network. Reach out to Fast 50 winners in your area.

Upcoming CoF Events: FC Now Guest Hosts

To help you learn more about -- and get involved in -- the best and brightest CoF events organized by members and groups every month, Fast Company offers a global, public calendar.

This network-at-a-glance calendar is accessible by non-members, as well as by CoF members. Use the global calendar as you travel on business. Share it with friends who don' t belong to the network.

The week of March 8, Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano, coauthors of "The Transparency Edge," the Readers' Choice selection for March, will join contributors to FC Now as guest hosts. Over the course of the week, the Paganos will further explore the meaning of transparency -- and tell how to get there.

CoF gatherings are a great way to meet other FC readers and forward-thinking business leaders and innovators in your area. We hope to see you at a CoF event soon!

CoF Gear and Goods

Fast Company offers a wide range of CoF-related gear -- including shirts, coffee mugs, lunch boxes, and tote bags. Whether you use them at work or at CoF events, CoF gear is a good way to catalyze conversation and meet other Fast Company readers.

Special CoF Discount for FC Subscriptions

As special thanks for your involvement in the Company of Friends -- and for your ongoing support -- Fast Company offers a special subscription discount for CoF members.

As a member of the CoF living or working in the United States, you can subscribe to Fast Company for $10.50 a year -- more than 80% off the cover price! (For Canadian subscribers, we need to add $17 to cover postage and GST.)

If you live outside of North America, the subscription price is $56 -- $30 less than our previous international rate.

Subscribe today!

Member Discount: Social Enterprise Alliance

As part of Fast Company's January feature on the state of social capitalism, we' ve partnered with the Social Enterprise Alliance to offer CoF members a discount on its upcoming conference in March -- the largest gathering of social entrepreneurs in North America.

If you work for a nonprofit, funder, or technical assistance provider -- and you're interested in learning, peer networking, and advancing earned-income strategies as a pathway to nonprofit sustainability -- this conference might be a fun and productive way to meet your peers and potential partners.

Visit the CoF Web to access the network's discount code -- and register for the conference today.

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