Two New Orleans Residents Selected To "Top 20 Young Entrepreneurs of 2011" List

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 13, 2012 - (New Orleans) – Reid Stone and Shaun Walker, founders of the New Orleans marketing strategy and design agency HERO|farm, have been named to YFS Magazine’s Top 20 Young Entrepreneurs of 2011, a list featuring the twenty most popular success stories of the year as chosen by their readers and staff.

Hailed for their triumphant story of starting a successful business from nothing at the beginning of the recession, Reid and Shaun’s anecdote captivated readers of YFS Magazine with the inspiring steps they took to success: If You Can't Find a Job, Create One. The profile piece highlights the duo’s rise from recession unemployment to thriving entrepreneurs who now run a successful three-year-old business.

“We’re truly honored to be selected as top young entrepreneurs of 2011,” said Reid Stone, Chief Strategist. “It’s really tough in the world today, but there are so many inspirational stories of people overcoming adversity that I think, as a society, we will be better because of it in the long-run.”

After meeting each other in 2006 at a previous agency, Reid Stone and Shaun Walker founded HERO|farm in early 2009 with a simple philosophy: Do great work for good people. The company touts itself as an ad agency with a social mission, saying they not only want to do great work, but also accomplishing good for the world while doing it. A cornerstone of HERO|farm is to do at least one campaign per year pro bono for a non-profit, as well as work with clients who have admirable missions of their own.

“Advertising has a bad connotation, but it can be beneficial when paired with a client who has a good mission,” says Creative Director Shaun Walker. “When you add value to a person's everyday life, you do more than just sell a product; you create a lasting relationship of goodwill and a connection that goes far beyond sell-buy-consume. Our goal is to help evolve advertising into something people don't run from, but applaud.”

HERO|farm (http://www.hero-farm.com) is a post-Katrina startup founded by locals Reid Stone and Shaun Walker, who were inspired to do good in New Orleans when their city needed them most. The company, selected 2011 Business of the Year by the International Association of Business Communicators - New Orleans chapter, is a marketing strategy and design agency that specializes in outreach for small-to-mid sized businesses. The group is built around a social mission of accomplishing good while doing great work. This mindset has helped the agency develop an online radio show where they give free marketing advice to other entrepreneurs and small business owners, become go-to expert sources on the Amex Open Forum for business owners seeking guidance and also maintain a philanthropic side that keeps them grounded.

YFS Magazine (http://www.YFSEntrepreneur.com): Young, Fabulous & Self-Employed® is the definitive magazine for startup, small business news and entrepreneurial culture. One of the largest independent small business news sites, YFS Magazine attracts a niche and influential audience of entrepreneurs, small business owners, startup enthusiasts and entrepreneurship aficionados. See the list of Top 20 Young Entrepreneurs here - http://yfsentrepreneur.com/2011/12/27/top-20-young-entrep...