With 26 million mothers in the workforce, working mothers prove vital to the success of countless companies, large and small. Yet in the past, these women have been too often overlooked. When I established Working Mother Media in 2001, I hoped to reach both individual working mothers and corporations with an important message that's long overdue. It's high time that we all wake up, smell the baby powder, and realize that because working mothers are incredibly dynamic and valuable corporate assets, everyone-- from families to bottom lines--benefits when working moms receive the recognition, support, and flexibility they deserve. Just how big a role do working mothers play in the office?  These statistics are worth noting when we think about the workplace presence of mothers and the overall economic influence that they wield: Nearly half of all working women (49%) are mothers. 47% of women professionals and managers are mothers. 49% of women business owners or partners are mothers. 47% of women in top management are mothers. Since its initial launch, Working Mother Media has quickly become a great agent of change, actively promoting the interests of working mothers. Not only do we celebrate in Working Mother magazine the great contributions mothers make to their companies, communities and families, we also recognize companies that do the most to facilitate working motherhood. Twenty-one years ago we established our groundbreaking annual round-up of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies--a highly competitive list ranking companies that best support working mothers. The initiative was so influential that it inspired us to launch the Best Companies for Women of Color as well as the NAFE Top 30, which recognizes companies that place women in executive positions and promote women's rise in the workplace. Both our working mother readers and the corporations that we recognize attest that our lists are an invaluable resource helping match high-achieving women with their ideal workplaces. Working Mother Media is equally excited about our ever-expanding conference division. Working Mother Town Halls and Multicultural Conferences have made amazing strides promoting a national--soon-to-be global--dialogue on race, ethnicity and gender in the workplace. And our new Balance Seekers initiative provides moms with a forum in which they can share personal stories and openly discuss the challenges and rewards of working motherhood in today's world. I feel both incredibly privileged and proud to lead Working Mother Media in creating a community of professional women and revolutionizing the way companies support their working-parent employees. Because I'm not just a CEO, but also the mother of two great kids, for me our success resonates deeply on a personal level. By supporting and promoting women in the workplace, we can create a more dynamic future for not only for working women and our families, but for future generations. Carol Evans CEO and Founder carol.evans@workingmother.com

For more than 25 years, I've been passionately engaged with the questions of working mothers