Entrepreneur John Badal helped start Sacred Wind Communications after surveying the Navajo Reservation, where fewer than four homes out of every 10 had access to basic phone service. Sacred Wind Communications is building a state-of-the-art telecommunications network to serve the Navajo people in New Mexico, reaching current customers, and over 6,000 homes without access to telephone service of any kind. The company provides these thousands of people a way to connect to the rest of the world, as well as employment in an area of extremely high unemployment.

"It's a real honor to be voted most inspiring small business in the Shine A Light program," said John Badal, co-founder and CEO of Sacred Wind Communications. "It's so exciting and rewarding to start your own business and be able to make an impact on the community. Through the support we will receive from American Express as winner of this program, we will be able to further extend our commitment to serving the Navajo people with advanced technology and educational resources."

Since August, people across the country have nominated thousands of small businesses for the "Shine A Light" program. Three finalists were ultimately selected with the help of host and entrepreneur Ellen DeGeneres, fashion designer and entrepreneur Diane von Furstenberg and MSNBC's small business expert and host JJ Ramberg.

"There are countless inspiring small business owners out there and we are thrilled by the much-deserved recognition 'Shine A Light' has given so many of them," said Nancy Smith, Vice President, Global Media, Content and Community, American Express. "Public response has been extremely positive; it is particularly rewarding for us to see how people in communities large and small across the country rallied around these unique small business stories with their online nominations, votes and endorsements - ultimately selecting the winner."

From September 24th through October 16th the public was invited to learn more about the finalists and vote for the most inspiring small business. Thousands voted, and the three finalists also rallied the support of their own networks, tapping into the enthusiasm of their customers and individuals with an interest in each business.

Along with winner Sacred Wind Communications, whose prize will include marketing support from American Express which may include online resources for website development, assistance with local media planning and access to American Express' marketing team for mentorship, the two other finalists -- HAPPYBABY (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Beacon Paint and Hardware (New York, N.Y.) -- will each receive a $10,000 grant from American Express.

Sacred Wind Communications is dedicated to improving telecommunications services to rural areas within New Mexico. Focused primarily on introducing basic telephone services to the thousands of underserved homes on Navajo lands, Sacred Wind also has the intent and mission of improving the most advanced services, including high speed Internet services, to Navajo, non-Navajo residents, governmental entities and business in its territory. For more information, please visit www.sacredwindcommunications.com.

About American Express
American Express Company is a leading global payments and travel company founded in 1850. For more information, visit http://www.americanexpress.com.

About NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.