HPNG Hosts Celebrity Footwear-Designing Brother Duo SHANE & SHAWN WARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY, February 24, 2009 – The Hispanic Professionals Networking Group’s (HPNG) February event recognizes the accomplishments of the first African-American guest speakers in the company’s six-year history. Attendees will discover how the Detroit-born twin brothers went from aspiring football players to launching their own shoe design company in this unprecedented networking event.

The February HPNG event will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 6pm. The venue is ELMO Lounge, 156 7th Avenue, New York City.

If you own a pair of Adidas, Fila or Puma sneakers, chances are that Shane and Shawn Ward had some hand in creating that piece of athletic footwear. But creating specialty footwear for the top U.S. brands is only the beginning for the versatile pair.

Shawn Ward grew up in Detroit, Michigan with dreams of playing professional football, and later graduating with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, would suggest an unlikely source to inspire a budding passion for fashion.

Shane Ward --- the other identical twin brother and second half behind the footwear-designing duo of Detny by SHANE&SHAWN ---- utilized his college education in Industrial Engineering to work his way up the ladder at powerhouse companies like Adidas and AND1.

Meanwhile, with the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple and the infinite ways to turn success in the city, all that New York had to offer quickly inspired Shawn. With eyes wide open and the inspiration to start his own business, Shawn partnered with his twin brother to start their own freelance design consultancy agency, SW2DESIGN.

In just one year, Shawn's business savvy ---- coupled with Shane’s innate sense of design ---- enabled SW2DESIGN to become one of the most sought after freelance design consultancies in the footwear industry, designing shoes for AND1, Fila, Puma, Royal Elastics, Adidas, and Converse to name a few. With the success of SW2DESIGN, the twin brothers naturally progressed, creating a footwear brand of their own. Launched in 2003, the line called SHANE&SHAWN is inspired by the lifestyle of jet setting individuals who demand style with uncompromised fit and function.

HPNG President Ali Curi is honored to host the dynamic duo. “Shane and Shawn represent so much of what HPNG stands for: young leadership and the drive to overcome challenges and achieve success."

It’s no secret that SHANE&SHAWN fans include a roster of celebrities ranging from basketball stars (Shaquille O’Neil) to Hollywood’s elite (Kevin Spacey). Despite the company’s tremendous success, President and Cofounder Shawn Ward has never forgotten his Detroit upbringing. “Many of the hardships experienced by the African-American community are the same as the Latin community as both groups have had to overcome stereotypes in business and personal life,” he explains. “This event gives my brother and me an opportunity to talk about our background and help inspire others.”

About HPNG

Launched in 2003, HPNG organizes cross-industry networking events in New York and Miami. HPNG also offers a diverse range of professional development workshops and seminars. For more information visit:

http://www.hpng.net