OprahWinfreyShow

Oprah: the World's Best Boss?

Oprah Winfrey doled out Apple iPads and checks for $10,000 to the staff at her "O, The Oprah Magazine." Why? She appreciates them! Listen up, bosses, and see how it's done.

This isn't the first time Oprah has shown her generosity toward her staff. She has reportedly rewarded staffers with Hawaiian vacations, cars and trips. The occasion for this most-recent gift-giving was the celebration of the magazine's 10th anniversary, according to Advertising Age. The billionaire media mogul stopped by Hearst's Manhattan headquarters and handed each staffer a new iPad with a personalized leather carrying case. And let's not forget the $10,000 checks. It could not be determined how many employees were given the gifts, which, by the way, are taxable.

The daytime talk-show-diva-turned-corporation once famously gave away new cars to every member of her Chicago studio audience. The popular TV host is ending "The Oprah Winfrey Show" next year after 25 years as she sets up her own cable TV network, known as OWN.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, oprahs big give, OprahWinfreyShow

Oprah's Angel Network Closing Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers

With her show set to finish up in 2011 Oprah Winfrey is making some big changes. Her Oprah's Angel Network, a charitable organization that has raised and given away more than $80 million in over a decade, will shut down. As of this week the charity has stopped accepting donations. It will distribute all remaining funds and then close.

Oprah began the charity in 1998 and encouraged both her celebrity friends and her legion of fans to donate money to the charity. She paid the administrative costs so that all funds raised went directly toward the appropriate causes. Nearly 150,000 donors have given money to the network and according to the Angel Network website the charity has awarded funds to hundreds of organizations in the United States and in more than 30 countries around the world.

Oprah's new cable network, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, will continue to highlight charitable organizations in the years ahead. Oprah's two private philanthropies, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation will both remain active. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that Oprah Winfrey donated more than $41 million last year and was ranked No. 25 on The Chronicle's most-recent annual Philanthropy 50, which compiles the total annual giving by America's biggest philanthropists.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah Winfrey Show, oprahs angel network, OprahWinfreyShow

Sprinkles: The Original Cupcake Bakery

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Los Angeles, Ca.-based Sprinkles has been nominated for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Cupcake.

Sprinkles is a favorite of Hollywood stars from Tyra Banks, Russell Crowe and Paris Hilton to Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey and Teri Hatcher, all of who proclaim love for the sumptuous treats. "I love Sprinkles Cupcakes," says Banks. "I am addicted to them." Ryan Seacrest is a fan, too. "These are not just cupcakes, they're a lifestyle," he says. Barbra Streisand once sent a box of Sprinkle's cupcakes to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah enjoyed them so much she ordered enough to share with her entire studio audience. Sprinkles is also known for its star topped variety served at Oscar parties.

Luxist readers describe the cupcakes this way:

"Amazingly delicious and beautiful with a variety of flavors."
"The best cupcakes anywhere! Long lines, but worth the wait. Their butter with vanilla frosting will change your life."
"The original luxury cupcake store."
"Their entire range of flavors is executed masterfully, from classics like Red Velvet to more exotic editions like chai latte. The cake is light and not too sweet with rich frostings that balance each other perfectly."

Company founders Candace and Charles Nelson opened the first Sprinkles in Beverly Hills in April 2005. People thought the couple were crazy to open a cupcakes-only bakery in the middle of "thin city" at a time with low carb mania was at its peak. Despite naysayers, they sold out within hours of opening, and sales haven't slowed since. Today, Sprinkles is known as much for its long lines and devoted fans as for its delicious cupcakes. Sprinkles is credited with inspiring a national cupcake craze as reported by the New York Times, USA Today, the Today Show and Nightline.

Gallery: More from Sprinkles

Sprinkles evokes the memory of European bakeries flooded with the smell of baked goods and awash in natural light, with a modern touch. Its cupcakes are baked in small batches throughout the day, so that they will be as fresh as possible for Sprinkles' devoted customers. The cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients, including sweet cream butter, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, fresh bananas and carrots, real strawberries and natural citrus zests.

Sprinkles offers more than 20 tantalizing flavors (15 or so of which are on sale on any given day), from simple vanilla to creative chai latte. Topped with Sprinkles' trademark modern dots, rich chocolate sprinkles from France or seasonal sugar decorations, Sprinkles Cupcakes are perfect for occasions of any kind.

Sprinkles' famous gift box is a sleek rectangular box that holds one dozen freshly baked cupcakes. The bakery also offers a tray, produced by Heller in a variety of colors, that fits right into the gift box and can be kept to display the cupcakes.

Sprinkles also offers signature cupcake mixes in red velvet, vanilla, dark chocolate and lemon. The mixes are made from the same high quality ingredients used in Sprinkles bakeries and are complete with Sprinkle's trademark modern dots. In addition to Sprinkles shops, the mixes are sold at Williams-Sonoma's 250 stores nationwide and in Canada.

Its original store is two blocks west of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, but today, Sprinkles has six additional locations in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Newport Beach, Scottsdale and Palo Alto. More locations will be opening soon in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Kansas City, London, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

Vote for the company you believe makes the best cupcakes. Readers' Choice Winners will be announced on March 1st.

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