Bill Bradley Joins UPromise; Former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Continues Commitment to Education, Teams With Industry Innovators to Make College More Affordable.

Business Editors, Education Writers

BROOKLINE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2000

Today's teleconference details appear below.

UPromise, Inc., the revolutionary college savings network, today announced that former senator, 2000 presidential candidate and NBA champion Bill Bradley has joined UPromise as a special advisor and will serve on the company's Board of Directors. Bradley will work with the UPromise management team of marketing, e-commerce and financial services pioneers, as well as the UPromise Advisory Board of current and former CEOs, state governors and university presidents, who have banded together to help make a college education more affordable and accessible to American families.

"Every family wants to give their children a college education - it's the ticket to the American Dream. Yet, for too many families, the cost is out of reach or requires enormous sacrifice," said Bradley. "UPromise, in partnership with America's leading corporations, will help families afford the rising cost of college. I am proud to join a company that will make such a big difference in the lives of families."

Through UPromise, sponsoring companies rebate a percentage of a family's everyday spending into a professionally managed, tax-advantaged college savings account. Families can save tens of thousands of dollars for college by directing their spending toward UPromise sponsors, while the sponsoring companies build brand loyalty by helping to solve their customers' most pressing need. As part of the UPromise leadership team, Bradley will help forge partnerships to add to UPromise's growing network of corporate sponsors and financial institutions.

"By joining UPromise, businesses will help customers address their number one concern," said Bradley. "Studies show American families are more worried about affording a college education for their children than they are about their own retirement. UPromise and its partners are changing the way families save, while pioneering a new way for businesses to create brand loyalty."

Bradley, a Rhodes Scholar and Princeton University graduate, developed his belief in the importance of education from the experience of his own father, who dropped out of high school to support his family. Bradley has devoted much of his political career to making higher education more affordable, to prevent others from being forced to choose between work and education. Bradley's past education-related initiatives include the creation and passage of "Self-Reliance Scholarship" legislation, which makes college loans more affordable for students interested in careers in community service. He was also a key supporter of government-funded Pell Grants and other tuition solutions.

"Throughout his career, Bill has demonstrated a unique ability to create and champion innovative solutions to problems facing American families," said Michael Bronner, founder and CEO of UPromise. "His insight into launching national movements, combined with his passionate belief in making higher education more affordable and accessible, make him a valuable asset to the UPromise team. We are honored to welcome him to the company."

Join Bill Bradley and Michael Bronner, founder and CEO of UPromise, for a teleconference on Wednesday, September 20 at 10 a.m. EST. Call 1-888-273-9886. Reference Bill Bradley/UPromise teleconference.

If you are unable to participate in the teleconference, call 1-800-475-6701 between 1:30 p.m. EST on September 20 and 5:30 EST on September 22 to hear a digitized replay of the discussion.

About UPromise

UPromise is a revolutionary savings network focused on fundamentally altering the affordability of college for America's families. In partnership with the country's most trusted brands, UPromise will enable families to save for their children's college education. Through UPromise, sponsoring companies contribute a portion of the family's spending into a college savings plan, where the funds are managed by leading financial institutions and grow tax-free until withdrawn for college. Sponsoring companies make college education more affordable for their customers, while building long-term brand loyalty across extended family networks, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. An affiliated non-profit entity, the UPromise Education Foundation, helps lower-income students and their families afford a college education. The Foundation is funded in part by UPromise's founder, who has contributed the majority of his equity in UPromise, and UPromise management and investors, who have contributed up to half their equity. UPromise raised more than $34 million in first-round venture capital funding from investment partners General Atlantic Partners, Greylock, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Charles River Ventures and General Catalyst. UPromise began operations in January 2000 and is based in Brookline, Mass.

The UPromise Advisory Board is comprised of leaders in education, government and business, including: Kim Clark, Dean, Harvard Business School; Johnetta Cole, President emeritus, Spelman College; George Fisher, Chairman, Kodak; Thomas Kean, Jr., President of Drew University and former Governor of New Jersey; Donald Kennedy, Professor and former President, Stanford University; Madeline Kunin, Former Governor of Vermont and former Deputy Secretary of Education; David Rockefeller, Jr., Rockefeller & Co., Inc.; Donald Stewart, Former President, The College Board; Dr. Clifton Wharton, Former Chairman and CEO, TIAA-CREF and former President, Michigan State University; John C. Whitehead, Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Bank of New York and former Co-Chairman, Goldman, Sachs & Co.