Young Entrepreneurs' Edition

Brayden William Blaine Olson

Brayden William Blaine Olson is a recent graduate and the 22-year-old founder and CEO of Novel Interactive. Novel creates virtual gaming simulations that help businesses make better decisions, operate more effectively and save capital. Novel’s products will help mid-sized companies save tens of millions, and Fortune 5000 companies save hundreds of millions. By the end of 2010, despite the recession, Novel will create 20 new jobs.

Brayden graduated magna cum laude two years before his peers from Seattle University with a degree in Business Management during which time he was invited to become a member of Beta Gamma Sigma the invitation-only, business honor society for those who meet the highest academic and ethical standard worldwide.

In between classes, clubs and part-time work, Brayden began laying the groundwork to launch his company and before graduating was recognized as a “young leader ready to step onto the big stage,” in an October 22, 2007 BusinessWeek article, “Where have all the leaders gone? (Part III).” Brayden was listed as an example of young leaders who would follow in the footsteps of Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Howard Schultz.

On October 27, 2009 Brayden was selected as Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Northwest Champion for the GSEA competition. Novel also received the Innovation Award sponsored by Microsoft during this regional competition, which is given to the company that is most likely to create massive value and change, similar to Microsoft, within the high technology world.

Brayden was the first Washington representative entrepreneur to make it to the prestigious global competition, which selects just the top 30 student age entrepreneurs from 33 countries around the globe and over 1,500 applicants with active businesses. At 21, Brayden was among the youngest entrepreneurs in participation.

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Australian Entrepreneurs' Edition

Dr. Aileen Cater-Steel

Dr. Cater-Steel is Associate Professor in Information Systems in the Faculty of Business at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland Australia. Dr Cater-Steel has previously published three edited books, on Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (co-edited by Emily Cater), IT Governance and Service Management, and Information Systems Research. Her work has been published in many international journals including the Communications of the ACM, Information and Software Technology, International Journal of IT Standards and Standardization Research and she has presented at many international conferences. Her research interests include IT Governance, IT Service Management, e-Commerce adoption, and gender issues related to the participation of women in engineering, science and technology disciplines.

Prior to her academic career, Aileen worked in local government for 17 years and also private industry. She ran her own consulting business for five years. Through her work and study she has always been fascinated by entrepreneurs and their amazing stories of daring and perseverance.

Emily Cater

Emily has a B.Bus degree (Marketing) from the Queensland University of Technology and has worked in analytical roles within the insurance industry since graduation. Emily is active in Toastmasters International and has served as a Speechcraft facilitator and VP Education. Editing books is just one of a menagerie of unlikely hobbies she has collected, which also include ballroom dance, knitting tea cosies and long distance cycling.

We are accepting story submissions for the Australian Entrepreneurs' Edition from entrepreneurs who have businesses that commenced in Australia.

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New Zealand Entrepreneurs’ Edition

Dr. Judith Symonds

Judith Symonds has a PhD in Natural and Rural Systems Management from the University of Queensland. She is a faculty member at the Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand where she teaches postgraduate courses in Information Computing Technology Issues for Small and Medium Enterprises. Her PhD focused on eCommerce use in small owner operated businesses in New Zealand. In her spare time, Dr Symonds is also a Tupperware demonstrator. “Everyone thinks that selling Tupperware is kind of a 'Nana’ thing to do” she says. However, the way that the dealership is run and the professional management of the salesforce including many opportunities for women empowers many people to own their own business with the freedom to make of it what they will. Dr Symonds is Australian by birth, however, she has enjoyed working in New Zealand since 1999. “New Zealanders are renowned for their entrepreneurial passion and spirit” Dr Symonds says. Locally the entrepreneurial character of New Zealand is called 'Number 8 wire ingenuity’. “That is where I got the idea for the New Zealand edition of A Cup of Cappuccino for the Entrepreneurs Spirit” she says. Therefore, the New Zealand edition will be dedicated to the everyday entrepreneur.

Tracy Milich

Tracy is the director of Blossom, a lifestyle company that offers workshops and coaching programs, assisting men and women to recognize their full potential enabling them to experience successful living. She is a Certified Lifestyle Coach where she trained with Coach University in the USA, a network renowned for training an international community of high calibre professional coaches. She offers a number of workshops that have transformed many people's lives and is also certified in Louise L. Hay's work, the author of You Can Heal Your Life.

Tracy has been affiliated with The Empowering Group for the last eight years, a company committed to encouraging personal awareness and leadership development where her main role was facilitating transformational workshops that allow people to heal the past and move into a more empowered way of life. Tracy is thrilled to be connecting with entrepreneurs who are making a positive contribution to our world and sharing their story. www.blossom.net.nz

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Watch for the introduction of editors for the following editions of A Cup of Cappuccino for the Entrepreneur's Spirit: Extraordinary Entrepreneurs' Edition, Celebrity Social Entrepreneurs' Edition, Internet Entrepreneurs' Edition, Canadian Entrepreneurs' Edition, African American Entrepreneurs' Edition and Hispanic Entrepreneurs' Edition.