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Tags: business journal, business skills, business trend, business world, cool stuff, cutting edge, economic mix, high school teacher, hudson valley, kingston, pany, paton, scout, search engine optimization, small business technology, technology director, valley business, valley search, web design company, work relationships,Pages: 1
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Created: Sun Sep 9 10:29:35 2007
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Hudson Valley BUSINESS JOURNAL September 10, 2007 Page 19
SMALL BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Former teacher recruits teens for web design company
BY DYLAN SKRILOFF and Bram's assistant was there. He asked which has led him to recruit teenagers to value of creating work-relationships in
When Bram Moreinis created if' my dad needed a website and he said work for his company. "You're a kid, a the Hudson Valley. Many of them are
`
Gameface, a Kingston-based web-design no, my son can do that.' He said, `oh, high school student excellent with brilliant. Kids know the culture of online
company, the former high school teacher your son would be perfect for our com- computers. Can you find a teacher better collaboration and have time to stay on
and technology director wanted to add to pany,"' said Paton, who is Gameface's than you? Can you find someone the cutting edge. When I met them they
the economic mix of the Hudson Valley. "search engine optimization" expert and connected to the business world? Nope, weren't being productive about it. They
His idea was "insourcing," a response to also runs his own wehmaster's form at they'll probably go to college and then just know how to do cool stuff. I teach
the business trend particularly prevalent www.dnlodge.com. get recruited by a corporate scout to a them work and business skills. When
in the IT industry known as "It's interesting and gives me experi- company in North Carolina that pays they see I can make them money, it's a
"outsourcing." Most people know by whole new world for them," Moreinis
now that outsourcing is when a U.S. said.
company hires cheaper labor in Another of Moreinis' talented employ-
another country to do work for them. ees is 19-year-old Benjamin Kudria. A
Instead of hiring people in India to web programmer and sophomore enrolled
work on his websites, Moreinis has in SUNY Stonybrook's Computer Science
been recruiting Hudson Valley honors program, Kudria met Moreinis as
teenagers, a demographic he is well a ninth-grader in Taconic Hills High
acquainted with as a professional School, where Moreinis was the
educator. He looks at this project on technology director. He was part of the
several levels - it is a great experience Tech Scout program that built the school's
for these teens and young adults to website. He credited Tech Scout with
apply themselves in a professional helping to build his web development
environment, this age group tends to skills. Kudria also helped Moreinis start a
he very creative and efficient in their company that preceded Gameface, called
internet work, and by giving them a Beyond the Box.
taste of the business world at a young "It was a very sound learning experi-
age, they might be more inclined to ence. It's been very helpful in [preparing
stay in the area and add to the local me] for college," Kudria said of his
economy as adults. Beyond the Box and Gameface experi-
I like his idea of insourcing because ence. The skills he learned helped him
there are a lot of talented teenagers start his own web programming business
here willing to work for about what it at Stonybrook, Blue Box Technical
costs to outsource," 18-year-old web ence I wouldn't get at any fast-food $60,000 a year. It's either that or go back Solutions. He also credits Moreinis as
programmer and Poughkeepsie resident restaurant," Paton said of his work for home and live with mom and look for a being an inspiring role model.
Adam Atlas said. "[Working for Gameface. Success is already breeding job. It's a no-brainer," Moreinis said. "Those kinds of people are really diffi-
Gameface] is a really neat opportunity. family expectations. Moreinis said the combination of kids cult to find. Bram is unique, he had a
It's an interesting job, I work with people "Everyone seems to think I'm going to leaving home for high-paying jobs and personal mission to transform public
I know and get paid well," said Atlas who become a multimillionaire. I guess they local companies and corporations schools. He was disillusioned with the
already has two years of college are proud of me," he added. outsourcing work to cheap labor sectors, system at the end of his last job and
experience at Simon's Rock in Moreinis, who began his career in creates a gap in the middle class that wanted to try a different approach. He
Massachusetts. technology education in the mid-1980's, employing talented teenagers can help liked dealing directly with students,"
Atlas has been working with Moreinis developed a program known as Tech repair. Just because talented youths will Kudria said.
on projects since he was a nine-year-old Scouts in 1996 that he eventually applied take money for a big corporate just in Moreinis noted that he is not entirely
tech whiz showing off his skills in a New at several school districts and continues North Carolina, doesn't mean they would accustomed to running a business for
Paltz Bakery. It wasn't too long after to this day. The program gives students not rather exist in a better reality, closer profit, he was always more of an idealist
meeting the youngster that Moreinis had who are excellent with technology the to home, Moreinis said. "Insourcing" than a business man. "I'm still getting
him teaching his high school computer chance to apply those skills in service on opens their minds to new possibilities and used to it," he said.
science class what he knew. the community in a real-world environ- new confidence. To learn more about Gameface, visit
Brandon Paton, a fifteen-year-old ment. For example students run school "What's corporate America like? www.gamefacewebdesign.com. The
Hurley resident, wasn't advertising his websites and offer tech support. Think Office Space [a popular film that Hudson Valley Tech Scouts website is at
web skills to anyone, but his father acci- Working with the youth, Moreinis harshly satires corporate life]. Kids don't http://hvscouts.com .
dentally landed him the Gameface gig. obviously has an idea of how they think. like corporate culture, but they'll take it
"My dad was going to a chamber mixer He described the economic "brain drain" for the money. I'm paying kids to see the