Martijn Bevelander hails from Haarlem (NH), Netherlands. After graduating from Sancta Maria Atheneum in 1996 and attending ECL for a year, Martijn Bevelander founded Bevelander Internet Services in July 1997 at the young age of 17. Because the Internet was still a new frontier in 1997, Martijn Bevelander was able to get in on the ground floor, becoming one of the first Internet service providers in Holland. Due to its excellent service, Bevelander Internet Services eventually became one of the top Internet providers in the entire country. In addition to founding Bevelander Internet Services, Martijn Bevelander also founded the chat site ChatPlaza in 1997. Though Bevelander Internet Services closed in 2002, due to the onset of DSL, ChatPlaza is still thriving today. Eleven years after it first went live, ChatPlaza remains the number one chat and social networking site in the Netherlands. In 2003, after closing Bevelander Internet Services, Martijn Bevelander invested in a new type of social venture: a discothèque in downtown Haarlem called Club Delirium. At the time, Club Delirium was struggling to stay open and facing bankruptcy, but with an infusion of funds from Martijn Bevelander, the club made a complete turnaround, and today, the disco is one of Haarlem’s most popular nightspots. Martijn Bevelander’s most recent venture is the website StayClose B.V. Similar to ChatPlaza, StayClose B.V. is a social networking site that hosts blogs, videos, music, and news all in one place. Much like StayClose’s Bevelander-run predecessors, StayClose B.V. has quickly becoming one of the most popular sites of its kind in The Netherlands. Although extremely busy with his numerous business ventures, Martijn Bevelander is always looking for the next big opportunity in Internet trends. Additionally, Mr. Bevelander also enjoys swimming, athletics, and watching movies.