Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneur is Cyber Relief Founder Jason Mainella, who shares with us a very special milestone in his career that would resonate deeply with anyone operating a multinational business.
“I like to define myself as a family man. In this particular case, when I say family I’m referring to the business team at my technology firm, Cyber Relief. These individuals provide me with energy, inspiration and drive that truly define my character.
Since my youth, I have always had a healthy obsession with technology and futurism. Today my firm is based out of three countries worldwide and strives to bring efficient technological solutions to the business world.”
Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
My job is to find new ways to integrate technology into existing business models. As the CEO of Cyber Relief, I have helped create a company that moulds and adapts to various client needs. Sometimes we’re working with the marketing department, other times we might be working on internal communication or supply chain management.
Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
As a child I always felt the urge to figure out how anything electronic worked. I was one of those kids that had to take everything apart and then put it back together. So when I first got my hands on a computer, I immediately had to tear it down to its bones and rebuild it. This gave me a unique understanding of both hardware and software. This initial curiosity was soon coupled with amazement at the power of technology to bring people and information together.
Initially I started a business selling hosting and servers to customers across North America as a teenager. Over the years this has evolved into Cyber Relief, which provides both IT solutions and marketing services.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part of my day is chatting with my team members all over the world. They make me laugh and smile, and those little moments are priceless when you’re working long hours. The most challenging part is finding moments to sleep!
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Sitting in an office with my team, collaborating on a new project that will solidify Cyber Relief as an Internet pioneer.
What does success look like to you?
Success is seeing the smiles on the faces of the people you work with. Ups and downs are inevitable; I sometimes say that success is embracing the ups when they are there.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
There have been quite a few moments, but there’s one in particular that has really stuck with me. In 2010 I went to Ukraine to visit and meet my development team. After years of collaborating online and through the phone, I finally got to hang out in person with Roman and Pavel. I already considered them my good friends, but actually seeing them almost brought me to tears. It was a surreal and unimaginably happy experience.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
1. Never stop dreaming, and I’m not talking about REM sleep or counting sheep.
2. Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise!
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
Cyber Relief works closely with a number of charities, most recently, the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Special Olympics. I’ve chosen to work with these groups since their goals resonate with me. I believe in supporting our youth, and helping to give them chances and opportunities whenever possible.
What to you is notable?
Any group that comes together to benefit the future of our society.
Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
These days I carry both iPhone and Android. CyberRelief has been working on a number of applications and that has had the effect of turning all of our employees into beta testers, including myself!
We’ve been eyeing the forthcoming Ubuntu Edge, which will dual-boot both Android and Ubuntu.