 Profile
| Though he did not graduate with his Havo, Martijn Bevelander’s story is one of astounding success. A bright student, Bevelander left Eerste Christelijk Lyceum at 17 to focus his attention on his two successful Internet ventures, the Internet service provider Bevelander Internet Services and the chat site ChatPlaza, both of which he founded in 1997 at age 17. Martijn Bevelander’s decision to leave ECL paid off; 11 years later, ChatPlaza is still The Netherlands’ most popular place to go for chat, blogging, social networking, and dating. Though Bevelander Internet Services has gone the way of most Internet companies in 2001/2002, ChatPlaza is still going strong. In addition to ChatPlaza, Martijn Bevelander also founded another successful web venture, 2005’s StayClose B.V. StayClose is one of The Netherlands’ most popular social networking sites, featuring viral videos, music, photo sharing, and blogging. Martijn Bevelander is a successful businessman offline, as well. In 2003, he bought the popular discotheque Club Delirium, located in his hometown of Haarlem, Netherlands. At the time of its purchase, Club Delirium was struggling to stay afloat and facing imminent bankruptcy. Bevelander had just finished running Bevelander Internet Services and was looking for a new venture to occupy his time. Club Delirium seemed like the perfect choice. Bevelander invested in the struggling club, and today, it has earned a spot as one of Haarlem’s most popular nightclubs. When he is not working at one of his numerous ventures, Martijn Bevelander enjoys watching movies, keeping fit, and swimming for both exercise and pleasure. Not one to shy away from risk, Martijn Bevelander lives by the motto “Live my life 2 the max.”
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