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| June 2009 |
| Canadian Franchise Association Golf Tournament |
| Katryn enjoyed the annual Golf Tournament of the Canadian Franchise Association - one of the key events for the CFA each year in Western Canada. |
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| June 2009 |
| Enterprising Moms Network - Get the Word Out! |
| Open Box was pleased to sponsor and attend the great conference put on by the Enterprising Moms Network on June 13th. It was a great chance to connect with a number of entrepreneurs as well as to learn from the speakers about how PR can help build a business. |
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| June 2009 |
| Blo Blow Dry Bar selects Open Box's Operations Manual software for Franchises |
| Blo Blow Dry Bar and the Head Company Inc are currently leading the way in the development of new ideas and concepts for franchise development. We are pleased that they will be using our new Operations Management software to help grow their franchise development as a beta customer. |
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| May 2009 |
| Strategic Partnership with Paul Segreto - Franchise Essentials |
| After meeting via Twitter, and then a number of productive conversations, Open Box is very pleased to have a strategic partnership with Paul Segreto and Franchise Essentials. Paul is an experienced franchise consultant with a background in franchising himself, who now specializes in social media development for franchisors. We will be presenting a webinar together in October related to challenges and opportunities in growing your franchise. |
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| May 2009 |
| Partnership with Cindi Williams and the Global Alignment Group |
| Open Box is pleased to announce that we will be working with Cindi Williams and the Global Alignment Group to enhance the opportunities available to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are looking to build the business side of their practices. Open Box provides VitalityLink.com to help practitioners build their online profiles and marketing opportunities while Cindi and the Global Alignment Group will be offering business building coaching. |
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| April 2009 |
| VitalityLink.com beta release |
| The alpha site of VitalityLink.com was released in November. Thanks to all the great practitioners who signed up and provided feedback and suggestions, we have now released the beta version - a whole new look and lots of great new functionality. If you know any complementary or alternative healthcare practitioners who are looking to build their online profiles and attract new clients, send them our way - www.vitalitylink.com. |
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| April 2009 |
| Best Heating selects Open Box |
| Open Box is proud to have been selected by Best Heating to develop their new website. We will be working together to create a website that showcases Best Heating's services and extremely high level of customer support. |
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| March 2009 |
| FWE selects Open Box |
| The Forum of Women Entrepreneurs BC has selected Open Box as the company to work with them to develop a new website that will engage their members as well as providing a better showcase for their extraordinary services aimed at helping women building high-growth companies. FWE mentors and educates entrepreneurs through leading-edge professional programs and by facilitating connections within the business community. The new site will have a variety of member services including forums, private conversations, event and program registration and exclusive offers for the FWE member community. It will be launched in September 2009. |
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| January 2009 |
| A Blog - Grow From Here |
| We now have a blog - www.growfromhere.com - Grow from here provides thoughts and insights about the areas where business strategy and technology can work together to help franchises and other businesses grow in a practical way. Take a look and share your thoughts! |
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| December 2008 |
| VitalityLink.com alpha release |
| A great month: VitalityLink.com was released in the alpha version to a select group of complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners. VitalityLink.com will help people to find and share wellness. |
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| December 2008 |
| Mention in Fiona Walsh's blog |
| Check out Fiona Walsh's blog posting about Open Box and what you need to build a successful franchise and the three key things that need to be in place to make the difference between selling 2 or 3 franchises and selling 20 or 30. Fiona is the principal of FM Walsh & Associates, Inc and one of only 3 business coaches in North America approved to provide the highly successful and popular Ghost CEO program. |
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| December 2008 |
| Growth Strategy Program Graduation |
| Katryn Harris, CEO, completed the first year of the well-known Acetech Growth Strategy Program, a year long best practices program for growth oriented IP-based technology company CEOs. This program significantly helped grow our value to our customers, as well as company strategy and development practices. |
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| November 2008 |
| Climate Smart Program |
| Open Box was pleased to participate in Ecotrust's Climate Smart program, a series of workshops for SMEs that explored how to measure, reduce and offset our carbon footprint. Open Box is committed to an awareness and a strategic reduction of our carbon footprint as part of our Corporate Social Responsiblity Program. |
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| September 2008 |
| Vancouver Franchise Tradeshow |
| Open Box attended the Canadian Franchise Association's all-franchise tradeshow, The Franchise Show in Vancouver, BC. This was a great opportunity to connect with franchisors and other service providers to the Franchise Industry here in town. |
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| August 2008 |
| Vancouver Entrepreneur Meetup |
| Jeff Baker (Creative Director, Open Box)
co-hosted the Vancouver
Entrepreneur Meetup in August with Mina Van (Owner,
Vancouver Meetup). Jeff was talking about the small things
that make a big difference in your business. There were
an estimated 80 local entrepreneurs in attendance. |
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| August 2008 |
| Yue Chen joins Open Box |
| Yue Chen joined our Open Box team as a
programmer. When not at her computer at Open Box, she enjoys
being with her friends, listening to music or … playing
on her home computer! To compensate for the hours she spends
at a computer she likes to hike the trail up North Vancouver’s
Grouse Mountain. |
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| July 2008 |
| Stas Bekman joins Open Box as Strategic
Director |
| Open Box is very pleased to welcome Stas
Bekman to our Management team
as the new Strategic Director. He brings years of experience
in monetizing online traffic and attracting high volume
search engine traffic. Stas is also a healer, with a strong
understanding of the alternative medicine market's issues
and needs. Stas spent a decade designing and developing
high scalability software for various Internet technologies,
and published two books on the Apache web server mod_perl
technology. |
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| June 2008 |
| Yun is born |
| Joe Yang, one of our team members, became
the proud father of a baby boy on the 16th—“Yun” which is
Korean for “truth” or “faith.” Yun was born at seven pounds
three ounces. Joe and his wife, Sunny Kim, are exceptionally
proud of their little boy and affectionately call him “their
precious miracle.” Joe is on paternity leave until October,
we will miss him but we are very excited for the new addition
to his happy family. Congratulations Joe! |
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| June 9, 2008 |
| Open Box featured in 24 Hours |
| Open Box was featured in 24 hours with
an article about how we create software that works for our
users. Read
the article. |
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| June 2008 |
| Vantec Presentation |
| Open Box had the honour of presenting
to VANTEC
- the Vancouver Angel Technology Network. Vantec seeks to
introduce early stage investors and mentors to promising
technologically-advanced ventures mainly in British Columbia.
Open Box was presenting VitalityLink.com, a new site for
alternative healing that will connect consumers with practitioners. |
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| May 2008 |
| Welcome Teradici |
| Open Box was pleased to welcome Teradici
as a new client. Teradici is a Vancouver-based company dedicated
to providing technological solutions that deliver a true,
uncompromising PC user experience over internet protocol
networks. Visit www.teradici.com. |
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| April 2008 |
| Erin Senior joins Open Box |
| Welcome Erin Senior to the Open Box team
as part of our sales department. Erin hails from Vancouver
Island but likes to travel far from home. She recently returned
from an adventure in Southeast Asia and keeps a camel poster
above her desk as a reminder of her fun. She graduated from
The Emily Carr Institute in 2005 with a B.FA She is also
a Yogi at heart and received her Yoga Teacher Training in
2007 in Hatha and Kundiini. She has studied with Gloria
Latham, Gurumkh Kaur Khalsa,and Dharma Mittra. Erin is currently
learning how to play the ukulele. We are thrilled to have
such a bombshell of energy on our team. |
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| April 2008 |
| Brian Smith joins Open Box |
| Brian Smith joined Open Box Inc. as executive
assistant to the CEO. Previously he had been a stay-at-home
dad who also looked after several of the neighbours’ children
(good for developing multi-tasking and crisis intervention
skills). Years ago, in a place far far away (Toronto) he
was an elementary school teacher teaching blind children
in Braille. In a life before children, Brian worked in Nigeria
as a teacher and met his current wife there. |
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| March 2008 |
| Open Box supports Passport Project |
| Open Box provided Passport
Project with a low cost copy of PranaStudio software
to help manage their events. Passport Project is a Cleveland,
Ohio, non-profit, multicultural, arts-education company
that reaches children, adults and the community in general
through residencies, performances, workshops, and electronic
and print media. Passport Project was founded in 1998, and
since then has served thousands of children and adults in
various settings. They are focused on building communities
by encouraging respect for diversity and rejection of racism
and bias. |
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| March 2008 |
| UBC Intern - Carol Lin |
| Open Box was happy to welcome Carol Lin
to our team during her internship from the UBC Multimedia
Program. Carol was with us from March 31st until April 18th,
and brought her graphic and design talents to bear on the
development of VitalityLink.com (an internal Open Box project).
We appreciate her dedication, quick learning & great
attitude! |
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| February 2008 |
| Office Expansion |
| Open Box grew! A second office was opened
across the hall from the present office making room for
new staff, a meeting room and a lunchroom. |
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| January 2008 |
| Board of Advisors Established |
| Open Box has established a Board of Advisors
to assist us in continuing our growth pattern and to guide
and advise us in how best to continue to provide the high
quality custom software development that our clients have
come to expect. We look forward to working with our high
quality new Advisory Board
members; Allan Wilson, W.C. (Bill) Cooke, Brandon Hartsell
and Paul Duncan. Our thanks to each of you for saying 'yes'. |
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| January 2008 |
| Acetech Growth Strategy Program |
| Open Box's CEO, Katryn Harris, is participating
in Acetech's
Growth Strategy Program. The Growth Strategy Program is
a step-by-step integrated learning program that enables
CEO's to increase their effectiveness as leaders and give
them the confidence that they are doing the right things,
right. This is achieved by: 1)Learning and applying best
practices models for critical processes so that the CEOs
increase their confidence that they are doing the right
things, right, 2) Coaching from successful high tech mentors
to ensure adoption of the best practices, 3) Attending specific
presentations/ workshops from world class speakers on topics
critical to success, and 4) Being in an environment that
fosters the development of deep relationships with fellow
participants and encourages mutual support, honest feedback
and the exchange of knowledge. |
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| November 2007 |
| Katryn Harris joins Board of First United
Social Housing Society |
| Katryn Harris, President and CEO of Open
Box Integration, joined the Board of Directors of First
United Church Social Housing Society, a non-profit corporation.
Recognizing that low income housing in Vancouver's Downtown
Eastside was becoming more and more endangered, the society
incorporated in Sept. 1986. Its mandate is to develop affordable
housing in the City of Vancouver for those with low, fixed,
or medium incomes. |
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| September 2007 |
| M.O.S.A.I.C Employer Recognition Award |
| Open Box was honoured to receive the 2007
M.O.S.A.I.C.
Employer Recognition Award. This award is presented annual
to an employer for leadership and commitment in providing
a workplace that supports the principles of multiculturalism
and equity. Past recipients include White Spot, PMC-Sierra
and Capers. |
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| May 2007 |
| Winson Huang joins Open Box |
| Winson Huang was welcomed to the Open
Box team as a programmer. Winson emigrated from China where
he began his career as a developer and finds Canada a great
and friendly place. When not busy at Open Box, he and his
wife love to spent time with their young son. Winson plays
badminton and basketball for fun and to fitness. Recently
he discovered a passion for sport fishing--an amazing sport
giving a great sense of achievement! |
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| February 2007 |
| Roger Huang joins Open Box |
| Roger Huang joined Open Box as a programmer.
Prior to coming to us, Roger worked as a system designer
in China. Immigrating to Canada brought many changes but
he loves life in Canada. Roger enjoys spending his free
time with his family. |
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| December 2006 |
| Sunstone Yoga selects Open Box |
| Sunstone
Yoga (the fastest growing yoga franchise in the US)
has selected Open Box to develop, deliver and support the
management systems that help them operate their very successful
yoga franchise. Open Box's PranaStudio software was selected
by Brandon Hartsell because it was scaleable, user-friendly
and very extensible. We look forward to a long and rewarding
partnership. |
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| October 2006 |
| Fuelcast Networks selects Open Box |
| Open Box welcomed Fuelcast Network as
a new client. Fuelcast operates a network of LCD screens
that broadcasts news, movie trailers, trivia, sports and
public service announcements to people at the gas pumps.
Open Box developed enterprise software applications for
tracking Fuelcast's network of thousands of players across
North America. Visit www.fuelcast.com |
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| October 2006 |
| Eco Coat Glass Protection Systems selects
Open Box |
| Eco Coat Glass Protection Systems chose
Open Box to assist with their computer needs. They created
a product and a system that window manufacturers can use
to quickly and efficiently protect window and doors during
the construction phase. |
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| September 2006 |
| Open Box adds POS functionality to PranaStudio |
| Open Box added Point-of-sale to its PranaStudio
software. |
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| June 2006 |
| CEO joins Vancouver Bach Choir Board
of Directors |
| Open Box Inc. President and CEO, Katryn
Harris, added her voice to the Board of Directors of the
Vancouver Bach Choir (but not to the choir itself). |
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| May 2006 |
| Aspen Clean selects Open Box |
| Open Box began working with Aspen Clean!
Aspen Clean is a West Vancouver-based company, providing
cleaning services which are good for our environment, and
the health of their clients family and pets. Open Box provided
consulting and custom report develoment. Visit www.aspenclean.com |
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March 2006 |
| Open Box releases PranaStudio version
4.0 |
| The latest version of PranaStudio (version
4.0), our yoga studio software, was released! Bigger and
better, this version incorporated many suggestions from
studios using previous versions. Recognizing that the needs
of studios are evolving, PranaStudio is evolving with them. |
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| March 2006 |
| Zane Xie joins the Open Box team |
| Open Box was very fortunate to hire Zane
Xie, our Lead Software Developer. He is a graduate from
Huazhong University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor
of Science in Marine Engineering. He began his career in
software development working with CAD/CAM design, refining
& rewriting legacy scientific programs, developing a CAD
drawing elements library management system and maintaining
the GUMECO website. Since then he has had hands-on experience
in the design and development of CRM and ERP systems, as
well as B2B and B2C applications. He is experienced in the
development of Web applications, Client/Server systems,
and other n-tiered distributed applications on Linux and
Windows platforms. He obtained his MCSE in 1999 and is currently
working on his thesis for a Master’s degree in software
engineering. Zane has excellent OOA/OOD skills, solid knowledge
of data modeling, UML, and design patterns, and he is experienced
in systems analysis, system architecture and project management. |
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| March 2006 |
| D.A. Townley selects Open Box |
| Open Box was pleased to welcome D.A. Townley
& Associates Ltd. as a new client. D.A. Townley & Associates
Ltd. is western Canada's leading and largest employee benefits
third party administrator (TPA). With over $1 billion in
assets under administration, they provide group health benefits
and pension plan administration, claims payment and supporting
services on behalf of 1,000 corporate and union clients
to 100,000 employees/members and dependents. Open Box provides
ongoing support and development projects for their internal
operations and web applications. Visit www.datownley.com |
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| January 2006 |
| Prospect Solutions selects Open Box |
| Open Box is pleased to welcome Prospect
Solutions Inc (PSI), formerly Friendly Business Solutions
as a new client. Prospect Solutions specializes in providing
professional telemarketing services. Open Box provided a
custom website with client login capabilities, search engine
optimization, and a highly professional image. Visit www.prospectsolutions.ca |
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| December 2005 |
| Living Breathing Yoga selects Open Box |
| Open Box is pleased to welcome Living
Breathing Yoga as a new client. Living Breathing Yoga hosts
yoga retreats in Thailand and India. Open Box is providing
a database-driven community website that is capable of supporting
plug-in modules such as a shopping cart, discussion forum,
blog, newsletter, etc. Visit www.livingbreathingyoga.com |
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| November 2005 |
| Paradigm Marketing selects Open Box |
| Open Box is pleased to welcome Paradigm
Marketing as a new client. Paradigm Marketing is a health
and wellness company specializing in massage chairs and
beds. Open Box is providing a data-driven website, consulting,
and database support. Visit www.paradigmmarketing.ca |
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| October 2005 |
| Open Box joins the Vancouver Board of
Trade |
| Open Box joined the Vancouver Board of
Trade to build relationships with the other member companies
& organizations. |
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| September 2005 |
| Open Box releases PranaStudio Light |
| Open Box announces the release of PranaStudio
Light, a complete version of the program designed for small
studios that need a low cost alternative without sacrificing
ease of use or functionality. PranaStudio Light is limited
to 15 classes per week and does not include point of sale
features. Visit www.pranastudiosoftware.com |
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| September 2005 |
| Open Box releases preview of PranaStudio
version 3.0 with POS |
| Pranastudio version 3.0 with point of
sale (POS) preview was released. This builds on the unparalleled
usability and features of version 2.0 by adding complete
point of sale functionality. This retail component gives
studios the ability to sell products, track inventory, record
suppliers, and view detailed reports on store activity.
Visit www.pranastudiosoftware.com |
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| June 2005 |
| Megan Harris joins the Open Box team |
| Megan Harris began as the Open Box Office
Assistant in the summer before starting university. Now,
she's one of the Administrative Assistants and is in her
fourth and final year of an English Honours degree at UBC.
Her passions include literature, music, and theatre. Megan
works part-time at Open Box and part-time at a local community-oriented
and co-operatively owned grocery store. She plans to pursue
a Masters degree and PhD in 20th century English Literature.
She is proud to be working at Open Box, which has such high
standards of service and product quality! |
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| April 25, 2005 |
| Open Box releases PranaStudio version
2.0 |
| Open Box Launches PranaStudio Version
2.0. PranaStudio is Yoga Studio Management Software designed
to be intuitive and enjoyable to use for any Yoga studio.
Originally developed for The Yoga Shala Calgary, PranaStudio
version 1.0 has successfully helped The Yoga Shala manage
their students, classes and memberships for the past 2 years.
PranaStudio Version 2.0 builds on the incredible ease of
use of Version 1.0 by adding many new features including
extensive reports, workshops, a merge students function,
a new notes module, and much more. |
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| January 2005 |
| Open Box moves into office space on Broadway |
| Open Box moved to the current office at
Suite 208 – 111 West Broadway, Vancouver. |
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| June 22, 2004 |
| Open Box is founded and incorporated! |
Jeff Baker and Katryn Harris co-founded
and incorporated Open Box!
Jeff Baker, Creative Director of Open Box, obtained a
Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma in 1997 and
then turned his attention to graphic and user interface
design and hasn’t looked back. He specializes in designing
and developing websites and user interfaces. Jeff is passionate
about the user experience and intuitive design. One of
his most recent successes is the user interface design
for the most user-friendly yoga studio software on the
market--PranaStudio.
Katryn Harris, President and CEO of Open Box, specializes
in the combination of IT and Business Processes. A graduate
of Capilano College’s Computer Specialist Diploma she
was awarded the Capilano College Achievement Award at
graduation. Her background includes years of management
experience in the non-profit sector, as well as experience
in translation (French and English). Her passion is information:
how it’s stored, understood, communicated and used for
business purposes. She has worked with Crystal Reports,
Crystal Enterprise, .NET, Access, SQL Server, classic
ASP, VB 6.0 and Microsoft Project and Visio. Katryn is
fluently bilingual. |
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