Special Report: Young entrepreneur

The 2010 1st Amongst Equals winner has built a successful brand by taking a different approach than her competitors.

WHEN I first chaired the judging for the WA Business News 40under40 Awards in its inaugural year, 2002, the prevailing view was that we would struggle to find a constant supply of talent to match the nominees and winners of that first year.

A TWENTY year old with no formal qualifications and only a handful of low-level administrative-type roles might not sound like a pedigree for business success, but for Rory Vassallo, short-listed for the 1st Amongst Equals award, it was more than enough t

ANYONE who has started a business knows how tough it can be, even when the product sells itself and people are queuing around the block to become clients.

IN 2005, recognising a gap in the worldwide market for safety gloves, 1st Amongst Equals finalist Damione Wright established Ironclad gloves through his Carlisle-based business, Wrights HardWear.

40 Under 40 winners