CostumeWorks is looking for a ROCKSTAR Web Developer!

CostumeWorks is looking for a result-oriented, "rock star" programmer to join the company in the key role as our Sr. Web Developer as the company continues development and work to redefine our industry. The performance of the Sr. Web Developer will be critical in our success, and as such, will be compensated with an early stake position in the company. Compensation will be equity based initially, but will grow into a salaried role as we secure additional funding.

This role will be taking over for a previous development agency, so the Sr. Web Developer needs to be well versed in HTML, MySql, PHP and/or Java and be able to work quickly to get up to speed and take ownership of the existing codebase and site architecture. We are currently headquartered in the Chicago-land area with an office in San Francisco, but remote office/telecommuting is acceptable depending on the experience of the candidate. This position will report to the Vice President and co-Founder located in San Francisco.

The complete job description is available online at http://bit.ly/9ICzGD.

Please pass this onto anyone you think may be interested. If you think you are the right fit, and are interested in working in a fun, creative environment, we would love to hear from you. Please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@costumeworks.com.

Help Haiti - Support Doctors without Borders

This January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck the nation of Haiti, causing catastrophic damage inside and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince.  If you have the resources to contribute, Doctors Without Borders is  great organization to help.  Since 1971, they have provided aid to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, and have helped those people most in need regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation.


You can learn more about Doctors Without Borders online here.  Below is a link to their donation page.

CostumeWorks Wins Chicago Semi-Finals in Alibaba.com Newpreneur of the Year Award

CostumeWorks was named as a semi-finalist from the Midwest Region in the Alibaba.com and Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year contest.  Five entrepreneurs were chosen out of several hundred applicants from the Midwest to "pitch" their plans and ideas to a panel of judges and 120 event attendees.

Founder and President of CostumeWorks, Ryan Dover, and fellow semi-finalist, Paul Wolf of Wolf Technologies, will move onto the next round of the contest to compete for up to $50,000 in grants.

Following the award, Ryan commented, "I am very happy and surprised.  All five of the entrepreneurs had great ideas and gave great presentations.  And please disregard how I look...  I usually don't look that wrinkled or tired!  Well, ok...  Maybe I do."

More from the the contest and Chicago event are online here.

CostumeWorks and VeriSign Partner to Provide Enhanced Security for Online Shoppers

CostumeWorks is partnering with VeriSign to provide a premium security and authentication solution using VeriSign® Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates.  VeriSign EV SSL Certificate instantly confirm that visitors are dealing with authentic Web sites and helps keep private credit card information and other sensitive personal data.

The full story is available online here.

CostumeWorks Named Regional Finalist in Alibaba.com Newpreneur of the Year Contest

CostumeWorks Founder and President, Ryan Dover, was selected as a regional semifinalist in the Alibaba.com and Inc. Magazine “Newpreneur of the Year” contest.  Chosen from a field of 900+ applicants, Ryan will be competing with 30 entrepreneurs whose businesses range from recyclable furniture to insulated handbags for men and women for the chance to win up to $50,000 in business grants.

Contestants in each semifinalist round will be hosted and evaluated by an esteemed panel of experts, including Bob LaPointe, President, Inc.; Kirk Aubry and Jim Schelskler, the Inc. CEO Project; Kelly Sang, general manager, Alibaba.com Americas; Bo Burlingham, Editor-At-Large, Inc.; and Tom Searcy, author of Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Deals and Transform Your Company, and RFPs Suck! How to Master the RFP System Once and For All to Win Big Business.

Following the semifinalist events, the 12 finalists will be profiled on www.inc.com/alibaba, where the public can vote for the businesses that they think have the most potential to revive the economy. Based on online voting, the top five Newpreneurs will be invited to the finale event in San Francisco on Nov. 18, 2009, where the grand prize winner will be revealed and win $50,000 to invest in their business. The four remaining finalists will take home awards totaling an additional $50,000.

The semifinalists with compete in the six regional events throughout October in New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Seattle, and Los Angeles.  Ryan will represent CostumeWorks at the event at the W Hotel in Chicago on October 13.


The press release from Alibaba.com is available online here.