BRADLEY WARDELL:
 
Jason Lambiris




 
 
 
 
 
Founder, President, and CEO of Stardock Corp. in Plymouth Township. Stardock is a PC software company specializing in Windows experience software and PC games. Stardock Entertainment is an emerging leader in the PC gaming industry and develops and/or publishes a variety of popular games, including Elemental: War of Magic, Demigod, and Sins of a Solar Empire. Stardock has two of the highest-rated PC games of all time, according to Metacritic. This year, Stardock sold its Impulse Inc. game distribution subsidiary to computer and video game retailer GameStop. Stardock received a 10-year, $1.2 million state tax credit in 2009 for the $900,000 expansion of its headquarters and the creation of additional jobs. Wardell, who founded Stardock while in college, has built the company from a one-man startup to more than 40 employees and more than $15 million in revenue. He has been featured in Entrepreneur, and on CNN, MSNBC, and other media for his leadership in the gaming industry. Wardell remains active in software development, designing, and coding for most of the key Stardock programs. He was recognized as one of the "40 under 40" by Crain's Detroit Business and is a Microsoft MVP. Wardell received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Western Michigan University.


WHERE BORN: “Dallas.”

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: “My mom. One of the things in business that has been critical has been knowing how to manage money, and my mom is an accountant by trade, so I've always been diligent and made the best use of those skills.”

LAST BOOK READ: “Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. It's about using behavioral shaping to train animals.”

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: “Assertive, relentless, and persistent.”

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: “In the technology industry, in a nutshell, we're seeing what's called de-cobbled computing. Devices' input and output are no longer going to be connected together. It's going to create a whole new paradigm for the industry and for people.”

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: “My iPhone.”

FAVORITE PLACE: “Higgins Lake in Michigan.”

FAVORITE HOBBIES: “Beekeeping, gardening, and reading.”

FAVORITE FOOD: “Steak.”

MY HIDDEN TALENT: “I never get sick.”

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: “As someone who treated people fairly.”


Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.