4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
There's not enough space for everyone's names...There is no single individual who has been "most" influential - everyone who has touched my life has made me who I am today... my mother, Pat, taught me the art of entertaining and how to be a lady - she's also the most creative influence in my life. My father, Geoff, shaped me into a dedicated woman with an entrepreneurial flair and strategic vision (perhaps my strongest business influence). My sister Ruth imparted the value of dance and dreaming. My grandparents gave me lots of love and happy memories. My debate coach taught me to listen, to argue, to negotiate and to project. My uncle let me know that family is always there for you, my friends that their support is constant despite geographical boundaries. My grandfather taught me to be proud and appreciate my legacy, my family to appreciate nature and "the bush," and my late grandmother showed me you could die with dignity and live on in the hearts and souls of those around you. My friend Alison taught me about gnomes and faeries, Riccie to expand my horizons, discover inner spirituality and guide me to my inner self, Ayala about multi-tasking and pushing the boundaries, and Cindy about being proud and following your heart. Steve, Jacques, Ross, Javin, Eric - they have been there for years as friends reciprocally to share celebrations, to help embrace shortcomings, to lend a hand, provide a shoulder and offer me "male" insight. There are others I don't personally know who have molded me; women like Kim Polese, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Katherine Mwanamwambu, and others have touched me with the knowledge that as individuals and as women - we can overcome - we can succeed, prosper and thrive!

Several men and women I know have truly prospered in business - and some have not, I've learned from them all (and most of them probably don't know it). My friends and family keep teaching me the value of enjoying life, they keep my feet firmly planted on the ground and they nourish the essence of my being! And my son Ariel teaches me and influences me continuously, shaping every day...

5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
I think the most valuable lesson is to believe in yourself. To develop the faith in your skills, learning abilities, and personality that makes you shine and glow. Then, reward yourself for each accomplishment no matter how small - gold stars for the daily accomplishments, scaling up to weekly, monthly or annual rewards. Appreciate the significance of each milestone you achieve - these rewards will help you remember the path to each greater achievement. Each time I look at certain mementos, I am reminded that I have walked a number of paths on the journey and although I have conquered some challenges, there are still cliffs to scale and mountains to climb.

Secondly, invest in the future - keep learning and share your knowledge with those around you. The awesome reward you'll reap from sharing your knowledge comes in many forms - the most special to me is the look on someone's face when they simply "get it." Climb the ladder of success with one arm reaching upwards and the other always lending a hand to those just below you. This propagates the cycle; it grows you and future generations.

Always ask yourself how you can do things better. This will improve your next effort. And don't be afraid to make mistakes - we all do! Just learn as much as you can from them.

Be passionate about what you do in life! Enjoy doing it! We all have ups and downs, but if you don't enjoy - and I mean really, honestly enjoy what you're doing - you need to try something else.

Lastly, ask for help. It's amazing, but you'll actually get it. Not so long ago, I thought asking for help was a sign of weakness. Today, I've learned it is one of real strength. Build your personal information network with the help of as many people as you can - in addition to helping you resolve those immediate issues, you will learn lessons in trust, judgment and how to help others yourself.

6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
I may change my opinion by the time you are reading this - as I mentioned, technology's rapid rate of change is mind-boggling - it could be something that hasn't been dreamt of yet. But for today, I'll group the positives together under the "e-business" umbrella. It's a large umbrella - I promise not to go on forever here. When I spoke at the WITI Dallas Summit, I asked in a session whether people's businesses could exist without email today? The answer was a unanimous, resounding no. I think we need to remind ourselves that email only went global within the last three to five years. This started a revolution, removing boundaries like time and distance from our business lives. As we make our business processes more efficient and competitive and technology drives our efforts, doing business online will become a way of life. E-business will be business as usual. The plusses will include better efficiency, time and cost-savings, improved profitability and streamlined communication and collaboration through the value-chain from concept to customer and on to customer service and retention.

Conversely, I think the most negative impact could be the dehumanizing aspect of our wired world. While we make it more aerodynamic and rely more frequently on computers, we seem to be forgetting the value of a handshake, a pat on the back and an old-fashioned power-lunch. Communications today aren't what they were five, ten or fifteen years ago. Rather than reading between the lines of email, there is much to be said for the tone and inflection of voice in listening between the lines and interpreting body language. We shouldn't let face-to-face encounters be replaced entirely by email, telecommuting and web-based wireless connectivity. I worry that as technology changes progress, our communication will get worse.

Debi van Flymen answers these questions:
1. What was your first job in technology?
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?

On the lighter side:
1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be?
2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
3. If you were to choose a different profession, what would it be?
4. What is your definition of success?