Ilan Klein

Like Byliner, Lelivro is an idea inspired by an author. On a visit to family in Israel 18 months ago, online entrepreneur Ilan Klein met with prize-winning Israeli poet Moshe Ben Harosh, who mentioned that readers were telling him they were unable to locate ebook versions of his books. Ben Harosh suggested the need for a global online ebook marketplace. Klein was skeptical, but after conducting some research, determined that the need did indeed exist, and set about building the solution.

"I was persuaded to take the challenge," he says, although it was "not simple to do." Difficulties have included the technical challenges of making it easy for authors to upload their books and start their own stores, creating an environment that's inviting for readers, as well as the complexities of issues related to payment and taxation.