Until I came across Jon Fine’s column in the new issue of BusinessWeek, I’d never heard of Atoosa Rubenstein.  Not that I should, since I stopped reading Seventeen 28 years ago.  She’s the former editor-in-chief of the teen mag, apparently now focused (or hell-bent, depending on your point of view) on building a megabrand around, well… her.

Now chief exec and bottle washer for her own company, Big Momma Productions, Atoosa has been making the rounds on both coasts, on the hunt for advice and financial backing to create the next Oprahdom.  Atoosa is convinced she connects with her former mag’s target audience – females ages 13 to 30.  “I see a family,” she says.  “I see a tribe.  At the end of the day, I know how to connect with this audience.”

She may be right.  She’s obviously been building a loyal following with the crowd through her MySpace page, boasting more than 40,000 friends.  Her blog posts (and soon to be released Psychic Kitty videos) talk to girls about big dreams and thinking positive.  Judging by the comments, she does hit a nerve with some young women.

But is it enough to build a brand?  I reserve judgment, but did have some thoughts as I read about Atoosa’s plans:

Does she have the authenticity required to hold these women in the palm of her hand? 
Oprah laid a foundation of authenticity first, savvy business dealings second.  Atoosa may have it backward, if she has it at all. 

Who’s it all about, Alpha Kitty? 
Read Atoosa’s blog posts carefully and you start to get a sense of her ambition.  It’s amazing, breathtaking and in a way, admirable.  But I find the most successful businesses think about the customer first.  It’s not all about you, it’s about them.  It will be interesting to see if Atoosa develops programs and ways for her audience to participate, allowing them to contribute in ways that are meaningful.

Can she build and maintain the right team of people to make it all come together?
Even Oprah didn’t get where she is all by her little ol’ self.  She’s got one muther of a staff that keeps things on track and in the news.  The word around town is Atoosa may need to learn a few lessons in this area.

Provided Atoosa has her ducks in a row and can deliver, she may very well be a guiding light for the next generation.  She’s definitely on my radar now, since I want to learn as much as I can about what young women are thinking today.

What do you think?  Does Atoosa have the goods to make it?