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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.24

CONFIDENTIAL                              [Inventa Letterhead]
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October 27, 1997
Edward Leppert
9 Exeter Lane
Belle Mead, NJ 08502

Dear Ed:

As we have discussed, I am happy to offer you a position as Managing Director,
Operations with Inventa.

In this position, you will manage Operations for Inventa's first office in the
Eastern United States, to be located in New York or Northern New Jersey. You
will work closely with our sales organization to develop new business and manage
the delivery of booked engagements to achieve high customer satisfaction and
Inventa's profitability objectives. As such, you will be responsible for the P&L
of the office. Upon joining the company, you will be required to sign a
Confidentiality and Proprietary Information Agreement as a condition of
employment with Inventa.

Your base starting salary will be $160,000 per year, which will be reviewed
based on your performance at least annually. In addition, you will be eligible
to receive an annual performance bonus that is based on company and individual
performance -- your target bonus percentage is 25% of annual salary. You will be
permitted, through December 31, 1998, a draw of $10,000 per year ($833.33 per
month) in addition to your base salary, which will be recoverable from your
actual annual performance bonus award. You will further be entitled to the
complete Inventa benefits package outlined on the attached sheets.

You will also receive, under the terms of the company's Incentive Stock Option
Plan, an option to acquire 45,000 shares of Inventa common stock at an exercise
price per share equal to the market value as determined by the Board of
Directors on the next option grant date -- this option will vest fully over four
years of employment with the company. You may also, based on performance and/or
added responsibilities, receive additional option grants over time.

In addition, should your employment with Inventa be involuntarily terminated
within twelve months of your start date for any reason other than your work
performance or conduct, Inventa will provide a severance package consisting of
three months' base salary, payable on your termination date. Further, during
this twelve month period, should it become necessary to establish a key
management severance plan in anticipation of a "change-of-control" in the
company, you will be included as a participant in the plan and its terms will
supersede the three-month severance provision in this letter.

This offer of employment expires on October 29, 1997 and is contingent upon
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Mr. Edward Leppert                                                        Page 2
October 27, 1997
Confidential
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your availability to start work at Inventa between November 17, 1997 and
November 24, 1997.

Ed, we think we have something special here at Inventa and plan to build it into
something great. Doing so will require a lot of hard work. I look forward to
having you as part of our team in meeting this challenge.

Sincerely,

/s/ Ashok Santhanam

Ashok Santhanam
President

Inventa Corporation

I accept the terms of employment as offered in the letter above. I understand
and agree that my employment with Inventa is at will, and that either the
company or I can terminate my employment at any time.

                                      /s/ Edward Leppert
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                                 Date:  10/29/97


                                 Edward Leppert

                                 /s/ Edward Leppert
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