Girls In Tech

Starting an online magazine at the age of 15 and spending at least 75% of my day behind my 17-inch mac book pro–one can only see how much my life revolves around the Internet.  With the holiday season coming around, I thought I would start looking for gift ideas for my young nieces and nephews. I didn’t want to follow the most obvious route of videos games and barbie dolls.  Instead, I went online and came across a site called My Handwork Studio.  My Handwork Stduio is a new, safe virtual needle arts and fashion community where kids can be creative, learn new crafts and share their designs with new friends.

The reason this particular site caught my attention was the online aspect of something that was known to be an “offline” activity.  The online site allows kids and teens to do some pretty cool activities such as:

Create an On-line Persona: Kids can create their own on-line character (avatar) –  including customized outfit, skin and eye color — and profile by sharing favorite hobbies and activities.  Send and receive messages from fellow Studio kids, even add friends to the personalized Studio page.

Learn Cool Crafts: “Kid Educators” provide “how to” video instructions on knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand- and machine-sewing, and needle crafting.  After watching the videos, print off detailed instructions and templates to make the projects at home. When done, upload a photo to your profile so all of your Studio friends can see it.

Play Games: Earn “Studio Dollars” by playing fun, on-line games.  Redeem by buying virtual accessories  — iPods, cell phones and pets — for your character.

Shop for Crafting Supplies: Our on-line store allows you to buy crafting supplies, books and materials on-line and have them shipped directly to your home.

Seek On-line Crafting Help: Need more information developing these new crafting skills? The Retailers section allows you to type in your zip code and see all of the local craft stores in your community where you can seek additional help.

The website will also be launching a “kit of the month club” that integrates the online aspect of the community with offline crafts delivered straight to one’s doorstep. This is definitely a great gift idea for the upcoming holidays—especially for me (I am known for bringing the theme of the “Internet” in everything I do).

I think My Handwork Studio is going in the right direction.  The average store front businesses are embracing new technology and reaching a much larger audience in more innovative ways. For more information, check out their website at http://myhandworkstudio.com

 

Nothing makes an outfit like a fabulous pair of shoes, a beautiful set of pearls and a sleak-looking handbag. Well how about a PC? During New York’s Fashion week this month at the Vivienne Tam show, was revealed the new fashion accessory – a digital clutch. 

HP has partnered with world-renowed designer Vivienne Tam to create a special-edition notebook. HP’s 8.9-inch 2133 Mini-Note has been a great success, so it only makes sense that the company would want to expand the line and target a specific demographic. This is the first time a computer company has partnered with a well-known designer to create a PC that combines fashion and technology. Not to mention that this represents the modern woman who is as passionate about fashion as she is technology and innovation.

From being able to choose your favorite color iPod, to all the different designs that came out for the T-Mobile SideKick, it only seems right that one should be able to buy a PC that represents their personality. This first unveiling represents Vivienne Tam’s Chinese culture with the red color and the peony flower, which is the national flower of China. However, it’s also what the flower represents – beauty, prosperity and happiness which for Ms. Tam also represents the modern woman.

It will be interesting to see how sales will do for this digital clutch. However I know one thing, a woman can never have too many accessories. The HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition Notebook comes out early next year.

Also to note, HP and Tam along with Glam.com launched a fully integrated virtual experience. It’s to inspire fashionistas around the world to find design inspiration online. Go to http://tech-chic.glam.com/, find your best pic and have fun!

Working in the public relations and marketing fields for pretty much my whole career, I’ve observed a major shift from traditional ways of promoting a company, brand, person or service through mailed press kit packages, faxed press releases and b-roll tapes to multimedia links, Twitter, blogger lounges and Facebook.

A point of contention is that new media is losing credibility, value and the due-diligence nature that traditional dailies hold in high regard and reporters with high standards. That is not to say that bloggers aren’t as good as traditional reporters (I’m a “blogger,” so that means I would be self-depricating at this point); what it means is that there is a disruption in the system and some think that the middle man – i.e. PR and marketing folks are no longer needed. Are traditional PR and marketing professionals going to have to become social media experts? Is social media killing PR or is it just enhancing it?  

Because this is such a hot button topic, Girls in Tech and The Horn Group are producing a lively debate on the future of the media ecosystem - Jason Calacanis thinks you should fire your PR agency. Robert Scoble thinks you should ignore it. Michael Arrington says PR as its practiced today is “broken.” Jeremiah Owyang sees value in PR, in some surprising places, while Steve Rubel wonders if the thrill of discovery has made PR as we know it obsolete. 

But one thing is completely clear. As the media industry becomes increasingly more social, so does the ecosystem around it, which means, everyone—from editors to CMOs to PR professionals—is a connector, a hub and a source. 

So if everybody’s a communicator, what is the value of PR? No question that it’s changing, but helping our clients connect with influencers is only a piece of what we do. Much of the value we offer to clients is the thinking and strategy we provide, which media benefit from but may never see directly. And that never goes out of style.

Please join us as we invite journalists, analysts, bloggers, PR folks and various combinations thereof to have a drink and a bite as we discuss the new media ecosystem.

The date, time and panelists for this event is still being determined, but it will definitely happen on either the first or second week of November. We’ll keep you updated and we really hope that you’ll be able to make it. 

So the buzz around the Web 2.0 conference in New York City is: why should an organization fostering growth within the tech sector as it pertains to women and girls name the organization “GIRLS IN TECH” – well, here is a clean-cut answer to that question: In February 2007, when we were figuring out what to name the organization, we thought of a few key words that would be representative of the Girls in Tech brand, the events that we were to produce and people that we would attract - “FUN,” “SMART,” “EDUCATIONAL,” “ENGAGING,” “CUTTING EDGE,” “MENTORING,” “EMPOWERING,” “WEB 2.0,” “FEMININE,” “NETWORKING.” 

We felt that the word “Girls” provided a more ubiquitous platform for women of all ages to be a part of an organization that strives to educate, mentor and empower current leaders in tech as well as help aspiring women and girls in tech pave a path to a successful career in technology. We strongly believe that a very well-rounded woman is a powerful woman, focusing on an industry that is exciting, thriving and innovative and dedicating attention to what it means to be a girl or a woman – yes, some tech girls like to shop, achieve a higher education, wear make-up, play instruments, become authors, cook, and have kids (to name a few activities).

Using the word “woman” to describe the organization, as noted by Sarah Lacy, is a bit “too formal” and we wanted the overarching theme to encompass a sense of passion, fun, excitement and empowerment. Basically, enjoying every minute of every day that YOU work in or to your career in technology.

After all, “GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN (in tech)!”

Oh, the love of shopping. Some call it retail therapy, others like to idle away their afternoon with window shopping. However, in recent years shopping online has become the ‘thing’ to do to avoid the hassle of parking and long check out lines. Although, no matter how savvy one is shopping online, until you receive your package in the mail and try on what you ordered, you won’t know if you made the right purchase. One site is trying to make your online shopping experience much more streamlined.

Myshape.com, headquartered in Pasadena, CA, started in 2004 with the goal of finding clothes that fit well and also flatter womens’ body shapes. They have comprised seven body shapes each made up of letters that just happen to spell MyShape . For instance, you might have Shape P, which is a woman that has a fuller bust and narrower hips, with a bottom that is more flat than round. On the site they accompany the information with a picture of a woman who fits the description. Then you click on one of the categories (jackets & tops, pants, skirts & dresses, etc) and they describe what you should look for when shopping for those pieces.

I think Myshape.com is a great concept, because as we know there are many different body types that make up the female population. They have a great roster of brands, but it certainly focuses on a particular demographic. It definitely is not for the demographic that is shopping on shopbop.com. Although, I believe they could benefit from adding to their designer list with including some of those shopbop.com designers to appeal to a wider audience.

After looking at the site and the different ’shape’ types, I think I’m shape M. Go and check out what shape you are.

 

Girls in Tech is happy to announce the addition of its newest executive member, Robyn Cohen, who will be serving as the executive director of the LA chapter!

Robyn has written a blog entry to highlight why she is excited about joining the growing Girls in Tech team of leaders:

I am very excited to announce becoming the newest member of GIRLS IN TECH. Starting Monday September 15th, I will be taking the position of Executive Director for GIRLS IN TECH LA Chapter.

Having one foot always in the world of tech and innovation, I am very thrilled to be a part of this initiative. My background comes with many years in the Fashion and Beauty industries, with the last couple of years becoming involved with the web 2.0 world. However, I have always been very passionate about keeping up to date with tech. Be it the latest innovation with cars, or the newest operating system for Mac, or the latest gadget to be developed, that’s what I love. It’s about what is going to make my life easier, more interesting and more fun. I want to know about it!

Furthermore, and the most important part of being involved with GIRLS IN TECH, it’s about energizing women. Bringing them together and celebrating those that work in or have a passion for tech. As we know, the industry is dominated by men, but in the last few years women have really been making an impact in the world of tech. So, it’s our job at GIT to empower and educate women of all ages to enhance themselves, their careers and their lives with the exciting world of tech and innovation.

I look forward to working with the entire GIT team.

Girls in Tech presents Start It Up!

A practical, no-nonsense guide to starting a company, raising money, and building your first product. Everyone can and should be an entrepreneur, and it’s a little knowledge and a dash of courage that separates an employer from an employee. We’ll quickly cover market selection, co-founders, fundraising, common characteristics of successful companies, and realistic timelines, expectations, and outcomes. There will be Q&A afterwards as well for specific issues.

Presented by Naval Ravikant:

Naval Ravikant is an experienced entrepreneur and startup investor, and contributor to the Venture Hacks blog (which he co-founded). He is currently an active angel investor in over 25 early-stage ecommerce and social media startups, including Twitter, Social Media, and WeGame. He is also Executive Chairman of Vast.com, and a Director at Hive7 and Mercantila, Inc..

Previously, he founded Genoa Corp (acq. Finisar), Epinions (went public as part of Shopping.com), Chainn Inc. (a large Facebook app developer), Hive7, & Vast.com. He advised Bix.com (acq. Yahoo), iPivot (acq. Intel), Dulance (acq. Google), & XFire (acq. Viacom), among others. Naval graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in Computer Science & Economics.

To RSVP, please click on the following link:

RSVP

I’ve recently read a number of blog entries dedicated to critiquing the recent Clearwire and Sprint WiMAX deal from an economic standpoint. People want to know: what money is there to lose? What is there to gain? Who invested in what? And are they crazy for doing so?

For now, my answer is, “Who cares?”

I’d like to step away from this and focus on what WiMAX might contribute from a sociological standpoint. Personally, I am in complete support of WiMAX and what it might do for rural and underprivileged communities. By providing wireless internet access to areas that didn’t have it beforehand, there is potential to revolutionize the global education system.

Of course, critics will point out that part of the problem with the education system is the disparity of resources. If a WiMAX chip processor can commit to providing grants to some of these communities, providing them with the necessary equipment to jumpstart their journey into the wireless world, the possibilities are endless. When discussing costs, one must note that WiMAX is indeed the most cost-efficient way to distribute broadband data to rural areas. According to Jeff Evans, a Georgia Tech Research Institute senior research engineer, “With WiMAX, an internet service provider that wants to reach a small community up to 30 miles away can set up a wireless link for thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of thousands.” This alone should knock down a large portion of critics’ monetary concerns. This information is enough to make me very hopeful and enthusiastic about what’s to come.

By enabling these communities to have access to the internet, and in turn, information, we are fighting half the battle. After working with students from underprivileged backgrounds and speaking with teachers currently working in inner city school systems, the biggest obstacles that low-income students face is a lack of access to technological resources. Many of these families are lucky to have a computer at home, but cannot afford to pay for internet access, and are forced to scramble to find access to the internet – even to do simple homework assignments. This is a significant disadvantage for these students, as it makes it extremely difficult to work on school assignments in the time given to these kids. However, with technology such as WiMAX, companies can contribute funds to provide internet access to these areas. In addition, students can be better equipped to maximize the use of their computers to access the vast variety of resources on the internet. By providing an affordable system like WiMAX to these communities, we would be helping to bridge the “digital divide” that currently exists in education to our nation’s youth. After all, access to information and education in our nation is a right, not a privilege!

For more information, resources and articles in support of WiMAX technology in rural areas and for the benefit of our education system, visit:

• http://www.wimaxforum.org/technology/downloads/WiMAX_to_Bridge_the_Digitaldivide.pdf
• http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39189051,00.htm
• http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/wi-max.htm
• http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2008/wimax-in-education-market-to-reach-1-8-billion-by-2015
• http://www.computerworld.com.my:8080/WCIT2008/index.php/2008/05/19/using-it-to-enhance-lives/

September 8 – September 10 TechCrunch50

San Francisco Design Center 635 Eight St. San Francisco, CA
http://www.techcrunch50.com/2008/get-tickets/

TechCrunch 50’s goal is to find the best start-ups and launch them in front of our industry’s most influential VCs, corporations, fellow entrepreneurs and press.

September 16 – September 19 Web 2.0 Expo – New York City

Javits Convention Center 655 West 34th St. New York, New York
http://en.oreilly.com/webexny2008/public/content/home/

As large as the crowd was that gathered at the inaugural Web 2.0 Expo last April in San Francisco, the majority were from the Bay Area and the West. In order to serve the thriving web community on the East coast, interwoven with the financial, advertising, and consulting industries headquartered in New York, we’re building a vibrant event for the developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and other web professionals who’d like to learn and network with like minds in the Big Apple.

November 7-9 Web 2.0 Summit

The Palace Hotel 2 New Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA
http://en.oreilly.com/web2008/public/content/home

This summit is known for its interactive format, encouraging audience interaction and participation. Web 2.0 Summit brings the intelligence, innovation and leadership of the Internet industry together in one place at one time. Attendees will learn what business models are working, what’s next on the horizon, and how all of this will affect your own business.

Crowdsourcing is a cool, somewhat new concept that allows companies to “outsource” work or gather focus group ideas in an open call format. It’s a relatively inexpensive and resourceful way to collect data, stats, trends, create new technologies or designs, provide feedback on a company or concept. The only issue is the credibility of the work that is produced. Where is the control? What are the metrics or measurements on the outcome? Well, as crowdsourcing continues to grow and transition from a fad to a practice, I think we’ll be noticing bigger, better innovations, ideas and information from these free-spirited cyber-players.

Here are two solid crowdsourcing definitions that I found on crowdsourcing.com:

The White Paper Version: Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.

The Soundbyte Version: The application of Open Source principles to fields outside of software.

Below are some great resources and recent articles on crowdsourcing:

• http://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/
• http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/28/yelp-lets-businesses-fight-back/
• http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/crowdsourcing_million_heads.php
• http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002422.htm