Girls In Tech

Big thanks to all who came out to yesterday to the Girls In Tech Incubator event featuring Circle of Moms.  For those of you not familiar with our Incubator events, they are usually smaller, informal events where we speak with the founder of a company to learn more about their business, how they got started, challenges they faced and lessons learned. The events are largely driven by the audience and what they want to know. In addition, it’s an opportunity for the company to solicit feedback and ideas from Girls In Tech members.

If you happen to miss last night’s event, here are a few takeaways:

1.     You don’t need to be your own target demographic; it’s all about the user. It may seem ironic to some that Circle of Moms was founded by two guys, neither of which are fathers, but last night we learned that falling outside your key demographic target has its advantages.  According to founder Ephraim Luft, the team is only responsible for building the technology, but it’s the mothers and the relationships they share with each other that make the site a success.  Being male forces the company to come up with product features based on the actions of their users, not by assuming they know what the user wants.  They are dependent on listening to and understanding their customers’ needs.  Focus groups, surveys and user behavior on the site all help to drive new features.

2.     Don’t be afraid to evolve your product into something different.  Something I didn’t note above is that the two male founders did not set out to build a site geared towards mothers.  The site was originally called Circle of Friends and was a place for everyone to connect.  As Circle of Friends grew, Ephraim and his partner realized that their most active and passionate users were mothers.  Being the analytical, methodical business people that they are, they decided to capitalize on this and focus their attention on mothers.  They began building a product that truly caters to the needs of mothers and the site evolved into Circle of Moms.

3.     It’s all about Word of Mouth.  One thing I found particularly amazing about the company is their viral growth.  The company did not do any direct marketing or PR yet still managed to build up over 850,000 registered users.  So the question is- how did they do it?  Obviously there is no simple answer to this question as every site, product or company is different.  According to Ephraim, the company focused on getting users to market the service to one another.  They spent a lot of time looking at data and user funnels to come up with an effective system to allow users to market to one another.  Of course the Facebook application helped, as well as their community manager, who is a mother herself.  All of this has lead Circle of Moms to great success since the official launch in October 2008.

4.     Circle of Moms is hiring! Job openings have not been posted anywhere yet, but if you are looking for a job in business development, marketing or product management email jobs@circleofmoms.com.  Bonus points if you are a mom

If you attended last night’s event and you have any takeaways you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.  If you are a Circle of Moms member, you can provide feedback on the site at feedback@circleofmoms.com.

It’s safe to say that at Girls in Tech, we’re pretty passionate about what we preach. Girls in Tech is already growing every which way, from chapters in Austin and Boston to Los Angeles and a few more cities in between.

So why not expand further and do what we can to empower the future women of tech? That’s why we’re excited to launch Girls in Tech University, an extension of Girls in Tech dedicated to empowering, educating and mentoring female college students interested in entering the technology field.

Spotted at the Stanford Women in Business “Off the Street” conference this past Saturday were plenty of young women passionate about getting involved in the business of technology, but others don’t know where or how to start.

We’re hoping to help a little in the process, and plan to get GIT University off to a running start by the beginning of Fall 2009. From business oriented networking events to leadership seminars and workshops, the goal of the program is to create excitement about the industry and encourage those college and university students considering a career in technology to pursue their ambition.

Whether you’re currently enrolled at a college which you think could stand to benefit from the program, or are just passionate about getting more women involved in Girls in Tech who hail from your alma mater (this is the part where I say Go Bears!), feel free to drop us some suggestions as the program gets under way. Who knows, you may even be seeing us on your college campus in the very near future.

Onward and upward!

May 7, 2009 9:00 am

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May 8, 2009 5:00 pm

Girls in Tech is a proud supporter of the inaugural BIG Omaha Conference happening on May 7 & 8th 2009. It’s exciting and quite surprising to know that Omaha, Nebraska is becoming another tech hub, launching a variety of cutting-edge start-ups, hosting Tweetups and most recently this conference, which I’m sure will prove to be fruitful. Girls in Tech founder, Adriana Gascoigne will be speaking on a panel and a variety of Girls in Tech members will be attending to help promote and create awareness for the new Omaha chapter.

Here is a little more information on the event:

What happens when the country’s foremost creatives, entrepreneurs and innovators descend on one place? That place explodes. Which is precisely what we plan for Omaha.

The energy will be impossible to contain. We will begin building communities, companies and friendships. We will inspire new thoughts and completely new ways of thinking. We will develop visions: personal, shared, and civic. Speakers will come from some of the most innovative companies in the nation. And you’ll hear fantastic stories from numerous emerging businesses.

In the end, you’ll take away a network and an energy that will propel those new connections to greatness. For you. For your business. For your community.

Come to the heart of the Midwest. And let’s rebuild this country from the inside out.

 

Girls in Tech headed to Palo Alto on Saturday to attend the Stanford Women in Business “Off the Street – A Woman’s Guide to Non-     Traditional Careers” conference. This was such a great opportunity to introduce Girls in Tech to the next generation of women in technology and encourage women looking to pursue careers in technology, especially given the current economic times, to follow their heart. We went in thinking it would be a good experience for the young women of Stanford; it turned out to be a fantastic event for us as well.

Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, keynoted the event and passed the audience the same, sage advice: do what you love. Cupcakes may not seem like high tech, but hey, a girl’s got to eat! (And, if you haven’t been fortunate enough to try one, do not pass go, go straight to a Sprinkles bakery near you. I recommend the Black and White. HEAVEN.)

During the address, Candace discussed her experience in founding and developing Sprinkles, which was the first-ever cupcake-only bakery. What we learned was that it’s not the industry that matters – her experience could have applied to a start-up anywhere. What was instrumental to her business was having a passion for what she was doing and putting a real stake in the ground for its success. At the end of the day, if you love what you do, success will come.

We are in many different industries and have different backgrounds, but, at Girls in Tech, we all love what we do. Many thanks to Stanford Women in Business for allowing us to share that passion with their members. Up next, Web 2.0!

 

March 31, 2009 7:00 pm

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April 3, 2009 7:00 pm

 

As I’m sure most of you are already aware, the infamous, glamourous and just plain ol’ geeky, Web 2.0 conference is right around the corner and Girls in Tech is gearing up to make a HUGE splash at the event. Equipped with swag, a FlipCam and little treats, we’ll be making our way around the expo floor, panel discussions and of course, the after hours events! This event tends to draw in a large amount of dudes, and sales dudes at that (no elaboration needed). It would be awesome if we could all encourage our tech-savvy female co-workers, friends and family members to attend this year’s event to help even out the ratio a bit! The more femme-power, the merrier!

If you’d like more information about the event, I’ve included a blurb from their website below:

Web 2.0 Expo is a global annual gathering of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals who are building the next generation web. Web 2.0 Expo features the most innovative and successful Internet industry figures and companies providing attendees with examples of business models, development paradigms, and design strategies to enable mainstream businesses and new arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities. Web 2.0 Expo is co-produced by O’Reilly Media and TechWeb.

The Web continues to be an engine of economic growth, fueled by a host of new business models, development models, and design patterns that collectively fall under the umbrella of Web 2.0, a term coined at the birth of Web 2.0 Summit, a joint venture between O’Reilly Media and TechWeb.

To meet the increasing demand for Web 2.0 comprehension and skills, and to build a broader Web 2.0 community, O’Reilly Media and TechWeb (formerly CMP Technology) launched the inaugural Web 2.0 Expo in April 2007 in San Francisco. Web 2.0 Expo, a companion event to Web 2.0 Summit, was the first conference and tradeshow for the rapidly growing ranks of designers and developers, product managers, entrepreneurs, VCs, marketers, and business strategists who are embracing the opportunities created by Web 2.0 technologies. Web 2.0 Expo has now expanded to include not only the Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco, but also New York.

To register click on the Web 2.0 logo below:

 

February 25, 2009

7:00 pm

Event Info:

Wednesday, February 25

@ 7:00 pm

VinoVino

Girls in Tech Austin is delighted to announce its first official meet-up this Wednesday night at VinoVino. We’ve generated a ton of interest thus far and are excited to meet with the ladies in person.

With SXSW just around the corner, Austin will once again be in the national – Internet – spotlight. Noted as one of the top places to live, Austin’s laid back vibe mixed with the rough’n tumble of the west and burgeoning tech scene, makes this city an ideal place for nerds, tech geeks and entrepreneurs to call home.

We are truly excited to bring the GiT network to Austin and hope to engage and empower women across all fields. We look forward to sharing/hearing your story, providing you with the right resources and connecting you with the right people.

This is only the beginning. Be on the lookout for more in the near future.

Hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Kristine Gloria

Managing Director – Austin chapter

For more information and/or to RSVP, please check the Facebook invite. 

March 31, 2009

6:30 pm

March 24, 2009
7:00 pm	to	10:00 pm

Please click here for more information and to RSVP.

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Strolling along South Park in San Francisco one day on my lunch break, I ducked into a small coffee shop for a quick breather before heading into Jeremy’s on the corner to check out any new goodies they have in stock. I got my coffee, walked over to add some sugar, and then my hand hit a stack of those post cards that are left randomly all over the place. Normally, I’d just walk away, but this one was so pretty, antique floral looking, with pink roses and blue lace background. All it said was ‘Thecoveted.net’. I had no clue what it was, but I took one, stuffed it away in my ‘Mary Poppins bag’ (as all my friends call it) and left the shop.

A few weeks later, I was rummaging for an old receipt, and found the cute postcard, went to my computer and typed in ‘thecoveted.net’ and anxiously awaited what was to show up. There in front of me, was my new favorite, obsessive, ‘must read’ blog that I have not missed one day of since that lovely spring day of 2008.

I was new to the world of blogs, twitter, Facebook, everything Web 2.0 related. Fresh out of fashion journalism reading WomensWearDaily and W, I was now following ReadWriteWeb and TechCrunch, so adding The Coveted to my daily blog reading made me smile so sweetly and look forward to the scoop posted by Jennine, Kezia or Sonja on vintage clothing, emerging designers, sustainable fashion, beauty tips and my favorite,  the weekly Links a la Mode.

I drool over Jennine’s impeccable flair for unique style and relish in her every day ensembles. Her smarts have grown from creating the Coveted, to then founding Independent Fashion Bloggers, an online community started in 2007, aimed to enlighten other fashion bloggers about monetization, advertising, networks and blog improvement.  She has taken her readers on a ride of world fashion while giving us a glimpse of her life, her move from San Francisco to Germany, her long hair, her short hair and her flirtation with bangs.   I sometimes forget that I am in Tech and show up to events inspired by what she wears and designers she features.  But, I am after all, a Girl in Tech, and if I show up at an event in my fabulous frocks, the techies shouldn’t be surprised and I know Jennine would be proud (if she knew who I was!)

The intersection of technology and etiquette leaves many things to question.  Where is the line where technology and convenience cross over to become inappropriate and rude?  Not proudly, but many of us now have very private conversations in public places and even allow our face-to-face time with friends and loved ones to be interrupted by errant text messages or obsessive email checking.  In an era where we’re accustomed to being constantly connected, and most of us near freak-out mode when we’re inadvertently disconnected (like when the guide function on the t.v. is ‘temporarily unavailable’), we need to come to a consensus on when it’s mandatory to unplug.  Yeah, I went there – you just saw mandatory and unplug in one sentence.

Much like the eejit who puts their feet up on the seat next to you, a mere eight inches from your head, when you’re in the movie theatre, there are those who don’t realize (or sadly, some that don’t care) that their phone usage in the movie theatre can affect your movie-going experience.  I’m apparently not alone in feeling bothered by these folks, who somehow imagine that because their phone is on silent that the glaringly bright screen of their blackberry in the quiet darkness of the theatre won’t catch my eye or distract me from the film, because on my last voyage to the movies the Please remember to turn off your cell phone notice had been changed to Please remember to turn off your cell phone and as a courtesy to others – no texting during the film. 

Sort of like the old Be Kind, Rewind stickers on VHS tapes, the gentle reminder about being courteous to your fellow movie-goers will most likely not be heeded by the ones it’s intended for, however, for the rest of us – the avid rewinders – the attempt to persuade folks into being courteous is appreciated. 

We’ve all experienced the technojerk whether it was the rude movie-texter, or the loud-talker on the bus broadcasting TMI for all the passengers to hear (seriously dude, it might not be poison oak) or worse yet – the dangerous technojerk who thinks that texting while driving is a good idea.  And while our tolerance levels may vary, or our perceptions of what constitutes an inappropriate convo in the public arena (seriously dude, good luck with the calamine lotion), having an accepted standard of when to use, and more importantly when not to use, our fabulously convenient techie-toys is necessary if we value living in a civil society.  Dramatic?  Perhaps, but a defensible position nonetheless.

If we forget how to unplug in order to enjoy the act of getting lost in a fictitious, fantastical story for a fraction of our night, and we forget that some conversations are meant to be kept private – for the sake of modesty at least – then we may as well forget to say please and thank you when speaking to people, and we may as well forget to hold the door for a few seconds longer so that it doesn’t hit someone in the face, and we may as well not cover our mouths when we cough, and…oh, this is our modern day civil society, isn’t it?  Well in that case, in an effort to keep us from becoming any less civil than we already are, and to keep us from alienating our bus-mates or getting tossed out of the movie theatre for being the technojerk – let’s agree to act like ladies (and gentlemen) and operate with some techniquette.