…And that’s just what I’ll be doing on September 10 all over a little piece of heaven I like to call the Saks Fifth Avenue shoe department. Louboutin ankle boots…Chloé knee-high pebbled leather… I think “I just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah!”
Join Girls in Tech LA and shop for a cause on September 10 at GITLA’s Fashion’s Night Out event at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, benefiting Dress for Success. With 15% shopping discounts, rock star makeovers, swag bags, and cocktails, is there any way this event could get even more fabulous? Actually, there is…
Attendees can enter to win a pair of must-have Fall boots from 10022-SHOE – an even bigger piece of heaven located at Saks on Fifth Avenue in NYC. (A shoe department so big, it has its own zip code. Yes, that’s right, its own zip code!) I told you, FABULOUS!
So take a walk around the 90210 shoe department on September 10, enter to win, and let your feet celebrate Fashion’s Night Out!
What: Girls in Tech Presents: Fashion’s Night Out sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue
When: Friday, September 10 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Tickets: Click here!
“…Are you ready, boots? Start WALKIN’!!”
This is an article by Sramana Mitra, which I am passing on since it is so relevant for today. Cloud computing is the foremost driver of many small, entrepreneurial business — not to mention some large corporations — these days. I will be posting a series of articles on the topic. Please feel free to submit any comments you would like, as well, since I would like this to be an ongoing dialogue, here.
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(reprinted from Cloud Computing and Its Origins – by Sramana Mitra)
In 1966, Douglas Parkhill talked about utility computing in his book The Challenge of the Computer Utility. He described a future where many computing activities would be provided through computer utilities, analogous to the electricity industry. This future of utility computing has arrived in the form of cloud computing. The term was made popular by Nicholas Carr’s book Big Switch in 2008 and became a reality thanks to the likes of Amazon, Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and many other innovative startups. There seems to be opportunity galore for entrepreneurs in the cloud computing market, which is projected to grow beyond $100 billion in the next five years. …
Even established businesses with their in-house IT infrastructure are increasingly looking to harness the benefits of “cloud-bursting” or newer options such as “private clouds” that are viewed as a way to bridge the gap between the cloud and traditional models of data centers.
Today, actual spending on cloud computing may be under 5% of total IT spending, but the momentum and activity in this space are significant. What are some of the challenges that early adopters in the burgeoning community of venture funds, startups, and entrepreneurs aiming for the clouds face? Are there any insightful thought leaders who can guide entrepreneurs in their quest for the holy grail of cloud computing?
Thought Leaders in Cloud Computing
Welcome to the Thought Leaders in Cloud Computing (TLCC) series. In this series, we talk with CIOs across industry verticals who have taken a lead in deploying cloud-based offerings within their organizations. Our focus is to dig in and figure out their experiences with cloud computing; find the missing pieces to large-scale adoption and the maturity of cloud computing in terms of business models and pricing; examine the changing role of IT within an organization; and explore standards, integration with on-premise applications, changes in vendor interactions, and much more.
As we peer through the clouds to learn about cloud computing adoption from these CIOs, … we are uncovering some of the blue skies and open opportunities for entrepreneurs who are eager to fill in the gaps and address customer cloud-related pain points with just the right solutions.
Over the next three weeks, we will publish the first set of these interviews. Entrepreneurs – take a look and let us know if this is useful research for you.
(article/s courtesy of: http://www.sramanamitra.com/2010; copyright: Sramana Mitra)
WITI (Women In Technology International), the world’s leading professional organization for executive women in technology, will truly inspire “Collaboration, Strategy and Growth” through hands on speaking engagements and panel discussions at the Annual WITI Women and Technology Summit in San Jose, CA September 12-14, 2010.
Top technology leaders from Clean Tech, Mobile, Search, Cloud, Social Media, and Business teach WITI Summit attendees how to capture and target more customers, build stronger relationships with existing customers and take advantage of the applications and tools to build a stronger web presence, increase revenue and streamline costs for their companies.
Girls in Tech Members receive a 20% discount!
Speakers and Panelists will Include:
 Sandy CarterVice President, Software Business Partners, IBM |
 Nilofer MerchantEntrepreneur, CEO & Chief Strategist, Rubicon Consulting |
 Kathy ChouVP, PSG Americas Sales Strategy & Operations, Hewlett Packard |
 Bernadette NixonSenior Vice President, Global Field Marketing, CA |
 Bernard GoldenCEO, HyperStratus |
 Sally JenkinsVice President, Worldwide Marketing, Symantec |
 Vanessa AlvarezIndustry Analyst, Frost & Sullivan |
 Ghennipher WeeksCo-Founder, Applied Connectioneering, Inc |
Click Here for a Complete Schedule of Events!
Including The 15th Annual WITI Hall of Fame Awards
Join WITI as we honor key women innovators from science and technology on Monday, September 13th in the Silicon Valley. Katie Boehret, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, will serve as MC. This year’s honorees will be:
 Sandy CarterVice President, IBM Software Group Business Partners |
 Dr. Ruth DavidPresident and CEO, Analytic Services Inc. |
 Dr. Adele GoldbergFounding Chairman, ParcPlace Systems, Inc. |
 Dr. Susie WeeCTO, Client Cloud Services, Hewlett-Packard |
 Dr. Ruth WestheimerFellow, New York Academy of Medicine, Yale and Princeton Universities |
|
Click Here for Details | Download the Press Release | Videos of Past Recipients |
Register Now! use discount code: GITsum10 for 20% off!
Are you one of the many out there who has some old electronics lying around? Perhaps an old gaming system you never use, an old flip phone covered in gems, or dare I say it, *gasp* an old beige desktop PC? For many households, these items become “outdated” rather quickly, and often stick around somewhere gathering dust, never to be used again. Today, with the help of many companies, you can recycle and donate your old gadgets. Some of these companies will clean up and resell the items, taking 100% of the profits and putting them into various charities, while others will actually refurbish the devices if possible, putting them in the hands of those in need, such as schools with little-to-no technology programs or budgets, to third world communities who really need the technology but can’t afford it.
So where can you go to donate your used tech toys? There are many resources, such as eBay’s Rethink Initiative / eBay Giving Works, which acts as a directory of resources for you to donate or recycle your gear. Others include Reconnect, a collaboration between Dell and Goodwill, that accepts items in any condition, and is as simple as dropping the items off to a local participating goodwill location. Check out the links at the bottom of this article for even more places to choose from.
Recycling or donating your gadgets is a great way to help others in need, and maybe even help clean up some more space around the house. Of course, for those wondering, there are often tax benefits and write-off’s as well if needed. Don’t forget, if donating pc’s, laptop’s, or cell phones, to be sure to delete and remove all personal or sensitive data from your device’s as well.
The next time you think to toss out that old ipod or personal dvd player, make sure to recycle or donate. You’ll save landfill space, and perhaps help someone less fortunate who could really use it.
Links:
http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/index.php
http://reconnectpartnership.com/whoweare.php
Credit:
http://inhabit.com
Eliane Fiolet (left) and Hubert Nguyen, the co-founders of Ubergizmo
As we announced earlier, we are co-sponsoring Digital Summer 2010 at Temple – one of the world’s greenest nightclubs!
On August 25th, Ubergizmo will host Digital Summer, an event that brings together the most international, professional, and glamorous crowd in San Francisco to celebrate photography, fashion, art, and technology. Among the unique features of this one-of-a-kind event is a live runway fashion show. Invitees will also have a chance to enjoy a professional photo-shoot and lots of time to socialize.
Twitter: #DS2010 — Twitter feed powered by Objective Marketer
Last year at Digital Summer, in pictures
ADMISSION: $5 at the door with RSVP/ticket on the eventbrite invitation page – MANDATORY: BRING YOUR PRINTED TICKET or SHOW the TICKET with your name on your cell phone.
***Register on Eventbrite, here: http://digitalsummer2010.eventbrite.com/$10 at the door without RSVP / ticket
Please note: Dress code is Chic and Elegant
Girls & Guys in Tech Cheer the Models on
PROGRAM:
- Intel, a world leader in computing innovation, will showcase the future of fashion display
- Try out the latest 3G smartphones from Verizon Wireless
- Get a hands-on demo of the Droid X by Motorola and the Verizon Wireless MiFi™ 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
- Eco-action: BRING YOUR OLD PHONES for recycling through the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® Program: the used phones are refurbished or recycled in an environmentally friendly way. With the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones, Verizon Wireless supports non-profit organizations providing vital services to domestic violence survivors.
*8-11 pm Studio Photo-Shoot by Eye-Fi (Feel like a Model!) with real time upload on screen
*8-10 pm Glam up at the makeup stations
*8-midnight Photo-Show by Liz Caruana, Warren Difranco and Anthony Lindsey - on screen
*10 pm Fashion Show by Colleen Quen Couture, Jan Warnock, Harputs OWN and Sofie Olgaard – Jewelry provided by Manika
*Our media partner Yanko Design will showcase high-end product design at its booth
Gadgets shown at DS 2009
*Learn about Girls in Tech and request info about the Innovative Fashion Council San Francisco at their booths
MUSIC: DJ Mrs Blythe
FASHION TEAM: Producer: Yetunde Schumann and Bianca Kramer – Choreographer: Charleston Pierce
Thanks to partners the Innovative Fashion Council San Francisco and SFFAMA
Girls in Tech is pleased to announce our newest strategic partner A Gadsby Affair. A Gadsby Affair, LLC is a full-service boutique marketing firm that helps businesses achieve maximum impact in their target market, gain and retain customers and build brand awareness through unique and customized events & experiences.
Founder and CEO Hillary Gadsby has provided service for renowned brands in the US and European luxury industry. Hillary has collaborated with Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Vera Wang and has created successful advertising campaigns, event planning and strategic marketing for Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and foreign dignitaries.
This year, a Gadsby Affair has serviced The Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, Kellogg & Andelson Accountancy Corporation, Convergence Capital Partners LLC Woodcraft Rangers, Friends of Ballona Wetlands and Los Angeles Consulting Group. Hillary holds title as the Director of Strategic Events for CSQ Magazine and serves on the executive board for Business Forums International’s West Los Angeles Chapter.
Her current projects include California United Bank, Hemancipation, Young President’s Organization, Roozt.com and of course Girls in Tech’s upcoming fashion event at Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills.
Hillary Gadsby can be contacted at:
(805) 758-1524
hillary@agadsbyaffair.com
http://www.agadsbyaffair.com/
What does it mean to you to build a web app that’s social by default? Ever wonder how to get your product ideas from a paper napkin to getting launched so that hundreds of millions of people can use them? Do you have questions on how to integrate with Facebook’s APIs? Are you interested in learning more about how to monetize your Facebook applications?
This Facebook Developer Garage and Hackathon is hosted in conjunction with Girls in Tech <www.girlsintech.net> to try to help you figure out answers to these questions and build something awesome!
To participate, please choose one of the two options:
1) Either submit a Hackathon idea on this wiki: [Facebook & Girls in Tech Dev Garage/Hackathon wiki] and come prepared to hack!
OR
2) Purchase a Girls in Tech Donation Ticket for $20 and come join the festivities: Purchase tickets
We will only accept participants that complete one of the two participant options above.
We hope to see you there!
Cheers,
Facebook and Girls in Tech
During a panel discussion at the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo in Los Angeles this past weekend, a Los Angeles chef brought up the topic of Yelp reviews. While this chef was in mid-sentence, Yelp’s Business Outreach Manager Luther Lowe happened to be walking by and stepped into the room to join the conversation.
An interesting discussion ensued, focusing on issues related to negative reviews by Yelpers with no restaurant or culinary training and the increasing need for chefs (and other local business owners) to join the Yelp conversation. 
With over 12 million user reviews and approximately 33 million views per month,* the power of Yelp’s word of mouth loud speaker is having a significant impact on local restaurants. Yelp has given millions of users the power to review restaurants’ chefs, menu items, wine lists, drink specialties, service, and ambiance and publish to an audience of millions of viewers – a power that was once reserved only for professional food and wine writers working for traditional publications.
As a result, Yelp is changing the way restaurateurs and chefs interact with their customers, as well as the way they must handle both their formal and informal public relations and marketing efforts.
On the positive side, Yelp is making the world of restaurant reviews a more democratic process rather than an elitist one. This process allows local restaurants which might not have received attention from traditional print or online food writers to receive a new type of media attention that can be a powerful force in generating new customers. In addition, Yelp allows restaurateurs, chefs, and front-of-the-house managers to receive real-time customer feedback that they can use to quickly evaluate and adjust everything from their menu choices to hiring choices.
On the negative side, for many chefs and restaurateurs who have amassed years of training in the culinary arts and whose restaurants are the result of considerable blood, sweat, and tears, Yelp’s democratic force in the world of reviews means that reviewers with no understanding of or training in the restaurant industry or the culinary arts can slam a chef for one off night or because they don’t understand what a particular dish is supposed to taste like.
Also problematic is the fact that the democratic masses of reviewers are not part of the traditional institution of journalism, which carries with it principles of responsible reporting (in theory at least…). An average Yelp reviewer is not likely to research the chef, his or her past experience, or the background of a particular menu’s cuisine influences before writing a good or bad review as would a traditional food critic.
The power of Yelp, however, is a reality that restaurants and other local businesses must now take into account in their business practices. As Yelp’s Lowe emphasized, businesses have an important voice on Yelp. Yelp provides businesses with the ability to take ownership of their listings by unlocking them on the site, allowing businesses to put information out there for the Yelp audience. Yelp also provides businesses with the ability to respond to reviews both publicly and privately, giving them an equal voice in the conversation and a means to reach out to customers who had negative experiences.
Lowe also emphasized Yelp’s efforts to maintain the integrity of the site’s reviews. As he explained in a follow-up conversation, Yelp employs a filtering technology to help ensure (to the best of its ability) that only trustworthy reviews end up on businesses’ pages. **
While it can be overwhelming for chefs, restaurateurs, and other business owners to have an endless parade of critics to contend with, social media outlets such as Yelp are here to stay and will continue to play an important role in influencing consumer decision-making. Only restaurants and other businesses that take a proactive approach to social media, incorporating this new force into their marketing plans, will be able to take advantage of its benefits.
* See http://www.yelp.com/about
** For more information about Yelp’s filter system, watch this: Yelp\’s Review Filter
Meredith D. Williams is on the executive board of Girls in Tech LA and writes for girlsintech.net on topics ranging from wine technology to the intersection of law and technology. In her day job, Meredith is a partner at Miller | Williams LLP, an employment litigation and counseling law firm. She helps businesses handle employment issues, including legal compliance, hiring, discipline, terminations, sexual harassment, workplace policies, disability accommodations, medical and pregnancy leave, and wage and hour, counseling them on a day-to-day or situation-by-situation basis and defending them against employee lawsuits. Follow Meredith: @MerEsqLA and caemployersresources.com
| September 2, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 10:00 pm |
PLEASE NOTE: THE DATE HAS CHANGED FOR THIS EVENT – SEPTEMBER 2ND
