Girls In Tech

Startup Weekend is a grass roots organization of 15,000+ entrepreneurs/developers that rapidly develop new startups in 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a tech focused event currently operating in 60 cities spanning 18 countries and growing. During the event 75-200 attendees form 8-12 new ventures from mobile apps to web services to cupcake shops and anything between.

This is the second time that Startup Weekend is being held in Portland,Oregon. Girls In tech/Portland is a proud media supporter and sponsor. The event is open to anyone interested in the local entrepreneurial community, and it puts them in a setting where anything is possible. In the past 2 years, 280+ startups have started, 9,000+ entrepreneurs have been inspired. Teams have even started to generate revenue during the 54hr event, and others have even gone on to direct angel and VC investment. None of these stats take into account the amazing networking, ongoing professional relationships, and amazing experience that happen at every event.

Join us at Portland Startup Weekend: March 5-7, 2010 GIT members receive $10 off and use; discount code “girlsintech” register at http://portland.startupweekend.org/

Speakers & Mentors that will be there to help teams during the weekend:
Matt Compton (venture partner at Madrona and ex vp at Yahoo), Rob Wiltbank (venture partner at Montlake Capital and professor at Willamette U), Eric Doebele (Founder/CEO Reliable.remodeler.com), Nitin Khanna (Founder/CEO of MergerTech), Doug Fieldhouse (CEO of Vesta) and of course the guys from Mugasha Akshay and Justin will be there.

Learn more about Girls in Tech PDX or email ivo@girlsintech.net /tweet @mssonicflare

It’s that time of year again when love is in the air and gift shopping is in full swing. Don’t know what to get your game-loving sweetheart? Well here are some great ideas that are sure to Zap your loved one out of their seat and make you their winner!

Nintendo Wii – Couples who game together stay together! With beloved games that are fun for everyone, why not get your loved one a game console that you both can enjoy.  From the classics you enjoyed as a kid, to games to help get fit and more, it’s an easy way to play your way to your game fanatic’s heart!

Turn heads when you turn on your computer. Laptop skins add a unique touch to who you are, and are an easy way to personalize your sweethearts gaming rig. Available for almost all makes and models, you can even make a custom skin that’ll show them exactly how you feel about them this Valentines Day!

Trying to find that right mix of romance and technology? Then look no further than the infamous iPod Touch. Just preload it with tunes and game apps that you both love and share and you’ll be dancing your way to their heart! Already have an iPod touch or iPhone? Some apps and games even allow you to play against (or with) each other remotely, bringing you closer together on those business trips, daily lunch breaks, and more.

The techie you love will heart (<3) this 4GB USB thumb-drive. It’s the perfect on the go accessory to wear around your neck or use as a keychain. Available in various colors, it’s a great gift you can wear and share! Want to give it even more of a personal touch? Leave a letter, photos, a video greeting, or more for them on it to find and enjoy the first time they use it!

The Canon PowerShot A480 is a great and affordable way to start making new memories with your loved one.  This is both a romantic gift as well as a functional one. It has a 2.5inch LCD screen and 3.3x optical zoom, and comes in stunning silver as well as this gorgeous red.

If you’re looking for something sweet and simple to give this Valentines Day, give the gift of memory with this heart shaped digital photo frame. Just load this 2.4inch frame with pictures of the two of you and you’ve found the perfect way to stay in their thoughts and on their desk this Valentine’s.

“100 Women – 100 Visions” is a portrait series celebrating women scientists and engineers, from all academic levels at the Imperial College in London in support of International Women’s Day.

On the whole, the series aims to capture a sense of the growing community of women scientists and engineers across the college, and their increasingly important role in all disciplines and levels of academic work.  Each photo gives the women a chance to express themselves; and also shows the diversity of the students and senior staff included in the project.

These portraits include women such as:

• A pharmacologist who has become a myocardial physiologist and finally a stem cell biologist.
• An undergraduate student in neuroscience, division of surgery, oncology, reproductive biology and anaesthetics.
• A MRes student in Green chemistry, energy and the environment, department of chemistry
• A professor of respiratory pharmacology, National Heart and Lung Institute
• A research post-graduate in the department of communications and signal processing, department of electrical and electronic engineering

To check out more of the profiles, and read about this great project, go to: http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/100women100visions/index.html

I’m actually glad that a lot has evolved in the world from the 50’s to current time. Trying to visualize how women were treated in the workplace and in the home, submissively providing for the men around them, getting married at a very early age for security, based on social influence and generally a lack of emphasis on education – just bothers me. Of course, we can blame that on the lack of resources available to women to help them catapult their careers to an executive level or opportunities for women to venture into the entrepreneurial world. We could also blame that on role models and how families raised their daughters, pressuring women to get married, raise families asap.

That said, the thing that I really LIKE about the 50’s was how chivalrous men were to women – taking them out on proper dates, opening doors, having official meet and greets with family members, dressing up and upholding manners.

I feel that this type of chivalry is getting lost in translation. Quite possibly for two reasons:

1. Men are confused (and getting more and more confused as the years go by)
2. Technology

Men are confused

Some women refuse to let guys open the door for them, stand on the right side of the street while walking, pay for their dinners because they want to show independence, self-sufficiency and financial stability. I understand this, but ladies, you can have the best of both worlds – men really respect women that are self-sufficient, smart and can fend for themselves; we also have the option of allowing them to treat us like the beautiful creatures that we are, keeping traditional values alive, while focusing on the multitude of opportunities that are now available to us – you can have it all.

Technology

It’s getting easier and easier for men to use very impersonal (a.k.a. lazy) methods of connecting with women, asking women out on dates, sending gifts, the list goes on. Here are my tips for not letting technology get in the way of a truly successful date, potentially a long-term relationship:

• Always expect to talk to your suitor over the phone, especially if it’s a first date (even if he leaves a voicemail, that’s ok – as long as you know that he made the effort to call you)
• Do not accept an official first date from a Facebook ping, poke or a one sentence message. This would be considered more of a “hang out” or “networking”, but definitely not a date
• Do not accept a two-word text asking you out the day of (Not kidding. This happens)
• Do not let men substitute the real thing with a virtual teddy bear, virtual roses or virtual candy. It’s not being materialistic, mainly because women care more about what’s in the card anyway. It shows that they made the effort to make you happy – it’s part of the wooing process.

No more than 10-15 years ago, playing games (especially by girls) was not only discouraged, but also frowned upon. Normally, this is the type of opposition one receives from their parents growing up, but that wasn’t the case with me. While all my girlfriends wanted to go shopping and put on make-up, I was anxious to hit the arcade and challenge all the boys to some game-play. Needless to say this activity sounded less than appealing to all my girlfriends.
Now as I sit here over 10 years later, it is those very friends that have inspired me to write this piece. The same friends that used to joke and tease me for being the “geeky” girl who likes video games, are the ones who now ask me “which computer should I get”, “what’s new in mobile technology and gaming”, and “what’s the best app out there to play together?”
It is this transformation in such a short span of time that amazes me. We changed from what once used to be a taboo for most people to something that is not only socially and globally accepted, but assumed and almost required. I would think a change that happens this fast would lead to a culture shock. Instead, it spread virally. Nerdy boys gaming in their basements are a thing of the past. “I game, you game, and people game” became the new standard.
Now, gaming is easier than ever. I can play on my own on a hand held or on a phone or I can play with my friends via wi-fi. And getting other people involved just enhances your experience. I can invite friends to play from my phone, they can join me on their mp3 players, or if they don’t have one, they can compete with me on Facebook or a number of other social networking sites. The possibilities are endless.
All I can say is I hope this trend continues. Girls, now more than ever are comfortable playing games, and are encouraged to do so. They diverted their attention from the stereotypical female activities to a new set of interests in tech. Now, with their heads held high, this revolutionary shift brings girls one-step closer to paving the way for future innovations in gaming, technology, and more.

Girls in Tech Portland chapter(GIT PDX) hosted an event for inspirational speaker, Katherine Durham, Vice President of Marketing, Imaging & Printing Group, Americas, Hewlett-Packard. The event started off with social networking among women with backgrounds in technology who reside in Oregon. We had a great mix that included engineers, developers, social media specialists, marketing and PR professionals, entrepreneurs and others. The evening ended with a great presentation and Q&A during which Katherine shared her passion for the HP business and connecting with end users.

Katherine started off by sharing her background and then quickly dived in to how to shift the digital marketing and technology mindset to harness the power of an integrated approach. With constantly emerging digital trends and a new media-mix landscape, how does HP harness these trends and measure success?

Effective marketing has remained the same for years: connect the right customers with the right message at the right time and in the right place. What’s changed is that consumers are spending more and more time connecting through social networking, video and mobile.

In fact, consumers are now devoting more time online than to any other media, averaging a total of 14 hours/week or more. This amounts to more than 40% of their free time. In the last year, microblogging and social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, Blogger, Baidu and more have exploded in popularity. Video and mobile technology trends all continue to point up. There is huge opportunity if you look at total media consumption vis-a-vis the total U.S. advertising spend.

HP concentrates on maximizing the cross-channel shopping opportunities online, in-store and via advertising. This creates a synergy that delivers results.

Take “Pioneer Woman,” one case study in success. The campaign features Pioneer Woman, a blogger with a growing following. HP reached out to her niche audience by having Pioneer Woman show how she incorporates HP solutions into her life. By leveraging this already-existing social community, they were able to bring more credibility to the message, in that the audience is not being told what to do, but is having information shared with them.

One key takeaway from the HP social networking presentation was how important and effective it can be to find ways for your brand or business to share and collaborate in the social media space.

Katherine closed with a few takeaways:

• Digital AND social media are the future…how do they work with and impact other assets?
• Use the data AND trust your gut if you have a good compass (or get someone who does)
• Leave enough room for innovation AND experimentation
• Traditional AND emerging measurement are both important

Thanks to 24Notion for the event sponsored. As well as for everyone who attended the lecture. For more info about Girls in Tech Portland, check out our Facebook group

Originally posted on the Geeks on a Plane blog.

At Seedcamp in London, I was talking to a fellow who was interested in learning more about Geeks on a Plane and our itinerary of events. I explained that we were headed to Amsterdam for PICNIC, and he responded with, “Wow, you guys must be funded by some great sponsors if you are going to go to Amsterdam just for a picnic.” We had a good chuckle. I’ve only been to PICNIC for about two hours now, however, have been able to absorb the vibrant nature of the event – the booths, graphics on the walls, picnic tables everywhere and some really enthusiastic faces. Impressive.

PICNIC unites thousands of creative minds every year in Amsterdam. PICNIC will surprise you, inspire you and offer a breath of fresh air from your daily routine. PICNIC ‘09 takes place from 23 to 25 September at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Don’t miss the year’s most inspiring, fascinating and entertaining festival!

Last month it was that time of year again: Panel Picker Voting for the Annual South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) conference in Austin, TX. Sound familiar? Check out fellow GIT blogger Kristine Gloria’s post about it here: http://girlsintech.net/2009/08/31/girls-in-tech-at-sxsw-2010/

Each year the public votes online for which proposed panels should make it through to being accepted for the conference. I submitted a panel proposal, titled “Impact of Women in Technology”. Whether the panel makes it through to the final round and becomes an official SXSWi panel or not, I do want to share some of my thoughts on the subject, as well as hear everyone else’s and get some great discussion going on this.

For all you girls out there, was there a female presence that got you excited about tech? Maybe it was a mother, sister, aunt, or friend. Perhaps someone well respected in technology today, like Social Media Strategist Erica O’Grady, or Ad-Village CEO Marissa Louie for example?

If you do have an example like this, what about them or their journey in the tech world inspired or empowered you to pursue your dreams? How important do you think their roles are as pillars of Women in Technology to the future of Women in Tech? For me, two of those people are Tekzilla Co-Host & Gadget Guru Veronica Belmont, & New media producer and star of “The Guild”, Felicia Day. These two women are strong willed, have shown great initiative in their respective spaces, and have become pioneers and tastemakers in the fields of Journalism & New Media.

How have women influenced and changed the face of technology as we know it? This includes anything even remotely tech related, whether it be Journalism, Gaming, PR, Marketing, Social media, & more. Are there any famous cases of companies or brands that have seen great success due to Women in Technology? What issues as a Girl in Tech have you had to face? What issues have other women who’ve made a major impact in technology had to face on their paths to success? What would you tell younger or newer women entering the tech space to help them overcome these hurdles and encourage growth of the amount of women in the tech field?

Why are women in tech important to you, or the Tech Space in general?
I hope this post serves as some great food for thought, & would love to hear everyone’s thoughts and discussion (preferably in the comments below) about this!

Thanks!

***Update!  You didn’t miss this event – it’s been moved to Monday, October 19th and is being hosted at the lovely E&O Trading Co., near Union Square in downtown San Francisco.  We’ve also just added Zoosk Co-founder and Co-CEO, Alex Mehr, to our panel of experts.  Zoosk boasts being the largest social dating community and allows it’s users to connect to all members regardless of which social network one uses, meaning Facebookers can meet MySpacers, Hi5ers and others from their own Facebook page, and vice versa.***

 

Since 1995, when the first major online dating site began offering the ability to meet dates over the internet by way of user generated profiles, the online dating industry has grown and changed by leaps and bounds.  Starting as a service people rarely admitted to using yet becoming part of everyday conversation, “We met online”, is a common phrase many of us have uttered – or at least know someone who’s uttered it.  How did this industry overcome such stigma to become one of the most competitive online businesses? 

One online dating provider claims that from their service alone there were 33,000 marriages that occurred in a one year period.  The same article in Online Dating Magazineestimates that the inclusive number for marriages resulting from all online dating sites is over 100,000 annually!  Daters are flocking to online providers; Match and eHarmony saw 16% and 20% growth when compared to the same time frame the previous year with Match boasting over 15 million current members.

At Girls in Tech: Virtual Dating 101, we’ll explore the evolution on the online dating industry guided by our expert panelist from Perfect Search, Thread (formerly Frintro), Single Mom Seeking and SpeedDate.  We’ll consider how as a society on the whole the ways we work, live and love have all changed in ways to allow the online medium to overcome major stigma and become the dating norm in a short 14 year span.  This event will also be discussing the different approaches to fee structures (paid/free/SNS) used by providers and looking ahead to see what’s next to keep us engaged and anxiously awaiting that You’ve got mail! alert.

Alternatives to the classic user-created profile model are being offered by both Thread and SpeedDate.  Thread has created an alternative to the classic online dating model by allowing friends to introduce their friends to one another online, to see if sparks fly.  No more meeting complete strangers!  SpeedDate on the other hand believes that two people know if there’s a connection within the first 3 minutes of meeting one another – and havecreated a platform to give you that 3 minutes instantly.  In less time than it takes you to get ready for a coffee date, SpeedDate allows you to test that spark factor!

Leading our discussion as moderating panelist is Melinda Maximova, Relationship Expert and Founder and Matchmaker at Perfect Search, a VIP matchmaking service which combines old-world, face-to-face matchmaking consultations with the added convenience and speed of the internet.  Melinda holds a higher degree in Sociology and Human Sexuality and has authored an e-book, Power Shift: Rescue Dating For Women.  Additionally, she is a writer for Examiner.com, offers classes on how to become a matchmaker and teaches with the Learning Annex.  We are excited to have such an expert in the field of relationships and matchmaking to guide Virtual Dating 101.

We’re not ones for all work and no play, so once we’ve covered the business side of the industry we’ll move toward user tips from Rachel Sarah, online dating expert, author of Single Mom Seeking and founder of one the largest blogs for single parents, who will address the most common missteps people make when dating online.  Also a contributor for Match.com, Rachel claims there is a science to successful online dating and she’ll be on hand to share with us what she’s garnered first hand from her experiences in the field.

Online dating services have come a long way since inception and there’s certainly something for everyone.  Even if you’re not looking to find a match, you’ll gain valuable insight into the profitable online business from Virtual Dating 101 and you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t to share with your friends who are navigating the world of online amour!

Visit Eventbrite to reserve your space: http://girlsintechvirtualdating101.eventbrite.com/