Girls In Tech

The >Play Conference is the annual one-day conference held at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business that explores the most important trends in digital media and makes predictions for the future.  With Wired Editor-in-Chief, Chris Anderson, delivering the keynote address, this year’s event is expected to draw in over 500 industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and students.  And Girls in Tech is giving you the chance to be a part of it.

THE CONTEST
We were lucky enough to get some free tickets to give away to our Girls in Tech readers, so we’re putting on a creative little contest.  All you have to do is write us a poem!  Comment on this blogpost with a haiku about digital media, and we’ll pick three winners at random to win a ticket to the >Play Conference. The deadline to comment is 4:00pm PST on Thursday, October 28th, and we’ll notify the winners shortly thereafter.  Remember, by definition, haikus don’t have to rhyme, but they do have strict syllable guidelines; it’s a three-line poem, comprised of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively.  Here’s an example I put together in 5 seconds flat:
Monetization.
That’s digimedia’s game.
The pressure is on!
Isn’t it just beautiful?  Your haiku doesn’t have to be a masterpiece to win; you’ll be entered into the contest just by posting one in your comment.  With that said, there’s only one entry per person, and you’ll have to handle getting to Berkeley, California on your own (sorry, we can’t pay for airfare or BART fare!). But hey, if you win, you’re guaranteed to learn a ton and meet some incredible influencers at the conference.  Good luck!

>PLAY CONFERENCE
Last year, Karin Xie, Jill Promost, and yours truly had a fantastic time at >Play on the expo floor among starter uppers and student organizations.  This year promises to be even more exciting, with an impressive lineup of panels, a new “rocket pitch” showcase, and much more.
Panel topics will range from Privacy and Digital Identity to Venture Capital Voices on Digital Media Investment to The Changing Face of Social Gaming, and so many more.  See all the panels topics here.
The conference will also take a unique approach to including attendees in the conversation through live-polling, Internet-enabled SMART boards, an idea room for collaboration and reflection, and a master “mission control board” displaying it all in real-time.  Fancy, huh?  But what I find to be the most intriguing addition to this year’s conference is >Play Talks, an intense one-hour session in which visionaries from a range of areas will have a few minutes each to make pitchy predictions on digital media, TED-talk style.

When:
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
9:00am-5:30pm // Conference
5:30pm-7:00pm // Cocktail Reception

Full Agenda here.

Where:
Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley
2220 Piedmont Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94720-1900

Map.

The >Play Conference is always a jam-packed day, full of fascinating and useful conversations about the industry. So if you’re intrigued and can get yourself to the Bay Area in just a few days, leave your haiku in the comments and hopefully I’ll see you there!

Posted in Events, GIT U, San Francisco | 9 Comments »

Nothing is sweeter than the glory of being the only one in your circle of friends to catch a movie before it’s available to the general public. With that said, we really shouldn’t be telling you about this rare opportunity we got our hands on… in fact, you should stop reading and go on with your day…

Awww, we can’t say no to you! One of our strengths at Girls in Tech is sharing the wealth, so here ya go: Columbia Pictures is hosting two FREE screenings of The Social Network at two Bay Area locations. And you’re invited.

What: The Social Network Advanced Screening

When? Thursday, September 23rd @ 7:00pm

Where?

• AMC Theaters: Mercado 20 (Santa Clara, CA) - 3111 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054

• AMC Theaters: Bay Street 16 (Emeryville, CA) - 5614 Shellmound St. Emeryville, CA 94608

How?

To pick up a pass for the event, go to http://gofobo.com/rsvp and enter the code SQZSAL1F for Emeryville, and E63ERAW2 for Santa Clara. Each pass is good for two people, but feel free to use the codes for multiple tickets.

The Social Network details Mark Zuckerberg’s journey in building what starts out as a web-based yearbook at his college and evolves into the globe’s most influential social network.  Breeding a new lifestyle and revolutionizing communication, Zuck then has to deal with the social and legal implications of sustaining a business with over 500 million users.  The film stars Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake, and officially premieres on October 1st.  But you’ve got the chance to see it early, so bring your kids, bring your wife, and bring your husband because they’re inviting everybody out here.

Posted in GIT U, San Francisco, Silicon Valley | No Comments »

Posted in San Francisco | 1 Comment »

ChicMeetsGeek hits San Francisco again this Thursday, June 3rd at the Auttomatic Lounge.  Every ChicMeetsGeek event features a nonprofit beneficiary; this time, the chic and geek communities will come together to benefit the Glide Foundation, an organization that helps San Francisco’s poor and marginalized populations overcome the barriers of poverty and violence.

Come dressed for a fabulous night out, but prepare to be inspired during the conference-like panel of speakers including geeky ladies, chic gentlemen, and – of course – surprise performers as well.  Guests will have the opportunity to interact with speakers through an exclusive Q&A session.  As the night goes on, the glamor comes out with a dazzling fashion show and silent auction.  All throughout the evening, beverages will flow freely at the open bar, alongside hand-crafted hor-d’oeuvres (and to satiate the sophisticated San Franciscan palate, bacon and truffles will also make a unique appearance).  Special guests and speakers include:

• Jay Nicolas Sario – Designer & Project Runway contestant

• Charlie Ayers – Author & Executive Chef

• Raul Navalta (aka RJ KoolRaul) – America’s Best Dance Crew contestant

• Joel Goodrich – San Francisco Philanthropist and Socialite

• Sukhinder Singh Cassidy – CEO of Polyvore

• Lily Kanter – Co-Founder & CEO of Serena and Lily

• Victoria Ransom – Co-Founder & CEO of WildFire App

• Wendy Lea – CEO of Get Satisfaction

• Amy Muller – Co-Founder of Get Satisfaction

So grab a ticket to expand beyond your social circle, and help change lives while you’re at it. As a special offer for the first ten Girls in Tech members to register, get 20% off with this discount code: GirlsInTechRock.

While the evening will be livestreamed here, the event is an immersive experience (when else could you see Dave McClure dance to Lady GaGa?), so come out if you can!

Chic Meets Geek: Breaking Barriers
Auttomatic Lounge
Pier 38
San Francisco, CA
Thursday, June 03, 2010
5:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Tags: chicmeetsgeek, San Francisco
Posted in San Francisco | No Comments »

On February 4, 2010, ChicMeetsGeek hits San Francisco with a mission.  This time, the event will be benefitting BUILD – a nonprofit venture that emphasizes entrepreneurship to underprivileged high schoolers.
The event will be held at the Automattic Lounge at Pier 38 – home of WordPress – and will backdrop the same air of elegance and entrepreneurship as the first ChicMeetsGeek last November.  This time around, celebrity panelists from the San Francisco arts scene as well as the tech sphere will highlight their own hidden chic and geek talents.

Speakers include:

Kai Huang – Founder of Guitar Hero
Sumaya Kazi – Founder of The CulturalConnect
Dave McClure – Venture Capitalist/Investor at the Founder’s Fund
Jessica Mah – Founder of Indinero
Annette Jordan – Miss California Pageant Candidate 2010
Tim Galida – Keyboard & Singer of the Pop Rocks
Steve Wharton – Actor on NBC’s Trauma TV Show

The goal of ChicMeetsGeek is to build bridges that further strengthen San Francisco’s position as a hub for innovation and sophistication.   The event will include live jazz music and an open bar, as well as decadent 5-star catering, a unique Geek vs. Chic makeover show, and tech demos from local companies.  To top it off, the evening is complete with a silent auction where guests can bid on one-on-one time or services with reputable individuals from around the SF social scene.  Most importantly, all proceeds from the auction will benefit BUILD.
The evening promises to be a dazzling affair fit for our SF culture.  If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself!  Here are a few special discount codes for our Girls in Tech members (there are only a few of each, so get them while they’re hot):

GITGirlsAreLeaders — 20% off ticket price
GITChicGeekGirlsRule — 15% off ticket price
GITLoveToBeAChic –10% off ticket price
GITSmartGirlsRock — 5% off ticket price

For more information, visit the ChicMeetsGeek website.  To purchase tickets for the event (and use the nifty coupon codes above), visit the EventBrite page.

Posted in San Francisco | No Comments »

The UC Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology hosts the Innovator Lecture Series, a weekly, hour-long lecture where Silicon Valley leaders share their experience and pearls of wisdom to engineering and business students.  Tomorrow evening’s lecture will feature Marissa Mayer, who will be discussing her decade’s experience at Google as well as the future of search. Mayer did her undergraduate work in Symbolic Systems and graduate work in Computer Science, both at Stanford University, specializing in artificial intelligence. Today she leads Google’s product management efforts in everything related to search: web search, images, news, books, products, maps, Google Earth, Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Google Health, GoogleLabs and even more. Not a single Google product is released to the public without her seal of approval.

Browsing through the semester-long list of speakers for the Lecture Series, I noticed one glaring oversight: out of the eleven individuals chosen for this distinguished speaking position, only one is a woman. Does that mean that women constitute only 9% of the powerful tech innovators? My my, that glass ceiling is looking mighty shiny today.

One of our missions at Girls in Tech University is to change these numbers. Young women in college shouldn’t feel discouraged by the ubiquity of men in the industry they wish to call their own. This isn’t a pity party!  We’re quickly starting to see more and more women gain momentum and really rise to leadership positions in which they excel.

The intelligent, motivated ladies passionate about new technologies are out there; with the right resources, a network of serious innovators, and a dash of empowerment, we can exceed our own expectations and change the face of the industry like Mayer has.

*****
Event Details:
A. Richard Newton Distinguished Innovator Lecture Series
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 5:00pm
UC Berkeley Bechtel Engineering Center

The WebCast of Mayer’s talk will be available to stream online here after the event.

Posted in GIT U, San Francisco | 1 Comment »

On the evening of Thursday, November 5th, the Chic Meets Geek event was held at the Automattic headquarters, home of WordPress. Overlooking the sparkling bay, Chic Meets Geek brought together members of the San Francisco Opera BRAVO! Club and the Silicon Valley tech scene.
The evening was one big convergence of mainstream arts and emerging tech, resulting in the ultimate in SF culture. The special guests ranged from a former Dallas Cowboy to a stem cell biologist. The most exciting part of the evening – coming from a true chic geek – was was tapping my toes to the incredible live jazz band while checking out the cool tech demos from MixMatchMusic, OneRiot, and NetworkedBlogs, among others. Just as I thought the evening couldn’t get any lovelier, I was offered a gift bag on my way out filled with treats from the generous event sponsors.
Watching salsa dancers, sipping on a local rosé, schmoozing with Randi Zuckerberg et al., and mobile-tweeting by the water in heels too high to handle: ahhhh, just another Thursday night in San Francisco.

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Melody Akhtari, Jill Primost, and Karin Xie light up the Girls in Tech booth at The >Play Conference.

On Saturday, October 17th, the pink Girls in Tech banner was waving proudly at >Play: The Berkeley Digital Media Conference. The conference is put together by the Haas School of Business MBA students, and brings together professionals and students in the digital media and entertainment space. Tweeters, developers, gamers, and entrepreneurs alike gathered to discuss the ever-important role that digital media today plays in three main milieus: Mobile & Cloud, Media & Entertainment, and Identity & Innovation.
Girls in Tech participated in the expo hall, drawing the attention of  young women in grad school who will soon take the workforce by storm. While women are slowly starting to represent more and more of the workforce, we still only make roughly $.80 for every dollar earned by the opposite sex. One of Girls in Tech’s goals is to educate and empower women so we can be one step closer to equality in the workplace. The gentlemen who stopped by our booth at >Play agree with our mission, and are quite receptive to the idea of having more female representation in the tech arena. Meanwhile, the ladies who were coming across Girls in Tech for the first time were hugely enthusiastic about joining our network.
From the showcase of startups, the informative panels, and the many connections made, the >Play Conference’s was quite a stimulating day. Keeps your eyes peeled for Girls in Tech next year!

Posted in All Chapters, GIT U | 3 Comments »