Girls In Tech

Next weekend, the tech community in Santa Cruz will be hosting TechRaising, a first-of-it’s-kind event, where entrepreneurs (big thinkers, developers, designers, business men and women, marketers, etc.) can get together to actually build and execute on the very ideas they have been stewing on for months, years or even just weeks.

This event is about collaboration, execution, accomplishment and showing what you’ve done.

Participants will gather on the evening of May 20 at Cruzio (downtown Santa Cruz) and have 90 seconds to pitch their idea for a product, service, or company to the group.  After pitches have been completed, everyone will have a chance to dialog with each other and form teams to build the the idea over the course of the weekend.

Scott McNealy, an industry icon and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, will be keynoting the event on Saturday morning.

Early bird tickets are $29.00 (if purchased by May 13th) and $49.00 after that and can be purchased at http://techraising.eventbrite.com. For more information please visit TechRaising.com.

So let’s get together and build something. How awesome would it be if this is where your startup was born?

Tags: designers, Developers, entrepreneurs, event, girls in tech, marketers, marketing, santa cruz, Silicon Valley, techraising, women in tech
Posted in San Francisco, santa cruz, Silicon Valley | No Comments »

Wannabe entrepreneurs will unite and descend upon Wayne State campus in Detroit next weekend with the hopes of forming the next big ‘tech’ company. Designers, developers, social media experts, and business minded folks will spend 54 hours hunkered down in TechTown, Detroit’s research and technology park, for Detroit’s Second Annual Startup Weekend.

On Friday, November 12th, participants will gather to crowd source ideas. Groups of 4-10 people are formed around the most popular company ideas, and the remainder of the weekend is spent coming up with a business plan, marketing plan, and the structure of a working company. At the end of the day Sunday, November 14th, the groups present their now functioning businesses to a panel of expert judges, and a winner is selected. This year, the winning team will receive $5,000 courtesy of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan to put towards their newly formed company, or to spend in any way they choose.

The cost to attend is $75, $40 for students, and $20 to view the judging on Sunday if you can’t make it for the entire weekend. The price includes meals and drinks for the entire weekend. You can register to attend on the Startup Weekend Detroit website.

I was able to attend the event as a judge last year and will be going this year as a participant. It’s incredibly fun, and the innovative ideas that are generated are outstanding. I highly suggest coming out to be a part of all the fun and action. Girls in Tech Detroit members will be at the event live blogging at Detroit.StartupWeekend.org and tweeting from @GITDet on Twitter so you can follow along. Hope to see you all there!

Tags: designers, Detroit, Developers, entrepreneurs, startup weekend, techtown
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“Now who says fashion isn’t an intellectual discipline?” Jennine asks her readers who are devoted to Coveted. Not many would disagree that there’s much to be said about Cynthia Rowley’s resort collection, or if anyone will be gutsy enough to rock a head dress, and how a buy/sell/trade store can be a treasure chest of finds. Although Jennine advises, “… it’s not worth it to buy used Forever21…even though I have done it.”

She is not a designer at Karl Lagerfeld’s studio writing from lofty industry knowledge. Her honesty, candor, and some self deprecating humor has pulled readers into her world of fashion which is relevant, relate-able, and fun. Her captivating and witty writing style along with her knowledge of the industry (mainly through being a shopaholic and world traveler) makes readers feel like they are like minded fashionistas too with the same realities. “I knew I wanted to wear makeup as long as I could remember, but applying it was always another story.”

Jennine has taken a life long passion and grown it through the beautiful, intricate, and accessible world of technology. The Coveted has been featured on Glamour, IQONs, Modepass, and Pronto and she has since founded the Independent Fashion Bloggers Network. It is what can happen when you combine passion, talent, and technology and it could be you! Fashion Police and Fashion Criminals alike will benefit from learning about Jennine’s path to blogging success.

She has a chronic dilemma though “….muffin top! Every time I wear jeans, it always boils down to a choice between muffin top or saggy bottom.” Jennine’s dedication to denim has inspired another blog called Eat Sleep Denim. Where will this end? What is the future for Jennine? How will she scale her business? I’m excited to find the answers at the Girls in Tech event July 21^st. Are you?

A special thanks to our hosts Sandbox Suites, Bay Area’s premier provider of affordable, flexible, on-demand shared office space for entrepreneurs, independent professionals and small businesses.  What better place to corral a group of budding entrepreneurs?

Blogger Spotlight: Jennine Jacob of The Coveted

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PT)

Sandbox Suites 123 10th Street, San Francisco

Get all the details and buy your tickets now by clicking HERE

Tags: Bloggers, blogging, designers, eat sleep denim, entrepreneur, entrepreneurs, fashion, fashionista, glamour, San Francisco, shopping, Terra Khachooni, The Coveted, women in tech, writer, writers
Posted in Girls In Tech, San Francisco, Silicon Valley | 2 Comments »

A few weeks ago, Mashable put out an article on how to customize real life treats via the Internet. Among them: mix your own chocolate bar, smoke your own jerky, create your own pet-food, shoes, handbags, shirts. And the one that stuck out the most to me (other than the jerky): customize your own jewelry.

Say what?

Every girl likes diamonds right?

And boys (in many cases) are the ideal deliverers.

Thanks, pop culture. It’s because of you that I have this grossly generalized fantasy in my head:

Girl meets Boy.
Boy is smitten.
First date.
First kiss.
Move in.

“Dear Boyfriend,

When you propose, it will preferably be on a cruise to Costa Rica.

Think that’s too cliché? I’ll ask again when our mouths are full of lobster, and we’re riding a horse named Steve through the rainforest.

But most importantly, I would like you to present me with a 10 carat, princess-cut diamond in a platinum  setting . . . or was it a marquise in white gold with two emeralds on the side. Or maybe I . . .

On second thought. Don’t propose until I consult my jeweler to find out what the heck it is I want.

Love, your adoring, baby darling, shmoopie.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: bling, CAD cam, customize, designers, Developers, gemvara, jewelry, mashable
Posted in All Chapters, China | 1 Comment »

Girls in Tech will be attending this year’s Start-up Weekend, co-hosted by Women 2.0. It’s a conference where developers, business minds, innovators and dreamers come together to garner resources and learn about launching a start-up.

Maybe you have an idea, maybe you don’t?

Maybe you have started a start-up, maybe you haven’t?

Maybe you are a developer, designer, do-er?

What is Startup Weekend? It is a weekend where you meet like-minded people and start something over the weekend. Come to Startup Weekend to find an idea that resonates with you, join a team, and launch! Startup Weekend is a place to test ideas, contribute to ideas, and meet potential founders. We are bringing together the most innovative, talented, and out-of-the-box entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. This event is open to males and females.

For more information and to sign up for Start-up Weekend, please click on the following  link: http://startupweekend.com/

Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, designers, Developers, entrepreneurs, girls in tech, San Francisco, Start up Weekend, women in tech
Posted in All Chapters | 5 Comments »

Have you heard of it? The world’s first Freelance Camp was held August 16th 2008  in the amazing coastal city of Santa Cruz, California! The event was to explore and promote the synergy that independent contractors can bring to business today.

Freelance Camp is a place to discuss and explore the different approaches to running a successful freelance business / service company. Events have been based on the Barcamp format, which is a network of user generated participatory events whose content is fully provided by the participants. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join. Some of the events are free (thanks to sponsors) while other charge a token fee to help cover overhead. Each camp is run by a local team of volunteers and is put on for the benefit of the community (not profit). Any left over proceeds are donated to the organizer’s charity of choice. All the events to date have included breakfast, lunch and an after party.

Who should come? If you sell your services (or are considering it), you are a perfect fit: developer, designer, accountant, blogger / journalist, realtor, lawyer, carpenter, engineer, financial adviser, marketer, sales, musician, artist, inventor… Historically, the bulk of attendees are from the hi-tech industry but Freelance Camp organizers encourage all types of owners to come to provide a balanced perspective to business.

* Get experience based answers to your questions.
* Network and meet people running successful freelance businesses.
* Form partnership and collaborate.
* Find clients.
* Help others and be a person of influence.

Has your curiosity been peaked? Here are details on the next event:

Venue: Rittenhouse Building, Downtown Santa Cruz, CA
Date: Saturday August 15, 2009
Time: 8am – 6pm + after party
Cost: $25 or free if you are a student
Schwag: Klean Kanteen 27oz bottles
Register: http://freelancecamp3.eventbrite.com/

Tags: business, conference, designers, Developers, Engineer, freelance, journalist, networking, Silicon Valley, small businesses
Posted in All Chapters, Events, San Francisco, santa cruz | 3 Comments »