Girls In Tech

I’ve had the chance to chat with Marten Mickos, CEO of Eucalyptus  systems about open source, cloud computing, and leadership

Eucalyptus Systems delivers private cloud software. This is infrastructure software that enables enterprises and government agencies to establish their own cloud computing environments. Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo Securities, Gartner and other prominent observers of the technology industry predict that cloud computing is the most significant IT shift of this decade.

CEO of Eucalyptus, Marten Mickos builds global disruptive businesses. As CEO of MySQL AB for seven years, Mickos grew that company from a garage start-up to the second largest open source company in the world. After the acquisition by Sun Microsystems of MySQL AB for $1bn, he served as Senior Vice President of Sun’s Database Group.

Tell us more about Eucalyptus

With Eucalyptus, customers make more efficient use of their computing capacity, thus increasing productivity and innovation, deploying new applications faster, and protecting sensitive data while making savings in capital expenditure.

Eucalyptus is an open source solution that originates from an NSF funded research project at University of California, Santa Barbara. The open source model is generally considered a superior way of creating infrastructure software. Innovation is faster, users and customers have more freedom and flexibility, lock-in is avoided, and secondary benefits accrue from the massive ecosystems that naturally evolve around the most prolific open source products.

You are one of the most accomplished individual and successful CEO; what can we learn from you?

Wait, why didn’t you like me before “I was accomplished”? No one is born to be accomplished.

People should not be afraid of being successful. It is such a great inspiration. I knew nothing about open source and decided to learn about it. There is always first for everyone. We all should define our own success; so don’t be afraid to be successful is the key.

Being an entrepreneur yourself, what can you tell those folks out there who would have the desire to start something small and to grow bigger?

I’ve learned in my life, weaknesses is also my strength. Make the best of them. As a young boy, I was a stubborn kid; my stubbornness grounded me to become one of the good positive quality for me in this day. To keep going and never give up

I am keen of this quote by Eisenhower-“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

What’s next for Eucalyptus Systems?

We are expanding. We are a team of 25 and growing tremendously. We are hiring team of engineers, business and more for an additional 20+. We are also developing a testing lab for our products. We are building stronger in offering and more in partnership; we are fine tuning our strategy.

Is this your first time being part of Oscon? If not, then how’s it different from previous years?

No. I’ve been here since 2002.  I would say it’s much bigger now. This convention is steering toward the open source fanatics.

What’s a current device that you couldn’t live without?

Digital camera.

To learn more about the product go to http://www.eucalyptus.com/ And be sure to follow @Martenmickos

Be sure to join Girls in Tech Portland Chapter at OSCON 2010 this year at Portland Oregon.

If you are interested in being a guest speaker and/or panelist for our workshops and lectures, pls feel free to drop me an email: ivo@girlsintech.net

tweet @mssonicflare @oscon @24notion @gitweet

Tags: 24notion, cloud computing, Developers, eucalyptus systems, girls in tech portland, gitpdx, ivo, Ivo Lukas, Leadership, management, marten mickos, mssonicflare, open source, oregon, Portland, tech, technology
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Guest blogger: Tommy Jenkins

Tommy Jenkins

Tommy Jenkins is an associate with a New York investment firm where she is responsible for investment analysis and management. Her passion for technology there has further lead her to become an avid programmer. She is currently working on bringing her enthusiasm for information theory, communication and charity to the web. Her areas of experience include marketing communications, visual design, natural health, and nutritional writing.

Tommy is Manager, Biz Dev & Strategic Partnerships for Girls in Tech NYC.

“Who am I?”

In Unlocking the Clubhouse,  Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher point to secondary school as the juncture where women seek to define themselves with this important question and assert that, in this quest, many women are deterred from computing. Yet to many women entrepreneurs and members of the changing and vibrant New York tech community, the experience seems somewhat different.  Here, innovation and reinvention become synonymous with self.  Girls in Tech in New York aims to capture that spirit and help to awaken it through community.

In a study of women entrepreneurs using relational theory (the conceptual framework of relationships), NYU Stern grant recipient E. Holly Buttner notes that levels of entrepreneurship among women are increasing: as a group, they now employ more of the workforce than all Fortune 500 companies put together.

Buttner saw an opportunity to study women management and client-interaction models, and showed that women tend to be more interactive and focused on connectedness.  She concludes that women leaders can strike a new balance between social benefits (ethics) and economic gain.  I am reminded of In Good Company,  a Flatiron business helping to revolutionize our relationships within the workplace environment, putting itself on the increasingly populated map of coworking sites in New York City.  Social technologies and trends parallel women who are social, business-oriented, and technical.

As the economy forces us to redefine our selves and our relationships to one another, so too does the prevalence of the internet and our interconnectedness. Mike Masnick argues that no longer is there scarcity (defined by infinite need and finite resources) in the internet-driven economies, and that, even with market abundance, the economy can thrive.

Politically and economically, access to abundant resources means mastering the art of forging and organizing new relationships to capitalize on accessibility (whether with regard to information or capital).  It becomes the art of inclusion.  This revolution in perspective–constant access, abundance of information, and transparent public relationship–opens doors for women…and women are well-equipped to lead the effort to build our renewed economy.

Steven Weber (The Success of Open Source) writes:

“the production, flow, and control of information are core defining features of a community, economy, and society….The role of technology and organization is simply to liberate that creativity (like poetry).”(sic)

Women understand that interactivity, social ethics, and relationships are here to enable us to connect, and to do so effectively. Women influence 80% of purchasing power, and typically increase their workforce numbers during recessions.

How do we:

• Preserve innovation and invention?
• Market to and value women in the marketplace?
• Help drive and build market recovery as entrepreneurs?
• Increase the presence of girls in technology?
• Create strong and lasting connections?

Get involved and connect.

Through my work with Girls in Tech NYC, I feel privileged to benefit from the passion and drive of the many talented women who want to help to build our local community chapter in the same way.  Not the least of these are Girls in Tech NYC’s Amy Cham, Open Source community champion and builder, and Janine Just, Avid Group leader and innovator and co-community-catalyst with NextWeb . I’m further looking forward to exploring the fascinating subsection of the vibrant NYC community that will participate in April’s New York City Entrepreneur Week.

More soon on these guiding lights and partners in the New York community!

Now, your story:

How do you show your spirit in business, technology or in connecting with others? What part will you play in building communities? How do you include others and promote interactivity? How can you, we, or all of us help?

Comment here, or send feedback to tommy@tamikojenkins.com if you prefer to remain anonymous!

Information on the Girls in Tech NYC Relaunch Launch Party: the details and the RSVP!

Tags: community, entrepreneurship, management, New York City
Posted in New York | 1 Comment »