Girls In Tech

I’ve had an amazing discussion with Gilda and Patty. Both are co-founders and lead Latinas in Computing (LIC), a grassroots organization whose goal is to increase the opportunities for underrepresented women minorities in technology.   These women are perfect examples of role models for young generations within the Latino communities.  Currently, Gilda is a principal engineer at Oracle while Patty is a platform application engineer at Intel.  Both volunteer their time to help the others and pay it forward! Simply superb!

 The Latinas in Computing (LIC) was established in 2006 as a small gathering of Latinas at the Grace Hopper Conference. Patty(left) and Gilda(right) are both leaders in LIC. Patty and Gilda have faced their own challenges growing up as Latina women, engineers – 1% of people in computing and constantly battling stereotypes.

Q: You are participating at the Grace Hopper Celebration this year. What do you want the girls to take away from your events at Grace Hopper?

A: Increased participation, more women getting involved with us. The biggest thing we work on and where it hurts the most to lose them is in graduate programs. A lot of Latinas succeed in the Master’s program. But in the PhD program, they lose confidence. It can be very competitive and isolated. That is when they start to doubt themselves and think they can’t make it through to the end. We hope to change that way of thinking and to mentor and encourage them to try instead of giving up. Historically from 1995-2005 we graduated 2-3 Latinas per year with a PhD in computer science. With the work of Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), that number is up to 8-9 per year. From this, women with research careers can go into academia, industry, or government. Once they have done this they serve as role models for young women.

At Grace Hopper and other conferences, we have organized mentoring workshops as well as career workshops. We are involved with organizations such as CAHSI, NCWIT, CRA-W and ABI that support women and minorities; we are at the intersection of those two. And we also work other women of colors communities such as BWIC (Black Women in Computing). At Grace Hopper 2012, we hope to connect as well with groups focusing on disabled women. We are trying to branch out and be as inclusive as we can.

Retention is our number one goal. We would like to concentrate on sharing resources for women who are starting a new career after school. We would like to connect with companies that can help them find their first job and to mentor them. Our goal is to take care of their health, helping them get their first job and seeing them move on and up.

Q: What are some of the challenges that Latinas/minority/women in the workforce face?

A: There are a lot of challenges that Latinas face. To mention a few, many Latinas are English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers, and the ability to communicate effectively in English is constantly judged. Second, the pedigree of your alma mater is a strong factor in determining who will hire you – thus there are more foreign-born Latinas hired in academia and in research labs than U.S. born. Many women of color “wear” their ethnicity or race – it is not something you can hide (not that you would want to), but accents and atypical names are a giveaway on resumes and business cards. It is a challenge to slip out from under gender and ethnic stereotypes, and there is strong social pressure to deny that the workplace is anything but equitable. It is not impossible to find opportunities, and there are fabulous Latinas in research all over the US who are able to get good jobs in academia, government labs, and industry (such as at Oracle Labs) but they often come with their own set of challenges because you have to advocate for yourself and there are few role models and mentors to help you up the career ladder. Latinas can move up and have good jobs but until the stereotypes are challenged by the majority, the challenges will never fully disappear. We would like to see more successful Latinas in at all levels of technology, however they define success for themselves.

Q: How many women are parts of the organization?

A: We have 150 members and a large number of those women are undergrad and graduates. You can check out the membership page at our website www.latinasincomputing.org to get a sample of who we are and where we come from.

Q: How can women participate in your organizations if they can’t go to Baltimore?

A: They can join our community by signing up for our mailing list and/or our Facebook group. More information is available at http://latinasincomputing.org/get-involved. They can also join Systers, a larger group of women in computing which is our umbrella organization within the Anita Borg Institute of Women in Technology (ABI). By joining they can get the wealth of knowledge from women all over the world.

By attending our events in conferences or regional workshops where they may benefit by participating in sessions and networking opportunities. As they mature, they can step up into leadership responsibilities and get to present at a conference. They get the experience of interacting with more senior speakers and the possibilities of 1-1 mentoring conversations. Also, there are lots of opportunities for code-a-thons if they are interested in coding for a good cause/non-profit organization..

Other opportunities might include junior entrepreneur programs such as the one offered by ThoughtWorks, where they mentor the women and show them what it is like to be an entrepreneur. They can also put together a workshop for girls at risk by putting the girls in contact with people who can help them get through their challenges.

If you would like to meet members of the Latinas In Computing come visit them at the Grace Hopper Celebration. This year the Grace Hopper Celebration will take place October 3-6, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Last years event attracted 2890 participants from 34 countries, learn more about the Grace Hopper Celebration. To learn more about Latinas In Computing, check out their site.

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Tags: baltimore, GHC12, gilda, girls in tech, gitm, Intel, Ivo Lukas, latinas in computing, LIC, oracle, patty lopez, technology, women in computing, women in technology
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Women are making strides in supporting one another in entering and staying in technology fields.  Come and hear the women leaders have a candid conversation on what needs to be done to continue to solve the gender gap in technology careers.  What socialized behavior and habits do women have that are different than men in the work place? Can these hold women back? Hear what female workplace role models have to say about the importance of: Mentorships, Networking, Career building skills and much more!

If you have ever found yourself or your women colleagues be hesitant about asking for raises or promotions, shy about self-promotion or reluctant to point out their own achievements, come listen to concrete advice from women who have paved the way in advancing careers in a male-dominated industry.

When: June 29, 2012 – Friday

Bridging the Gap Women Panel: 11 am – 12 pm

Networking Mixer: 12 pm – 1 pm

Where: Moscone Center, Main stage Tech Career Expo in San Francisco. RSVP here

Laura Slezinger M.D. Girls in Tech, San Francisco/GIT Global Corp. Dev. and Intellectual Property & Internet Law Attorney, A Venture Gained Legal

Laura has a passion for the intersection of law, technology and the creative, entrepreneurial spirit. She wants to enable others to create what they want to see in the world around them- via technology, law and innovation. She is also a fervent champion of advancing women in all areas of business and leadership – and believes society as a whole will benefit from the increased engagement of women across all industries.

She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego, School of Law where she was Editor-in-Chief of the law school newspaper. She was Fundraising Chair  for the Women’s Law Caucus and hosted a record breaking charity auction to benefit a local women’s domestic violence shelter.

She received her LL.M. from the University of San Francisco, School of Law where she was a staff editor and author on the Intellectual Property Law Bulletin. She worked at the Intellectual Property and Internet Justice Clinic where she advocated for students being sued by the RIAA for alleged illegal downloading of music. Currently she is Managing Director of the San Francisco Chapter of Girls in Tech, Director of Corporate Development for GIT Global and has a law practice  focusing on early stage startups in business, technology, intellectual property and privacy law. Follow her @GITLaura

Kendra arimoto- Executive Search of Facebook

Jerri Barrett- Vice President Marketing of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology

As the Vice President of Marketing for the Anita Borg Institute, Jerri is responsible for the Institute’s overall branding, public relations, social media, collateral, program marketing and out boundcommunications.  Jerri Barrett came to the institute after 20 years in the telecommunications industry with experience in both large corporations and startups. Prior to coming to the Institute, Jerri was Director of Marketing for IP Unity, a Silicon Valley startup and managed the communications for their merger with Glenayre in 2007. Before that Jerri worked with a variety of companies in marketing positions including Nortel, Frontier, CNET, Inc., LinkAir and HighWired. Jerri holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from the William E. Simon School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester.

Ivo Lukas- COO/Exec Director of Global Mentorship Programs of Girls in Tech & CEO/Founder of 24Notion

Ivo Lukas is the Chief Operations Officer & Executive Director of Global Mentorship and Partnership Program at Girls in Tech. Ivo is passionate about leading, nurturing and mentoring the next generation, especially young girls, whose aspire to be in technology. She is the advocate of encouraging positive, inspiring and improving lives of the young girls to gain an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills. She is leading the Global Girls in Tech mentorship program with goals to support young girls ages K-12, college professionals and young entrepreneurs on the importance of math, tech and science at a young age that will embrace, collaborate and promote growth and success for young girls to stay in the technology sector. Furthermore, She is the Founder and CEO of 24Notion, a creative digital, brand, marketing, PR and tech lifestyle shop with special emphasize in giving back to the global communities (CSR). 24Notion is an integrated, cross-functional team of experts who develop and execute innovative solutions in collaboration with client needs. Follow her @MsSonicFlare

Irina Frumkin- Senior SDE & Technical Lead of Microsoft

Irina joined Microsoft immediately out of college and has been with Microsoft for almost 10 years working on a wide gamut of products including MSN Mobile, Photography, Social experiences and Xbox Live services.  Irina has developed large scale Social Gaming services platform based on Azure and authored an application model for distributed systems. She is currently working on large scale real-time monitoring and diagnostic solution for Xbox 360 Services. Irina graduated from University of Washington with a Computer Science degree. She resides in Seattle with her husband and two very energetic sons ,Jesse 6 and Jacob 8 that keep her very busy outside of work.

To learn more about the panel and RSVP now. For additional Qs, pls contact ivo@girlsintech.net or Laura@girlsintech.net

About Tech Career Expo and Developer Jam

Find Top Talent at the Bay Area’s Leading Tech Recruiting Event. Girls In Tech member companies interested in attracting top talent should consider recruiting at the Tech Career Expo at Moscone Center on June 28-29. The Bay area’s leading tech recruiting event takes place across from the sold-out Google developers conference, Google I/O, as a powerful source for talent. This is your opportunity to showcase your company and recruit professionals ranging from web, mobile, game and enterprise designers and developers to marketers, sales and management personnel in a relaxed and creative environment. Tech Career Expo offers you the opportunity to engage with professionals as they network with peers and participate in a series of development workshops. You’ll also have access to developers who will be on-hand catching Google I/O keynotes and sessions in the live-stream theater onsite. Order exhibit space online at and save $100 using special Girls In Tech discount code GITECH.

Tech Career Expo and Developer Jam at Moscone Center Across from Google I/O June 28-29. The SF Bay Tech Career Expo and Developer Jam at the Moscone Center, held concurrent with and across from Google’s sold-out developers conference, Google I/O, on June 28-29, is open to all tech professionals at no charge.  The expo showcases jobs and careers at dozens of interactive companies from well-funded, early-stage start-ups to late-stage start-ups, established firms and public companies. Everyone from engineers, programmers and designers to marketers, sales and management personnel will have access to innovative tech career opportunities in a casual, creative atmosphere. Network with peers and engage with dynamic companies taking business and technology to the next level.

Tags: 24notion, career tech, career tech expo, gender gap, girls in tech, Ivo Lukas, jobs, laura slezinger, moscone, San Francisco, start-ups, tech, tech jobs, technology, usa, women in technology, women panel
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President and CEO Cheri Beranek was named a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2012 program in the Upper Midwest.  The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Beranek, who was selected from a strong pool of nominations by a panel of independent judges, has been widely recognized for her success in turning around the company. Her direction to rebrand Clearfield (formerly APA Cables and Networks) and re-establish shareholder confidence in the firm by establishing profitable revenue growth and generating the vision for the firm’s potential, is credited in large part with Clearfield ’s success.

Awards will be presented at a special gala on June 14, 2012 at the Marriott City Center hotel in Minneapolis . Now in its 26th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs , California , on November 17, 2012. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

About Clearfield, Inc.
Clearfield, Inc. sets the standard for fiber performance with FiberDeep, while lowering the cost of broadband deployment with the FieldSmart fiber management platform and the CraftSmart OSP enclosure system. FieldSmart is the only fiber management platform to be designed around a single architecture – the Clearview Cassette and xPAK— for the inside plant, outside plant and access network. Scaling from 1 to 1728 ports, FieldSmart supports a wide range of panel and cabinet configurations, densities, connectors and adapter options, and are offered alongside an assortment of passive optical components. CraftSmart is the industry’s only field enclosure system optimized for fiber deployment. FiberDeep is a new class of fiber patch cords that guarantees performance at .2dB insertion loss — fully half that of the industry standard. Clearfield is a public company traded on NASDAQ: CLFD.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year^®
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

Tags: Cheri Beranek, Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young, women in technology
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“Calling someone a GEEK is a highly compliment at Google… ” said Marissa Mayer.

Earlier this month, Marrisa Mayer of Google was awarded and featured as IMOW’s first ever Innovator Award for Women in Technology.

IMOW- International Museum of Women presented Marissa for her work as Google’s First female engineer and her part in enhancing the involvement of women in the field of computer science. Marissa’s work at Google has influenced how hundreds of millions of people access information online, and she has played a pivotal role in shaping Google’s most important products, such as Gmail and Google search.  She had some great things to say about women heroes, accepting yourself, and the role IMOW can help play in inspiring women to fulfill their greatest potential.  Marissa dedicated this award to heroes and geeks who inspired her personally. (so awesome)

IMOW is a groundbreaking social change museum that connects and inspires people with powerful ideas and new ways of thinking that transform women’s lives and the world. With its unique focus on cultural change, IMOW advances the human right to gender equity worldwide.

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Tags: female heros, Google, IMOW, Ivo Lukas, marissa mayer, super geek, women in technology, women leadership, women of change
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Grace Hopper celebration of Women in Computing  will take place in Portland this year November 9-12, 2011. The conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. Keynote speakers line up would be Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and the honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

4 days of conference with special sessions focus on the role of women in today’s technology fields, including computer science, information technology, research and engineering.

Check out daily schedule here.  Registration is now closed, as it’s a sold out conference. So, follow me @MsSonicFlare for conference updates this week.

Tags: 24notion, Computing, executive leaders, facebook, girls in technology, gitpdx, grace hopper, ivo, Ivo Lukas, mssonicflare, technology, women in computing, women in technology
Posted in All Chapters, GIT Mentorship, Portland | No Comments »

For 13 years, OSCON, the O’Reilly Open Source Convention, has put open source to work building the future. OSCON’s program encompasses 20 tracks to explore all things open source. New tracks have been added to OSCON this year, including Citizen Science, Geek Lifestyle, Open Data, Programming, and Emerging Languages, while Healthcare returns for its second year.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to Portland. Don’t worry! O’Reilly’s OSCON video live stream starts today and continues all week. also, Check out daily schedule

Don’t forget this Thursday: Girls in Tech will be at OSCON 2011 as we kick off the inaugural GIT Mentorship Pilot Programs globally (everyone is welcome-men and women). Learn more about the mentorship programs(for k-12, colleges/universities, working professionals), get involved and participate,  and how you could help spread the word. If you are attending Oscon 2011,  join us on Thursday on July 28th 1-2pm in room #D134. More info about the session. See you there!

More info at oscon.com/live

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Tags: 24notion, girls in tech, gitpdx, Ivo Lukas, mentorship programs, oregon, OSCON, oscon data, oscon java, OSCON2011, Portland, women in technology, women leadership
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Follow me @cmparadise

In my role as a volunteer social media manager for women’s professional organizations in the Bay Area it is my job to stay on top of the news; and the news lately regarding women, executive positions and a challenging job market has become alarming.  From articles in the Wall Street Journal to U.S. News to Bloomberg there are reports that a pervasive wrong is occurring and that is the inspiration for this blog post.

From a timeline perspective this began with an article from the Wall Street Journal ‘Women Executives Twice as Likely to Leave Their Jobs as Men’ in October of 2010.  “About 7.2 percent of women executives in the survey left their jobs, compared to 3.8 percent of men. Both the voluntary rates (4.3 percent versus 2.8 percent for men) and the involuntary rates (2.9 versus 0.9 percent) were higher for women executives.”  The article states that women were more likely to be dismissed from their job and the research suggests that this is due to the lack of opportunities and professional support needed to advance successfully.

This research is supported by the recent article from Women on Business ’29 Fortune 500 companies Have No Women on Boards’ which highlights that only 2.6% of women hold board chairmanships.  That article was actually a reactionary piece written about the Bloomberg Businessweek article ‘Boys Only Boards’.  According to the author Joel Stonington “There are 29 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 that are all male in decision-making roles, with no women on the board of directors or among the top five highest-paid officers, according to Bloomberg Rankings. They range from America’s largest maker of uniforms, Cintas (CTAS), to the company that produces Animal Planet and the Oprah Winfrey Network, Discovery Communications (DISCA).  There are 47 companies, or 9.4 percent of the S&P 500, that have no women on the board of directors, according to Bloomberg Rankings.”  Yes you read that right….29 companies without women in the top five highest-paid officer roles.

If you are wondering how Bloomberg Rankings got from 47 companies to 29….if there was one (1) woman present (let me repeat…one)  in an executive position the company was removed from the rankings.  Not to dismiss the women who hold these positions but this is not even close to gender equality.  Personally, I would like to see a list of companies without 25% of their executive positions held by women. I know I would be adjusting my spending habits accordingly.

It is not only the executive ranks that are facing this challenge.  In the Wall Street Journal article ‘Tech Executives See Paths for Women, Especially Geeks’  the author states that “Women held 25% of computing-related occupations in 2009, down from 30% in 2000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The percentage of computer information systems degrees obtained annually by women has held at 18% since the 2007-08 school year, down from 28% in 2001-02.”.  And even more frightening women are not aiming for the top.  In a McKinsey & Co survey conducted in 2010 16% of women versus 26% of men are aiming for top management positions.

A Poor Way To Do Business

“It’s totally insensitive,” says Terry Savage, a financial journalist and longtime corporate board member. (She requested that Businessweek.com not cite the boards on which she sits, as she did not want to be seen as speaking for those companies.) “I find it simply astounding that a company that has at least half its ultimate users and customers as women, especially uniform making or media, I find it astounding that they don’t have a woman on the board.”  Could it be said any better?  Let’s try….

Marketing statistics about women from she-conomy.com :

• Wealthy boomer women are the marquee players in our country’s culture and commerce. They are educated, have a high income, and make 95 percent of the purchase decisions for their households. – Karen Vogel, The Women’s Congress and co-founder and president of New Generation Event Solutions
• Once the college bills are out of the way and children launch their own households, the discretionary spending power of 50-plus women soars. They spend 2.5 times what the average person spends. Women are the primary buyers for computers, cars, banking, financial services and a lot of other big-ticket categories. – Marti Barletta, Primetime Women
• High-net-worth women account for 39% of the country’s top wealth earners; 2.5 million of them have combined assets of $4.2 trillion. More than 1.3 million women professionals and executives earn in excess of $100,000 annually. 43% of Americans with more than $500,000 in assets are female – MassMutual Financial Group–2007
• The number of wealthy women investors in the U.S. is growing at a faster rate than that of men. In a two-year period, the number of wealthy women in the U.S. grew 68%, while the number of men grew only 36%. – The Spectrem Group
• Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from autos to health care:
  • 91% of New Homes
  • 66% PCs
  • 92% Vacations
  • 80% Healthcare
  • 65% New Cars
  • 89% Bank Accounts
  • 93% Food
  • 93 % OTC Pharmaceuticals
  • American women spend about $5 trillion annually…
    Over half the U.S. GDP

With statistics like the above….how can companies not seek women in droves for executive positions?

The Growing Talent Pool & What You Can Do

With all of the above it is astonishing the low number of women in executive management.  Even more so when there are numerous ‘women to watch’, ‘women to follow’, and top business women listings.  A few of my favorites:

• Advertising Age – Women to Watch
• FORTUNE – 50 Most Powerful Women in Business

And being that I am from the Bay Area:

• San Francisco Business Times – 150 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business

Clearly the talent exists and the challenge lies in perceptions as opposed to the reality of the talent pool available.

So what can we do? I believe the responsibility begins with each and every one of us.  One of the factors cited for poor ability to advance into executive management is the lack of opportunities and support systems.  Women should not rely on their companies to provide this type of support but instead look to external organizations and networks to create this.  Organizations like Girls-in-Tech, along with many more around the country are there to assist and provide these opportunities.

Steps to Take:

1. Investigate opportunities for professional growth, mentorship, and networking within your company.  If you don’t find any…consider speaking to your HR department about partnering with organizations that provide these opportunities for women.
2. Research organizations within your area that can help you and become an active member.  The least you can do is show up to events….the most you can do is volunteer.  These are all great ways to provide youself with new opportunities.
3. Invest in yourself and other women leaders.  Many companies offer yearly benefits to offset the cost of continued education…use them.  Consider mentoring other emerging women leaders within your area.
4. Seek out female talent.  With online networking platforms like LinkedIn and Viadeo this has never been more easy!

Tags: lack of women executives, lack of women on boards, Leadership, women, women executives, women in technology
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Late last month May 23-25, 2011, NCWIT kicked off its Summit on Women and IT in New York City. NCWIT mission is a national community of change-leader organizations working to significantly increase the meaningful participation of girls and women in IT. The yearly summit brings in together leaders, change agents, and stakeholders to focus on research-driven practices and ideas that can strengthen the computing workforce and promote technology innovation by increasing the participation of girls and women.  The NCWIT Summit on Women and IT convenes prominent leaders from corporations, K-12 and higher education, non-profits, startups, and government organizations. Topics to be addressed during the summit include:

• How an increasingly diverse U.S. population impacts the future of IT
• How to develop diversity in open source
• Ways to better inform and educate girls about IT career choices
• How diversity impacts innovation and how stereotype threat affects underrepresented groups in particular environments
• What organizations can do to promote a diverse work environment, retain talent and avoid high attrition

The Department of Labor estimates that the U.S. workforce will add 1.4 million technology jobs by 2018, yet universities will produce fewer than half of the technology-trained candidates needed to fill these jobs. Research shows that the number of women in IT is dwindling; in 2009, only 25% of U.S IT professionals were women, compared to 36% in 1991.

check out NCWIT’s Alliances

Check out NCWIT BLOG |   Photos from the NCWITSummit |   Schedule of the prominent speakers/panelist |  Don’t forget to read all of the coverage #NCWITSUMMIT @NCWIT, And last but not least, like their Facebook page |   Fun digital photo booth on the last night hosted at MTV HQ for Symons Innovator Award |   Press Release for media

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Tags: 24notion, Computing, diversity, education, girls in technology, innovation, IT, Ivo Lukas, NCWIT, ncwitsummit, New York, tech, technology, women in technology
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How powerful is a tweet?

Last December at Vator Splash NY Competition where JumpThru founder Deborah Jackson served as a judge for the event, she met the executive director of Iridescent, a non-profit that provides STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education for underserved and underrepresented youth. On the spot, she helped Iridescent connect with like-minded organizations such as Girl Develop It and Women 2.0. She also introduced the non-profit to Heart & Soul Charitable Fund that is now going to fund Iridescent.

Deborah thought she had done her part in making connections for Iridescent. Little did she think that one of her tweets would have an impact as powerful as a personal introduction.

Fast forward to this week, when she received a thank you email from the executive director of Iridescent. The executive director wrote that, thanks to Deborah’s tweet about Girl Approved founder Heidi Dangelmaier, Iridescent learned about Girl Approved, an organization focused on girl empowerment through innovative product development. In fact, the executive director reached out to Heidi who agreed to be one of the keynote speakers at Technovation Challenge Pitch Night on May 9th at AOL Ventures in NYC.

Here is more detail on Technovation Challenge Pitch Night:

“The Technovation Challenge program was founded in 2009 by Anuranjita Tewary, who wanted to offer young women the experience of participating in a “start-up company” and understand what it takes to be a high-tech entrepreneur. The pilot program was run in the spring of 2010, with 45 girls and 25 mentors from all over Silicon Valley. The Technovation Challenge has now expanded to New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mountain View and Berkeley, CA, supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). View our current programs here“

Girls in Tech was highly involved with the first Technovation Challenge, from inception to Pitch Night, in the Bay Area in December 2009.

So, a tweet, as Deborah found out, can be quite powerful. Particularly when sharing connections and promoting collaboration among an increasingly interconnected community of “tweeps” passionate about female entrepreneurship, technology, and education.

Keep on tweeting!

This post of was originally posted on JumpThru’s tumblr blog.

Tags: entrepreneurship, Girl_Approved, Girl_Develop_It, iridescent, JumpThru, networking, New York City, social media, social networking, Technovation_Challenge, tweet, twitter, women in technology
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Want to get a start in journalism?  Wish you could launch your own website based on your latest big idea and get $12,00o funding to get it started?  Check out New Women’s Media Entreprenuers (NMWE).

NMWE is a unique initiative addressing opportunity and innovation, recruitment and retention for women in journalism by spotlighting their ingenuity and entrepreneurial abilities. Pilot projects will show what can be done. Research will tell what more then to do.  Additionally, an awards program and summit will showcase women’s creative ideas.

So, where does the $12,000 in funding come in?

J-Lab, The Institute for Interactive Journalism and the McCormick Foundation are seeking to fund four women-led projects that will rock the world of journalism.

We will fund individuals who have original ideas to create new websites, mobile news services or other entrepreneurial initiatives that offer interactive opportunities to engage, inspire and improve news and information in a geographic community or a community of interest.

The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs program will give one-time funding of $12,000 to women who have the vision, skills and experience to launch a new venture. These can be solo ideas or team projects spearheaded by women.

The deadline for applications is Monday, April 4 (which we realize is tomorrow, but wanted to pass this on for anyone out there who already has an idea percolating!) For more information, please visit www.newmediawomen.org .

Tags: journalism, new media, NWME, Women Entrepreneurs, women in technology
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