Women in IT Community Contributor of the Year

Last year over 80 attendees rolled up their sleeves at Tech Ed and got hard to work playing with Lego at the Lego Serious Play Women Build Event. We challenged each attendee to suggest ideas on ways to contribute to their local community to help encourage and support women working in IT.

Catherine has been hard at work organising this year’s event and since then has heard many a great story of the contributions both male and female attendees have made back in their local communities as a result of last year’s event. Microsoft want to recognise the people who have achieved great things in their local community in the last year and thank each of them for their efforts!

So, how did you do?

Tell us your story or the story of someone you know. Share the challenges and successes experienced. Go in the running to receive recognition from peers, win some cool prizes from our sponsors and possibly be awarded the inaugural 2010 Women in IT Community Contributor of the Year Award!

Nominate yourself or someone you know here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WIT2010

Tech Ed Australia 2010 WIT event

At this year’s event, similarly to last year, you will once again have the opportunity get to meet and greet other people who believe in growing and supporting diversity in the ICT field as well as discussing new ways that you could help foster your local communities in the year ahead.

Where: Tech Ed Australia on the Gold Coast, Foyer E

When: 12:45pm – 1:45pm in Foyer E on Wednesday the 25th of August 2010

What:  The event is will give you the chance to hear from our keynote speaker Mary Henderson, CEO & Founder of Geek IT Group, Victorian President of AMIA (Australian Multimedia Industry Association) and Victorian AIIA (Australian Information Industry Association) board member. Mary is renowned for her communication skills, infectious energy and vast knowledge of global online trends and will be sure to provide entertaining insight on the changes we need to be aware of…

How: Register by adding this session in your schedule builder.

Technorati Tags: WIT,TechEd

Dinner 11 – A call for help

The Brisbane Girl Geek Dinners started in August 2008. In that time we've had some fun dinners and some great guest speakers.

Over the last few dinners we’ve noticed there a lot of people registering for the dinners but a dropout rate of over 70% at the dinner itself.  While the events are “free” we feel quite embarrassed asking for a large area at a restaurant only to have many empty tables on the night that could have gone to other paying patrons. This also sends warning bells that we’re doing something wrong.

It’s time to re-evaluate whether these events are wanted or needed by the community. We need your input on how to make the dinners worthwhile and successful.

This dinner is a call out for those that see value in these dinners. If you want them to continue we need your help us make them better.  If nobody is interested in helping us plan and improve the dinners we feel it would be better to shut them down as they take up time that we could devote to other things.

So we’re going back to where it all started at the Caravanserai Restaurant.

The Plan

A brainstorming session where you bring along your ideas and suggestions for venues, speakers, formats, activities, sponsorship and how you can help us make these dinners more worthwhile for you.

What if I can't make it but want to help?

If you can't make it but still want to help, please get in contact by email: bronwen@soulsolutions.com.au

Who pays for dinner?

This dinner is not sponsored so you pay for your own food and drink.

Where + When

Date: Tuesday 10th August

Time: 7:00pm

Where: Caravanserai Turkish Restaurant, West End

Dinner 10 with Tammy Halter

This month we're fortunate enough to have Tammy Halter as our guest speaker. Tammy Halter is the founder and sole Director of two technology companies, Absolute Data Group, and Broadcaster Media. Tammy has over 15 years experience in the information technology field, including SGML/XML publishing and document management experience with various software integration companies. Tammy has been a technical trainer, support engineer and project manager for several SG/XML software Distributors over the years, including the Frame Product Engineer, Asia Pacific & Latin America for Adobe Systems in 1997.

The path to being a Geek, does not have to start with a Degree in Technology.

It's never too late to get into the tech industry, more than 1/2 of my staff  (including myself), started out in another industry and "changed over" to a career in the dark side (I.T.)!

We need to encourage and educate young women and have them understand that there are many aspects to the Technology Industry's, and you don't necessarily have to be a Programmer or a Scientist to have a love for the industry and to be a geek at heart.

Sponsorship

This month WiT (www.wit.org.au) are kindly donating a 12 month membership (value $143).  All attendees are entitled to a 2 month trial membership if they wish on the night which will allow them to attend the free member’s only Infotech breakfast on 28th April.

Who is invited?

If you are a geek and a girl or know of one who is willing to escort you then you are welcome and encouraged to come along. There is a technical focus with the intention of having fun and connecting with other women in IT.

Who pays for dinner?

This month is not sponsored so you will have to pay for your own dinner

Where + When

Date: Thursday 22nd April, 2010

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: Coco Bella Shop 2-75 Welsby Street New Farm.

Menu: http://fs.eatoutadmin.com/Listings/1188/Menus/coco-bella-new-farm-brisbane-entree-mains.pdf

Girl Geek Dinner 9 – First dinner for 2010

For our first Girl Geek Dinner of 2010 we're going to have a casual networking night.

We'll be heading to Vapiano restaurant in Albert Lane just off the Queen Street Mall.  You can have a look at the food on offer at there website : http://www.vapiano.com.au/our-food.html

Details for the night:

when: 7pm 23 February, 2010

where: Vapiano - Albert Lane, just of the Queen Street Mall

Who can attend: Any female in the IT industry or who has an interest in the industry, or any male invited by an attending member

 

Technorati Tags: Girl Geek Dinners,Brisbane