Women Enthusiastic about She's Geeky

I posted on my blog about some of my personal reasons for convening the conference.

I love the identity community. I would say some of my best friends are among you. At the same there are very few women, so few I can almost count them on two hands. This is ok, it isn’t going to change and I am not complaining. I did think about once in a blue moon I thought it would be a lot of fun to hang out with just women working in techie fields and learn about what they do. When you get out into more specialized and niche areas the number of women seems to go down. Last year (fall 2007) a woman who works in firmware came to the conference who thought she knew all the women who worked in her industry – turns out she met two more at the event. These new contacts have been really important to her. Supporting women finding women working in or in near by fields is one of the reasons for this conference.

Several women have written enthusiastically about the conference and why it has particular importance to them.

Daniela Barbosa
When i first moved to the bay area i wanted to be involved in the tech scene – but was certainly intimidated not only is it very male dominated they are also programmers and hard core geeks – something that i got over by just diving in using the will power and skills i have learned in being in male dominated corporate environments over the last 15 years. But while i think i have managed to make the best of the fact that i am not a programmer and not male by establishing myself in various communities it might not be as easy for other women- so an environment like the She’s Geeky event is needed plus i have no doubt that there are hundred’s of cool she geeks that i might never get a chance to meet otherwise!

Susan Mernit asks…
2. Are you a woman who self-identifies as a geek? Do you dream in code, weld, program software/machines or plan world domination with your ear piece plugged in 24/7? Do your friends think you are a net addict? Do you think anywhere your camera, flip cam and laptop/web connection live is *home*?

Kate Kotler
I was accurately (yet cruelly) labeled “geek” in the seventh grade. While this label seemed to be a social inhibitor throughout much of my young life, as I grew up into the geek woman I now am, I learned that to be geek is empowering. Someone, somewhere said once “the geeks shall inherit the earth.”
In the 21st century of emerging technology, truer words have never been spoken. Though it’s not quite as liberating as you would think. Mathematics, science and technology are still perceived (erroneously) to be male dominated fields.

Tiffany von Emmel
On my journey as a woman and social innovator, I have worked and lived at the edge – the edge of ideas, fields and sectors. This experience of bridging and connecting is more familiar to women. And, in an open source software conference, or in an event for entrepreneurs, I am at the edge as one of the few women in the room…
“…It has been easy to delude myself that I am alone, or to wonder how all this bridging is of value. But, all it has taken is some use of self to reach out and get feedback on the worth of bridging capital and relational knowledge. To get a wake up call, all I have to do is hang out with the Girrrls at She’s Geeky.”

Pam Dingle (who I work with in the identity field) says “I wish I could be there. I love the idea of showing up and just finding out what other women in technology are doing, it seems like such a positive experiment. I hope you all have a great time!”

Mary Hodder
Highlighted our price of $59 for one day and $108 and said “Let’s face it, this conference is just covering costs with those prices… if you are only able to come on a weekday, you’ll be able to come Friday, and if weekends are all you can do, Saturday is it, or even better, come both days!”