It’s all yours at the She’s Geeky unConference Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24, 2011, in St. Paul at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The unConference is for geeky women and girls who have careers or aspiring careers in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

The She’s Geeky Agenda: Based on What You Want to Talk About

Here’s how a She’s Geeky unConference works: All participants can bring their own ideas about topics. All topics go on a board and are sorted out to shape the unConference agenda – and every woman or girl can contribute. It’s all about you and your interests. Registration will open at 8:00 AM both days. The conference will start at 9:00 AM and will wrap up around 5:30 PM with a break for lunch in between.

To learn more about last year’s St. Paul unConference check out our Book Proceedings of August 2010 St. Paul UnConference.

My first She’s Geeky unConference was in Washington, DC.  Jacque Urick and I went there not knowing what to expect. We came back with a commitment to replicate and share that amazing experience. More than 100 women and girls came to the 2010 event in St. Paul and proved that She’s Geeky has a base and a future in the Twin Cities.

We found a supportive, informative, super-smart, fun, dynamic group of women at She’s Geeky.  You’re welcome to get to know us and join us.

Contact me any time with any questions at elizabeth.tupper (at) shesgeeky (dot) org

Liz Tupper
Managing Director, Twin Cities Host Team

Spring came and went and we didn’t host She’s Geeky in DC. One of the reasons was a timing conflict with Nonprofit 2.0. We are checking with the community to find a good time that won’t conflict with other key events.

If you are interested in She’s Geeky and encouraging us to come to your city please use this form.

She’s Geeky hosts unConferences across North America, providing a unique environment for women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields to learn from one another, grow networks, connect across generations and discuss issues (for more on the what, why, and how of She’s Geeky, scroll down the page).  

As the host committee of the first She’s Geeky event in the Twin Cities, we’re excited and committed to making this event for women and girls in tech rock. Please join us for 2 days of shared learning and networking.  

Sincerely,  

Liz Tupper (@etupper)
Jacque Urick (@moarinternets)
Tami Esslinger (@too_much_boredm)
Whitney Shaw ( @whitneytaylor)
Nicky Witters ( @nickywitters) 
Amelie Colllins ( @panelectric)   
Elizabeth Pettersen ( @betz_mn) 
Karen Scott
Jody Colbeen
along with the She’s Geeky national organizer –
Heidi Nobantu Saul (@nobantu)  

She’s Geeky — Twin Cities  

We are very excited to announce the Science Museum of Minnesota will be hosting the She’s Geeky unConference and thank them for their generous support! The (very) exact location is at 44° 56′ 34″ North latitude, 93° 05′ 54″ West longitude. For more information about how latitude and longitude are determined, visit this NASA page.  

The Science Museum’s address is 120 W. Kellogg Boulevard (map here), across from the RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul, MN.  

(Image by Melissa Lewis, taken January 31, 2009 at She's Geeky, Mountain View, CA)

What is She’s Geeky about?  

She’s Geeky convenes to inspire women technologists for the future and advance systemic change in tech culture. She’s Geeky provides a space to create enduring communities to foster collaboration and innovation among women professionals working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She’s Geeky invites women to propose and lead sessions of direct interest to share knowledge and leadership.   

(CA Sec of State, Debra Bowen. Image by Melissa Lewis.)

She’s Geeky events have already fostered some amazing technical conversations and changed the world. For example, at She’s Geeky 2009, Debra Bowen, Secretary of State for California, attended a She’s Geeky session on cloud computing. With budget pressures looming, she faced having to cut staff positions in the following few months. But by summer of 2009, she had worked with her staff to use what she learned at She’s Geeky and other follow up research, to move California’s state records and business sites and data to servers in the cloud. This move meant she saved enough money that she didn’t have to cut the three staff she otherwise would have.  

How did She’s Geeky start?
In early 2007 a group of women working in the high-tech sector in the San Francisco Bay Area recognized the need for a gathering space where women who self-identify as geeky could meet in person to support, educate, and share experiences with each other. Although many organizations already existed for women in different areas of technology and as well to encourage girls to pursue careers in such fields, there was no commons area that:  

• brought all interested individuals and organizations together;
• supported peer-to-peer learning exchange;
• built connections and established relationships across diverse communities and disciplines to support women technologists; and
• specifically attended to retaining women in technology fields through community.

Rather than creating another niche women-in-tech organization, we decided to work with and promote existing activists and organizations, inviting them all to meet at an interactive event called an unConference.  

She's Geeky Unconference Agenda Wall, 2007

What is an unConference?
Beginning at 9 AM each day, we start with a agenda blank wall. In less than an hour, with a facilitator guiding the process, attendees create a full day, multi-track conference agenda that is relevant and inspiring to everyone there. All are welcome to put forward presentations or propose conversations. As women register you can add yourself to the wiki list of attendees and also propose sessions. You can read more about unConferences here.  

(Image by Melissa Lewis, She's Geeky 2009)

Are you a woman? Are you a Geek?
This event is for you!
We invite women from a diverse array of technological fields and those doing technology within non-technical fields. This includes: 

• Engineers
  
• Scientists
• CEO’s
• Coders/Programmers
• Designers
• Open Source
• Entrepreneurs
• Product Managers
• Project Managers
• Internet Marketers
• Users of Tech Tools
• Gadget Enthusiasts
• Hardcore Hackers
• Video Geeks
• Gamers
• Nonprofit Technology
• ….whatever you think is

Image by Taken by Heidi Nobantu Saul, She's Geeky Bay Area 3 - 2010

How does She’s Geeky work for girls?
You can bring your daughters! We even created a special ticket price for them. Girls as young as 9 years old have attended She’s Geeky with their mothers / aunts / mentors.  

There is a lot of research showing that women and girls need role models and mentors, as examples of what they can do professionally. She’s Geeky is an opportunity to show girls what other women are doing professionally in technical fields, and to help them network with potential mentors.  

She's Geeky Session: Yoga at your Desk, Image by Heidi Nobantu Saul

How does She’s Geeky run?
Both days format will be the same, beginning with group/interactive agenda setting in the morning for the first hour. Then sessions will commence, with a lunch break in the middle of the day. At the end of each day, we’ll reconvene to talk about what we learned, what mattered, and highlight the best of the day.  

Each day will have new things to offer based upon what happens with the agendas!  

How do I attend?
Register today: Eventbrite
You can choose one or both days of the event, and we have special pricing for girls.  

How can I help?
Consider donating a paid registration for a woman in need on the Eventbrite site.
And ask your company or organization to sponsor the event.