Launching a New Program: Savvy Geek Chix Case Study

Jerri Barrett, from the Anita Borg Institute, is back to tell us about a new program they have launched. What? A new program in this economy? Yes, because if you are not constantly examining your programming and figuring out new ways to serve your members, your organization will quickly become obsolete. Especially in this economy. Managing cost is a key theme in this article. Enjoy! Bunnie

Launching a New Program: Savvy Geek Chix Case Study

By Jerri Barrett, Director of Marketing, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology

In early 2009, Deanna Kosaraju, the VP of Programs for the Anita Borg Institute, called a meeting to discuss a new idea. How do we take all of the great information we’ve gathered from our other programs: the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing and TechLeaders and create a series of affordable programs? We were all keenly aware of the impact the economy was having on our community – both the fact that travel and training budgets were being slashed and that many of our constituency were either experiencing layoffs or were worried about being laid off.

After doing some research on what else was being offered in the marketplace, the decision was made to offer a low cost program that would address directly some of the issues that people were facing. Our first step was to come up with a name. After much debate and many versions the name Savvy Geek Chix was arrived at – savvy because our program attendees are smart, Geek because we work with technologists and Chix because we work with women and the word Chix is often used in the tech world.

Once we had a name we started working on content for our first event. Given what was top of mind for most of our constituency – layoffs and job security we knew that "Weathering the Economic Storm" would strike a cord. We wanted to not just focus on what happens at a layoff but what you could do to better position yourself in your company before a layoff and what you should do after the layoff takes place.

After the name and general topic were established, many different activities around launching the program began to take place simultaneously. Kim McLeod, Program Manager for Savvy Geek Chix, began the process of recruiting panelists and building content for the program. Early on we decided to repeat a very successful activity from our 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration, the Resume Clinic. For the Resume Clinic I recruited a wide range of recruiters from tech companies and recruiting firms to provide 15 minute resume critiques. Sort of a speed dating for resume review. Attendees could sign up for a 15 minute slot with one of the 15 recruiters. This would be the first hour of SGC. At the same time a networking reception was taking place in another room. Kim built a diverse panel made up of people who could speak to the list of topics we’d developed for the program.

Our VP of Business Development, Jody Mahoney, simultaneously had to go out and find a host company for the event. The host would provide the space for the event and the refreshments for our attendees. SAP agreed almost immediately and a date and time were set for the event.

Once we had all everything in place recruitment of attendees became our number one priority. Given the low admission price ($25 for the first event) we realized that we couldn’t do expensive outreach. We focused mostly on promoting the event through our newsletter, our communities and through our personal networks. We encouraged everyone who registered for the event to announce it to their own networks on Facebook and Linked In – helping us carry the word as far as we could. And of course we worked with other non-profits as well.

The actual event itself took place on March 24, 2009. We had 87 paid attendees, 15 recruiters and the ABI Staff in attendance. Measurement is a critical part of every program the Anita Borg Institute offers. We found that 70% of the attendees had not attended one of our events before, showing us that these low cost programs opened a new niche for us. 97% of the attendees said the program met or exceeded their expectations and 98% agreed or strongly agreed that they learned useful skills, concepts and techniques to retain jobs or survive layoff.

These results clearly indicate that there is a strong desire among our constituency for shorter and low cost programs that focus on skill development in key areas. Planning will begin soon for our next Savvy Geek Chix program.

Contact Jerri at http://www.anitaborg.org/

Effecting Change Now: Stimulating Your Organization with Green Technology

At my home, our energy bill has risen 75% this year and Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) says it will be raising rates another 50% by summer. There's a lot of politics surrounding these outrageous increases that I'll save for some juicy Op-Ed pieces. Suffice it to say, I HATE giving the electric company any more money than I have to. So we've begun a campaign of unplugging everything that is not in use. Our TV, our computers, our microwave, etc. It got me thinking, what are nonprofits to do as energy rates soar? How can nonprofits that have "green" policies go beyond simply recycling paper or using nontoxic toners?

Lisa Voldeng writes an inspiring article on how nonprofits can realize their green dreams. By way of introduction, Lisa was voted one of the the "Top 25 Women in Technology" by ZDnet and one of the "Top 10 Media Thinkers of the 21st Century" by Nikkei Electronics. Lisa Voldeng is an industry analyst and CEO of Sugarlab Corp. Bunnie

Effecting Change Now: Stimulating Your Organization with Green
Technology

By Lisa Voldeng

There is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change. In the week of President Obama's inauguration, his words a noble call to us all to rise to meet the best in ourselves, many of us are wondering, but how do I tangibly effect change in my own life? Or in my own organization?

President Obama built his campaign on the promise of economic stimulus and aggressive support for green technologies. Recently, he selected alternative energy supporter and Nobel-prize winning physicist Steven Chu to head the Department of Energy. He's loading his guns and locking his economic stimulus package. He's poised to begin executing his gleaming mission. Are we ready to execute ours?

The realities of the current economy are daunting. We have organizational goals to meet, and smaller budgets with which to meet them. Nonprofits and businesses are closing. People are losing jobs and homes. And amidst all this, our planet is increasingly evidencing the specter of radical climate change. The need for change is breathing hot in our faces, yet the challenges we face seem insurmountable.

As Confucius said, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If so, then what tangible solutions are available, that can help us directly impact change in our organizations now? Help us effectively meet our goals while lowering our costs, and reducing our environmental impact?

The functional area where organizations can most effectively and immediately cut costs and positively impact environmental change, is IT. For example, using powerful, low-cost desktop virtualization tools, you can reduce your IT maintenance and support costs by up to 80% - while also reducing electricity usage and electronic waste by up to 90%.

Desktop virtualization technologies leverage the unused computing power of a single computer, creating an efficient alternative to traditional desktop-per-user computing. I've evaluated many companies hawking products in this space of late, and the one I've been most impressed with, is Userful (http://www.userful.com/). Putting it plainly, Userful doesn't talk. They just walk. In an age where rampant over-rhetoric still rules the virtualization marketplace, those who let their demonstrated commitment to serving their customers and impacting organizational change speak for itself - speak the loudest of all.

Userful's PC sharing and virtualization technology turns one computer into 10; allowing up to 10 users to work on a single computer by simply attaching extra monitors, mice and keyboards. It delivers full PC performance including full-screen streaming video for a fraction of the cost of using a PC-per-user solution. Userful also enables users to manage and monitor their desktops through a central administrative web site, allowing them to control their desktops from a simple web-browser, and generating significant savings in administrative tools.

Because of the radical reduction in electricity and electronic waste (up to 90%), Userful's solutions are immediately eco-friendly. For example, a recent deployment in South Africa - which delivered 2,205 virtualized desktops to 105 South African schools using only 315 computers - saves the equivalent of over 4000 tonnes of CO2 emissions; the equivalent of taking 700 cars off the road. And with over 30,000 desktops successfully deployed in nonprofits, governments, schools, libraries, businesses and military in over 100 countries, Userful's virtualization tools are a proven market leader.

Perhaps change begins with a simple intention. And renewal begins when a simple intention becomes a single step, multiplied. With Obama's call to us all to be the change we wish to see - and his strong commitment to stimulating the economy and supporting green technologies - companies like Userful are well-prepared to help organizations who also embrace the call to change, to lead the way.

Contact Lisa at http://www.sugar-lab.com/