The Chic Geek

Tonight we had the pleasure of checking out a Chic Geek function, a local group whose mission is to 'Increase diversity within Calgary’s hi-tech and startup community by educating, empowering and engaging more women.' As a man in an unfortunately male dominated industry, I not only applaud this obvious need, but welcome the attention it's finally being given.

The evenings event was title The IT Factor: Celebrating Calgary's Women in Tech, and was held at Melrose Café and bar on 17th Ave S.W to over a hundred people.

It's important to note that there were many men in the audience this evening, a desire by many to show support, that as men we realize the need to help remove stigmas and help lay paths to a healthier environment that welcomes the unique perspective women will offer.

This may seem obvious to many, especially in the age we live in. However those of us who live online or work within the computer sciences have seen the divide between the sexes stagnate, an unfortunately scenario that thanks to organizations like The Chic Geek, is getting the kind of positive and active attention it requires.

Chic Geek points out the issues succinctly:

The Problem

Alberta has a small but growing community of innovative hi-tech startups, but looking around the room, we find few female faces. Statistically, women make up a mere 25% of the ICT workforce, a number that hasn’t changed in over 10 years and only 5% of tech startups are female owned. Why?

• Hi-tech startups are perceived as nerdy in addition to difficult, complex and uncool, and this negative social stigma tends to keep women away
• Female presence is decreasing in the fields of computer science, mathematics and IT
• Women who do work in hi-tech startups tend to gravitate towards roles like marketing or sales

It’s critical that we start engaging more women in Calgary’s hi-tech startup community to ensure a strong and sustainable industry that capitalizes on the unique problem solving skills and business insights that women bring to the table.

There solution is straight forward

Our Solution

We need a stronger female presence in Calgary’s hi-tech startup community and the solution is trifold:

• Educate women on programming and technology development through a series of workshops.
• Engage our peers in the hi-tech community by building a supportive and inclusive network around collaboration.
• Empower women to be confident in their analytical, mathematical and reasoning skills by challenging the stigma around being a geek.

We've discussed the problem of a one sided tech industry for far too long, action is needed. Cities like Toronto and Vancouver have organizations like WiredWomen, so why not Calgary. Enter Kylie Toh and Morgan Moe.

They want to keep Calgary moving forward as an emerging tech center, therefore, as they put it, we need to adopt similar mindsets and proactively engage more women in the field.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Kylie Toh at a Mount Royal University held Design4Change event a couple of months back. Kylie's goals seem a combination of education, social and business in both endeavours I've seen her involved with, what better amalgamation of tools than to educate those around us and empower their own ideas. It's a passion of mine and I cannot say enough about an individual who has made it their mantra of sorts.

Nonetheless, I encourage you to visit www.TheChicGeek.ca, attend some of their events or encourage any women or men who have an interest in computer sciences, whether IT, development or even just curiosity. There's a great community brewing in Calgary, let's help it grow.

Contact

www.TheChicGeek.ca
@ChicGeekYYC

www.Design4Change.ca
@Design4Change_