The Best Girl Geek Dinner Ever!

Last night Leigh Himel took some time out of her busy schedule to speak to us about her experiences as a woman in tech and as the President and CEO of Oponia, a Toronto-based startup. Leigh has some pretty serious Internet chops; she was on the team that created one of the first interactive websites ever. Her business partner was also a contributor to the original XML database, developing some of the first XML protocols. Who knew we had such giants in our midst?

Topics ranged from how it affects your business to have two angel investors die unexpectedly (not good) to "channeling your inner man" in meetings and negotiations, plus the general challenges faced by anyone trying to get a tech company off the ground.

The crowd was a little smaller than usual, but it was quite intimate and there were lots of great questions. Unfortunately, there was also a brief choking incident, which added some unwanted excitement. What impressed me the most about the whole scene was the modesty of the woman who administered the Heimlich (she's to remain nameless at her own request) and the aplomb of the chokee. Tears streaming down her face, she sat down and finished her meal, no doubt glad to be able to do so.

A special thank you to Thornley Fallis, our sponsors. They picked up the tab for half a dozen or so student attendees! Getting more students out to these events is a challenge we need to meet, and any suggestions on that front are very welcome.

Finally, it's time to look ahead to our next get-together. Kate Trgovac of My Name is Kate and One Degree will do a presentation on virtual world Second Life on Wednesday November 14th. However, it won't be at the Hot House Cafe because it's booked, so location is TBA for the moment, though you can still get yourselves on over to the TGGD wiki and reserve your spots now. Once again, we're looking for a sponsor to pick up the tab for those students, so if you know of anyone, please have them contact either Jenny Bullough or myself via the wiki.

See you the 14th!