Twin Cities Geekette of the Month: Kim Gerst

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND POSITION? 

Kim Gerst, Data Analyst Consultant at Best Buy

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND? 

I have been working with software teams as a developer, business analyst and data analyst for over 15 years. For most of those years, I've also been working as a mother to two wonderful girls.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN IT PROFESSIONAL?

My first memory of doing something "cool" with computers was working my way through the Beginner's BASIC manual that came with the TI-99 that my parents bought when I was in elementary school. I was elated when I succeeded in making a colored square blink and move around on the screen. I still get that feeling when I try a new programming language or learn a new tool and accomplish something useful with it. I find that feeling a bit addicting and I think it is why I was drawn to the work I do.

PLEASE WALK ME THROUGH YOUR DAY, WHAT DO YOU DO AT YOUR COMPANY? 

Right now I'm working on a product team developing REST APIs. My day starts with a team standup where we check in on the progress that the team has made on their tasks. I typically spend a good portion of my day brainstorming product features, reviewing development work or problem solving with my team. I usually also spend some of the day writing scripts to perform data analysis tasks (using Splunk and R at the moment). An example of the type of analysis I might do would be to see how clients are using the APIs that we build to look for clues about how to make them more useful.

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS DOING THE SAME THING YOU DO NOW?

Yes and no. I absolutely see myself working on a team to build something. I'm certain that what I'm building and how I'm building it will be very different from today. I think I'll be disappointed if I'm not in a role that allows me to be hands on and doing at least some of the building myself.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED?

Do something that you enjoy and be true to yourself.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE LAST YEAR?

In the past couple of months, I've started playing with an Arduino while helping one of my daughters' Destination Imagination teams. The first project we worked on was to wire up an LED and write a program to make it blink. I learned that the elation that I felt getting that blinking square on my TI-99 pales in comparison to what I felt when my daughter and her friends saw the little light on their Arduino board blinking in response to a program that they'd written. 

AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?  

I want to tinker more because learning new stuff is fun. It was hard to find time to do that when my kids were younger. Now they are old enough to do it with me, so I have a long list of projects that I want to try with them.

IF YOU COULD DO ONE THING DIFFERENTLY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Over the years, I've found myself in situations that I did not enjoy. Sometimes I stayed in them longer than I should have. I wish I'd had the confidence to move on to the next thing sooner. It has always turned out to be better in the long run.

Welcome Munich Geekettes!

Welcome to Munich Geekettes! We are ecstatic to extend the Global Geekettes initiative to the Bavarian capital. Munich is renowned for its sights, its passion for nature and of course, for its beer. However, Munich is also a vibrant hub for technology. Multinational corporations like Intel, Microsoft, Google and others are here, as well as hundreds of startups and user groups. A quick search on sites like Meetup.com reveals the broad interested of people connected with technology in Munich: from embedded and Internet of Things tinkering, to learning how to code, to user experience, to best business practices and investments.

The idea to bring the Geekettes initiative to Munich has been a passion for many of those involved, since the early days of the first all-women Hackathon in Berlin. With time, we were able to establish an early community and identify the ambassadors to move Munich Geekettes forward. Our ambassadors are Sulamita Garcia and Julia Knörl. Sulamita comes from Brazil, and lives in Munich since 2011, working as a Developer Evangelist for Intel. She has a degree in Computer Science, but lately decided to mix the engineering background with Psychology, pursuing a new degree in order to improve the user experience in technology.

Julia completes Sulamita’s technical background with her experience as an entrepreneur. She was founder of a Munich-based software start-up and holds a Master’s degree in international business from the Sorbonne University in Paris. Within the last years, she got more and more involved in the Tech and Founder Scene and is passionate to broaden her horizon with regards to technology. Sulamita and Julia want to combine their skills and empower many other women in the tech scene in Munich to advance in their areas.

Sulamita and Julia have organized a few small events to sense the community reception. They have hosted a few networking events and workshops, with a great positive response. Our group on Meetup.com has reached more than 100 participants even without much broadcasting. And check out some of our get-together:

Today, March 8th, 2015, on the International Women’s Day, we are happy to officially announce Munich as the newest chapter in the Global Geekettes organization. We have several events planned, from technical to marketing and business subjects. Over the next few months we will be interviewing a few of our members to showcase the awesome women of Munich IT.

All the best,

Sulamita & Julia. 

To get involved, join our Meetup group for events, follow us on Facebook or send us an email at Sulamita@munichgeekettes.com & Julia@munichgeekettes.com. 

London Geekette of the Month: Paulina Sygulska

What is your name, age, location? 

Pow (short for Paulina), 30, London.

What's your background? 

I've always been a saleswoman from hell and an aspiring geek. Before I started my first company, I used to work for big tech companies introducing their products to different markets during the day, and hang out with unshaven guys talking about product market fit in the evenings. I finally caught the startup bug for real. I started my first company and learnt many things from it, mostly about how not to grow a business ;) Two years later, I started GrantTree, which helps tech companies get hold of government funding. There is 20 of us now and it's going very well. I'm excited about what's round the corner for us.

What inspired you to become a founder? 

The unshaven guys talking about product market fit over pints of cheap beer at geeky meetups. All I longed for was to be one of them (minus the beard). I think running a company is one of a most tangible ways of having a real impact on the world. I like that.

Please walk me through your day, what do you do at your company? 

My cofounder plays the MD (not a traditional MD though since we are a holacratic company) which leaves me with more time and freedom to do what I like. Deep down I'm still a sales beast but these days I can afford to be more hands off, and work mostly on strategic partnerships and bigger commercial opportunities for the company. My usual day is filled with meetings, speaking gigs, workshops and some time in the office to touch base with the team and make sure we are all on the same page. My team rocks.

Can you see yourself in ten years doing the same thing you do now? 

That would be suicide. I develop every month (I'd like to think) and have minor identity/purpose crisis at least every six months (LOL).

What is the best advice you ever received? 

This may sound a little woo woo but I did this guided meditation once where you meet your older self and get advice from them. My 30 years older self, wrinkled but tanned and happy, said: chill a little and trust yourself.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year? 

Probably to trust that people (on teams) are naturally constructed in a way that they want to contribute. I learnt to step back and allow people to do what they are great at.

And what are your plans for the future?

I would like to be involved with lots of interesting companies and projects globally: directly, as an advisor or an investor. At the same time, I want to have enough space in my life for serendipity and doing unusual things whenever I feel like it.

If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?

I would wear more red dresses. Red dresses change your outlook on the world.

Any advice for your local/global Geekettes?  

Chill a little and trust yourselves :)

Twin Cities Geekette of the Month: Kim Skanson

What is your name and position? 
Kim Skanson, Global Infrastructure Lead at Cargill, based in Minneapolis Minnesota. 
 
What's your background? 
I have an undergrad degree in Business Management (College of St. Benedict) and a MBA in Information Technology (University of St. Thomas).   I have nearly 20 years’ experience in Information Technology spanning Financial Services, Retail and Agricultural Industries.   I have worked across Infrastructure, Support, Operations, Application Development/Engineering, Vendor Management, Enterprise Architecture and Strategy roles. 
 
What inspired you to become an IT professional? 
Out of my undergrad studies, I pursued a career in technology because I believed technology was an enabler to every other aspect of business and I wanted to get that skill added to my “career tool belt.”  I assumed I would make the rounds in IT and then move to a role outside of the technology organization.  Nearly 20 years later I haven’t moved to a role outside of technology because I have continued to have challenging opportunities that have allowed me to grow and develop in new ways.  Technology continues to be the backbone to business enablement and I love the variety that comes with being in this field.

Please walk me through your day, what do you do at your company? 
I lead the Global Infrastructure Team at Cargill that provides Infrastructure support and operations in ~50 countries globally.  We are in the midst of a significant transition to a Managed Services provider an I am spending much of my time helping the Team drive this change across the organization.  In addition, I am looking for ways to optimize our Infrastructure platform to enable Cargill to continue to grow its ~140B annual revenue.

Can you see yourself in ten years doing the same thing you do now?
I envision continuing to be in an IT role  in 10  years.  However, I don’t assume that it will be in Infrastructure Operations. Throughout my career I have found challenge and fun in a variety of roles; I am open to leveraging my experience in whatever the road ahead is….undoubtedly it will be challenging and rewarding and if history is any prediction of the future, I will have a lot of fun along the way!

What is the best advice you ever received?

Never run away from something, always run to something.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year?

Follow your nose and stay curious.  I recently left my role at Target after 10 awesome years to follow a new journey at Cargill.  My curiosity led me down this path and I am so glad I took a risk and followed my nose.  J
 
And what are your plans for the future?  

As a busy mom of three active boys, I want to continue to be the best mom, spouse and leader I can be.  For me balancing all the demands of life will continue to be a priority for me.  By finding time for me, giving back to the community, enjoying my career and teaching my boys life-long lessons….I will be fulfilled. 
 
If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?

Earlier in my career I would have been more open about being a working mom and not try to mask the fact I had two demanding careers (being a mom and my IT responsibilities).  I think I held my cards to close and didn’t open up as much I could have about how to balance work and personal responsibilities.  Nowadays I am an open book and want to be seen as a role model for how you can have a rewarding career and still be a great Mom!
 
Any advice for your local/global Geekettes?

PMA (positive mental attitude)……I am a big believer in “PMA” and bringing a “glass ½ full mentality” in all that I do.  When the going gets tough personally or professional….PMA goes a long way to keep you moving forward in the right direction!