I moved to Boulder on Saturday.  Like, this past Saturday.  Like, 6 days ago.  I keep meeting people who are recent transplants to this community, but I’m going to go ahead and call winner on most-recent newbie.  Fair?  Awesome, glad we’re on the same page there.

I moved here from Minnesota (unique, I know) knowing that there was something special about this place, knowing I felt some kind of connection to the people and environment here.  I wanted a place that fit me – my wannabe-geek side, my yogini-in-training side, my I-can’t-stand-one-more-sub-zero-no-sunshine-day side.  I knew within 24 hours of planting here that I’d found such a place, and I would feel guilty or obnoxious about raving every single day about how crazy in love with this place I’m falling… except every single person here seems to be under the same spell (or curse, as it’s been explained to me).

Thanks to the community that the blogworld is and can be, I was fortunate enough to have met a few locals (transplants?) prior to landing last week.  Grace Boyle and Cali Harris have been a couple of those people who have already become incredible friends, resources, and inspirations as I plant roots here.

Grace recently tipped me off to Girls in Tech – Denver/Boulder (our local chapter of a national effort and organization) and invited me to join her for their first chapter meeting Wednesday night, January 27.  I came, I networked, I loved.

What is Girls in Tech?

Girls in Tech is a social network enterprise focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of like-minded, professional, intelligent and influential women in technology. As young women with the capacity to inspire, we made it our personal desire and passion to create and sustain an organization that focuses on the collaboration, promotion, growth and success of women in the technology sector.

Created in February of 2007, ‘Girls in Tech’ (GIT) was founded by Adriana Gascoigne. GIT and was born out of a need to provide a place for women to cultivate ideas around their careers and business concepts involving technology.

Girls in Tech aims to offer a variety of resources and tools for women to supplement and further enhance their professional careers and aspirations in technology. Some of these resources include, educational workshops and lectures, networking functions, round table discussions, conferences, social engagements, and recruitment events. (from the GIT website)

Being a girl [who wants to be even more] in tech, I knew this would be a great opportunity to meet other like-minded women in the Denver/Boulder area.  And sure enough, I did.

Who are these girls – and what do they want?

The backgrounds represented by the women who attended last night’s event included a great variety of careers and skill sets: marketers, social media professionals, software engineers, small business owners, career coaches, filmmakers, designers, a librarian and a variety of others.  We discussed exactly what we wanted to get out of such an organization and the initial ideas were inspiring and exciting.  While there is a national, parent organization, each local chapter is encouraged to set their agenda as they see fit, with regards to the specific needs of each community.

Most importantly, the women in attendance wanted to support other women in a traditionally male-dominated career path.  We discussed ways of providing education and information to middle and high school girls so that the tech field is an option as a career path when it might not have been otherwise (I can’t wait to be involved in this part).  Other exciting ideas tossed around included workshops so we can learn from our varied skill sets, networking events, help and support for job seekers, speaking opportunities and engagements, and general fun-having on a regular basis.

What’s next and how can you be involved?

An event planning meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 17, to set the agenda for Girls in Tech – Denver/Boulder 2010.  We also settled on a happy hour meet-up just prior to the next Ignite Boulder (details TBA).

Women in the Denver/Boulder tech scene can get involved by attending the meetings, events, and sharing their knowledge, expertise, and personal experience with other women just waiting to learn, support, and grow.

And for me?

I’m so very excited to be jumping head first into to the Boulder community, tech and otherwise.  I’m shiny and new here, and want to meet every single person here that I can.  Making it my mission to explore my way around the city, I want to find great places to work, eat, drink, learn, mingle, laugh, and live.  Boulder vets?  Let me know where I should go and what not to miss!  New to the area also?  I’ll be documenting my dive into the Boulder tech scene (and outdoors scene… and happy hour scene… and yoga scene…), and invite you to join me as I plant roots and learn my way around this cursed charmed city.