2017 Programme of Events & Sponsorship Opportunities

Whether you are a beginner or advanced, please come along to be inspired, learn something new, and make friends where technology, enterprise and creativity meet. Our events are known to be world-class, and very friendly. There is always plenty of opportunity to network.

Please look out for our emails which will confirm date, time and venue and please and book tickets in advance as we are often sold out!

• Mentoring Events & Workshops
• All Around the Blockchain: A Short Course & Hackathon for Entrepreneurs
• Panel Events in Cyber Security & Access to Finance
• Sponsorship & Speaking Opportunities

We welcome people from all abilities, gender identities, and neurotypical or atypical people. We ask everyone attending to abide by our Anti-harassment and Photography/ Video policies.

Mentoring Events and Workshops

Sticky Floors
Tuesday 7th of February 2017, 6.30 – 10pm
Is your mind honed for opportunity? Do you project confidence? … or… Is your subconscious holding you back? Nice girls don’t get the corner office!  At least that is what we hear – but it is all too easy to lay blame on the Glass Ceiling. So, what can you do to improve your mind-set AND your opportunities? In this workshop we will have a range of speakers who work as personal coaches, and can help you think differently to overcome the subconscious blocks that are holding you back in your career.

Breaking The Glass Ceiling
Tuesday 4th April 2017 6.30 – 10pm
How do you attract more women into your business? How do you plan career paths that are supportive of women? How do you make your environment more female friendly?  We will have a range of speakers to discuss best practice for attracting and keeping more women in your workplace. If you would like critical feedback on any of your own processes please bring samples, and case studies along. We encourage delegates to openly discuss their experience of job specifications, and interviews, as well as expectations for career progression.

Crossing the Great Divide
Tuesday 5^th September 2017 6.30 – 10pm
Are you looking to change career? Do you want more security at work? Do you want to move into a larger organisation? If you are looking for a change this is the event for you. We will have speakers who can help you identify, plan for, and fill common gaps in skills, and experience when taking a sideways step in your career.  We will have case studies of best practice from industry on boarding schemes to help you think about where your next opportunity lies.

Critical Skills for Leadership
Tuesday 7th November 2017 6.30 – 10pm
Did you know that mentors routinely give men and women very different advice? While men are told to fill specific gaps in experience, and build much needed skill-sets, women are told to improve confidence. The subconscious bias in this advice is responsible for holding a lot of women back from Leadership roles.  In this workshop we will explore what skills and experience are needed to get into a Leadership role, and what special qualities are desired at the highest levels.

 

All Around The Blockchain
Blockchain is of growing interest, not just in Fintech, but also in the legal sector and security. This year Girl Geek Scotland will be running workshops for women in Blockchain, followed by a Hackathon which will be open for all.

http://www.ted.com/talks/don_tapscott_how_the_blockchain_is_changing_money_and_business

Women In Tech Short Course – All Around The Blockchain
Applications Are Open for Front & Backend Developers
Part 1 – Sunday February 19^th 2017  2 – 5pm

Part 2: Sunday March 5^th 2 – 5pm
We are looking to create the ultimate in supported workshop for women in tech. Teams of 2-3 people of mixed competence level, will work intensively with an advanced developer coach on a project. Applications are invited from beginners and intermediate developers (in any general purpose language) who would like to extend their programming skills and gain some experience with Blockchain.

We will also be looking for applications from complete newbies up to intermediates who want to develop front end skills. Again, teams of 2 – 3 people will be supported by our front-end coaches.

Hackathon for Entrepreneurs – All Around The Blockchain
Partnering With Scottish Legal Hackers
Part 1 – Sunday March 26^th 2017 2 – 5pm
Part 2 – Sunday April 23^rd 2017 2 – 5pm
No more sleep deprived, beer intense, and pizzatastic, whole weekend-athons! We are making our Hackathons more female friendly. We will be splitting our Hackathon over 2, 1/2 day events, which are a month apart. This gives people the opportunity to develop a project with all the excitement and enthusiasm of a traditional hackathon, and without the downsides. After the first afternoon you will be able to work remotely with your team on the project. So, you can work around your busy schedule and still submit a winning project.

Teams will be split into front and back end developers, and business development. Event details and Prizes will be announced nearer the time.

 

Panel Events in Cyber Security & Access to Finance

Cyber Security Opportunities in Civ Tech & Local Government 
Partner Event with CivTech
Thursday 16th  Feb  2017 6.30 – 10pm
Panel experts are invited to explore, and predict the biggest and best, opportunities for Scotland in Cyber Security for Civ-Tech, and Local Government. We ask them to explore technologies, trends and opportunities for financial support, that will provide a compass for the would-be entrepreneur. Don’t miss this event if you are a start up – or dream of having one!

This event gives some great background material for those intending on entering our Hackathon. 

Opportunities for Entrepreneurs – SMART Contracts, Fintech & Cyber Security
Thursday March 23rd 2017 6.30 – 10pm
Blockchain and associated technologies, are of growing interest, not just in Fintech, but also in the legal sector and security. GGS will invite three panel experts to explore technologies, trends and opportunities for financial support in Scotland. This is your compass for the hottest areas for business development. 

This event gives some great background material for those intending on entering our Hackathon. 

Getting Past the Gatekeepers – Passwords For Angel Finance
Thursday April 13th 2017 6.30 – 10pm
What do you do? Why should I care? Why would I invest in YOU? These are the three questions that should be foremost in your mind when you plan your pitch to Angle investors.  Around 88% of pitches that get past the gatekeepers will get investment. In this panel event we invite gatekeepers to Angel Finance to tell you directly what they are looking for when they review a business application so that you can make it to the next level.

 

Thinking Big, A Change of Mind – For Entrepreneurs and Investors

Thursday 19th Oct 2017, 6.30 – 9.30pm
Scotland’s technology start-up ecosystem may just be the best in Europe. The Edinburgh Stanford link, The extremely high quality of our tech education from Games at Abertay and gold standard usability and design in Dundee; to the entrepreneurial hotbed of Informatics and Red Triangle in Edinburgh, we have a lot to offer the world… and alongside this we have several upstart million to Billion Dollar businesses that operate globally.

There is a change of mind that comes with a change of scale. In this event we invite people from every stage in the tech-startup lifecycle to tell us about their direct experience of going through the change, so that you can too.

 

Sponsorship & Speaking Opportunities
We are always on the hunt for speakers who can inspire our audiences and run workshops. We showcase speakers from different stages in career, different working environments, and different roles in industry that are united around a common theme. Speakers are leaders in business, culture and academia each inspired by technology and contributing to the industr
Please get in touch at hello@girlgeekscotland.com and tell us which event you would like to speak at in the SUBJECT heading.

Opportunities for sponsorship will be released soon. If you want to get in quick, please get in touch at morna@girlgeekscotland.com and just to make sure it does not get missed CC hello@girlgeekscotland.com including the SUBJECT heading “Sponsorship”.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all at our fantabulous events in 2017!
Morna