Chic Geek Transformation in 2020
To my beloved Chic Geek community,
When Chic Geek began in 2013, it was born from a feeling of isolation and a desire to bring everyone together. I was searching for a tribe of curious, brave, supportive womxn who were excited about working in technology and in many ways I could not have imagined where our community would be today.
Here are some of the things our community members have said:
When I first joined Chic Geek I thought that I would just gain some basic coding skills, a few new friends and fresh material for my resume. I never expected to find this sense of belonging and the community that I had always been looking for in Calgary.
-- J
I had thought about running my own workshop before but being a speaker at Chic Geek
gave me the confidence to go for it!
Chic Geek is a HUGE reason why I'm
running my own workshops today."-- B
Being involved in the Chic Geek event has encouraged me to pursue my long put-off dream of becoming a web designer. So much has changed in the World Wide Web and I'm glad to know that groups of women are making a career out of it.
-- L
Being involved with the Chic Geek has made me better at my job. I'm able to understand the technical jargon that has become a daily part of my work. It's also allowed me to develop a network of people to rely on if I ever get stuck on a problem at work.
-- S
With the growth of the Calgary ecosystem in recent years there is an abundance of amazing organizations and companies offering training, connection and support to all that need it. If you’re interested in technology, I strongly believe you never have to feel alone in this city.
It’s time for Chic Geek to transform into a new future where we can double down in pursuit of our dream to build more inclusive workplaces where womxn will thrive.
Parental leave has given me a new and unique perspective. Over the past year, I’ve watched Lily and Mae bravely explore the world around them; take steps and learn to fall. They remind me that growth takes courage and curiosity. Upon many months of reflection, I have decided to take a brave step towards a new future for Chic Geek.
This change cannot happen under our current operational structure. As a non-profit with finite resources, we must be hyper-focused in pursuing our next venture.
Call it our “stealth mode”, but we must move forward without any active programs in the foreseeable future. That means that the popular Geeky Summit will not be held this year. We are also pausing our volunteer operating team.
While I’m sad that Geeky Summit and our volunteer team won’t be running this year, I am excited about this shift for Chic Geek. We’re committed to developing strong programming with lasting impact in our community and I can’t wait to see where that takes us.
I am always appreciative of help and advice. Please sign up on our mailing list to receive updates during our year of change.
We’ll be asking for community members to participate in market research and if you sign up, you’ll be notified of these opportunities to share your voice and shape the future of Chic Geek. You can take this 2-min survey to shape our early stage research!
Thank you to outgoing Executive Director, Cynthia Titchkosky, and the Board of Directors for compass in this difficult decision. Additionally, we’re grateful to the unbelievable volunteer team made of inspiring individuals who have donated hundreds of hours to the organization. We’ve also been supported by forward-thinking Calgary companies that continue to cheer us on in this time of change.
<3 Kylie
Founder, Chic Geek