Brussels Girl Geek Dinner

About the book:
http://conversity.be/en/the-conversity-book/
Kindle version on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Conversity-Model-ebook/dp/B004P8JX6K

One of the speakers during Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #39 was fellow girl geek and Microsoftee Katrien De Graeve. From her blog post Girl Geek app for Windows Phone 7 resources, slides and write up from #BGGD39 at blogs.msdn.com:

I had great fun combining a fashion idea with the Windows Phone 7. By using Windows Phone 7 developer tools, in this case mainly Expression Blend and using built-in controls such as the Panorama control.

As promised, the slides to her presentation:

If you’re looking for the info on getting started with building for Windows Phone 7 yourself, here are some of Katrien’s recommended resources:

• Download tools: http://create.msdn.com
  Free tools are in a single download that contains Visual Studio for Windows Phone, Expression Blend (special version for Windows Phone), the Emulator and some other tools.
• Learn online:
  • Windows Phone 7 Development for Absolute Beginners: http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Windows-Phone-7-Development-for-Absolute-Beginners
  • Quicktarts: http://create.msdn.com/en-us/education/quickstarts
  • Windows Phone 7 Training Kit: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/wp7trainingcourse.aspx
  • .toolbox: not to miss resource for learning Expression Blend and Silverlight (not specific for Windows Phone but very much recommended): http://www.microsoft.com/design/toolbox/

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #29 is on Wednesday 12 May at Telenet, Mechelen. It’s fully booked, but put your name on the wiki‘s reserve list – we usually get all the reserves in.

But first: who are Ine and Catherine and what is Nomadz Lifstyle Design?

NOMADZNU
Nomadz.nu is about two thirty something girl geeks Catherine & Ine realizing their dream: to go and travel for one year meanwhile working remotely. While they freelance their way around the world, they document their social experiment in “Lifestyle Design” through Flickr pictures, Twitter updates and blog posts. Main stops include Cape Town, Thailand & Buenos Aires.

• http://www.nomadz.nu/traveljournal
• http://www.nomadz.nu/lifestyledesign
• http://www.facebook.com/nomadznu
• http://www.twitter.com/nomadznu
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadznu

Ine has a degree in photography and webdesign & a postgraduate degree in art. While visiting Iraq, she became fascinated by the Middle East and took off to live and study in Israel. During this trip, she started blogging at a time when the word ‘blogging’ barely existed.

Today, she combines her passion (photography) with her ‘geeky’ side (webdesign) in her company Matuvu.

Catherine has a masters degree in philosophy and a postgraduate in marketing communication. Upon graduation she was offered a job as a researcher in logics at the University of Gent.

Today she owns her own online communication company focusing on small companies within the lifestyle & design field.

LIFESTYLE DESIGN
With his book “The 4-Hour Workweek”, Timothy Ferris introduced the term ‘lifestyle design’ to the world. Lifestyle design is about styling your life in the way you’d like it to be, based on the experiences you’d like to have. To do everything you want to do (experiences) and to be everything you want to be (being) are central concepts in it.
It’s all about the ‘here’ and ‘now’. skiïng in Japan, writing a book, discovering far off countries, or running marathons in all parts of life are experiences our society considers to be only accessible to the extremely rich or the retired. Lifestyle Design adepts are convinced that, by using certain lifehacks, a bit of creativity and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking, this lifestyle can be accessible to both you and me. So, why not live the life you want to, right now?

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #27 (on Wed 5 May in Antwerp) is fully booked, but no worries: there’s still room at Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #28 on Sunday afternoon 9 May in Ghent. Put your name on the wiki to be part of this unique art event!

Electrified 02 – Hacking public spaces, the second edition of  S.M.A.K. and the Vooruit ‘s biennial art project, takes up a decisive position on the crossroads of several directions in the visual arts. At the same time it will expose the friction between the areas where the two institutions operate: the S.M.A.K. in contemporary art and the Vooruit in media art, sound and performance art. In the quest for a shared ‘mentality’ in these different dynamics, the public space is taken as a common thread. In this case, the term ‘public space’ is all-embracing, without losing sight of the actual distinction between real and virtual public space.

About the artist (from Vooruit.be):

In her work, Roberta Gigante (b. 1986, Arpino, Italy) explores relationships between public space, image and sound. More specifically, she examines the resonance frequencies of various objects and how sound behaves as an ‘image’. As part of Electrified02, Gigante will be going to the harbour in Ghent. It is not so much the setting that interests her as the site, where twelve gigantic metal pipes are being stored. The pipes lie next to one another, like separate organ pipes waiting to be brought together in one instrument. Each pipe – depending on its thickness, diameter and length – has its own resonance frequency, which is recorded and then used as a keynote in a site-specific sound installation. In OrganOOn the artist ‘hacks’ the port site in Ghent with a sound installation that appeals to the imagination and will be activated just once, namely on Sunday 5 of May, 2010. This unusual organ concert also questions the classical organisation and setting in which concerts like this are held.

Programme of the day (on Sunday 9 May):

• 13:30 Attendees arrive at the S.M.A.K.’s The Factory
• 14:00 Welcome + start of the tours: electrified (2 groups) & ed templeton (1 group)
• 15:00 End of tours + cake and coffee
• 15:30 Transport to secret location in Ghent harbour – use the wiki to arrange your own transport by car
• 16:00 Arrival of Roberta Gigante
• 16:30 Cava moment
• 17:00 End  - transport back to S.M.A.K or home

Michael Uyttersprot is a 28 years old, Brussels based software engineer currently employed in healthcare. He’s a passionate programmer as well as photographer.

Michael started coding in BASIC at the age of 9 with his first computer: a disused Amstrad CPC464 received by my aunt. Today he has a degree in applied computer sciences. At this moment, he does all his coding on a MacBook Pro, sometimes in Windows, “because he has to”.

Why talk about Android?

Michael Uyttersprot: “Since the beginning of the mobile internet I have been discovering a new world. He started making little mobile web pages for fun, for using it on my Mitsubishi m21i iMode-phone. Years after that, the Android SDK came out and I started making mobile applications that use real-time location-based information. I now think I have quite good insight in that operating system and am doing some freelance work on it. I used to be a Nokia fanboy and silently still am. I recently started playing with Qt 4.6 so I can make Nokia apps for Maemo and Symbian as well.”

Inge Rock – the daughter of two teachers – was brought up in the thick of teaching, inspiring and motivating from a very early age. Subsequently, it was perfectly logical that she should end up studying teaching herself. She was a sales manager and trainer for a cosmetics’ company for many years, managed her own perfumery business and, along the way, became increasingly interested in psychology and personal development.

After years of home-studying, she came into contact with Bob Proctor, the American inspiration behind ‘The Secret’ (a method for realising happiness and success). Thanks to him, she managed to transform her skills into ready-made, goal-oriented European programmes.

She is currently one of the top coaches in Flanders and coaches artists, top athletes, entrepreneurs and leaders. Inge is an inspirational and motivating speaker and personal coach. She is the author of the book “Je wordt wat je denkt” (You become what you think) and has also set up her own coaching academy.

Inge Rock also plays a key role in Oral B’s “There’s more in you”  programme.

You are always singing and everyone around you says that you have a great voice but does the thought of getting up on stage bring you out in a cold sweat? Do you want to develop further in terms of work but lack the self-confidence to take on bigger projects? When you are in a group or meeting, do you often have brilliant ideas and clear opinions but do not dare or know how to express them effectively? This is your chance!

Oral-B wants to help three women fully develop an ambitious plan (artistic, professional or personal). In just twelve weeks, coach Inge Rock will use inspirational coaching to guide you towards a dream result.

Are you a woman with a plan? Tell us about your project and you may win coaching that will make your dream come true! You will receive all of the details on 31 March 2010 during BGGD 25.

The 24th edtion of BGGD is planned on Wednesday 24 March from 5-7 PM at TAN, one of the best bio shops and restaurants in Brussels . And this time, it’s going to be a special, “bring a child” edition, inspired by www.atelier-alibaba.be.

Speakers:
Beatrice de Mahieu (pictured) and Fleur de Meeus.

Topic:
Cooking for kids + nutri coaching

Where and when:
Wed 24 March 17:00-19:00
TAN
Rue de l’Aqueduc, 95 (= near Place du Châtelain)
1050 Brussels

Both nutritionists will animate the evening by splitting the group of children and the group of Girl Geeks.

Best age for the child is as from 6 years old. One child per Girl Geek. But of course you’re free to come on your own if you can’t find a child  for that evening!

Want to join us? Put your name on the wiki page to get in for free. Seats are limited to 20 ladies (plus the children they bring along) so don’t wait too long!

Christoph Rooms joined computer software company Adobe in 2002. The first 5 years he’s been evangelizing the LiveCycle platform and Flex towards the enterprise market.
Since December 2009 he is working on business development for Adobe Creative Pro market for the Belgium and Luxemburg area. Product wise this means all different flavours of Creative Suite, Flash Media streaming, Indesign server, Flash platform (designers and developers), e-books, …

Christoph Rooms  will talk about 2 topics

1. the evolution of video on the web
2. a short update on Flash on mobile

The guestlist on http://brusselsgirlgeekdinner23.pbworks.com/ is full but if you still want to join us: put your name on the Reserves List. We usually get all the reserves in.

On Tuesday 8 December at 18:00 CET in Kortrijk Xpo the International Trade Show Design at Work opens with a keynote by none less than Ji Lee, creative director at Google. This is the first time Ji Lee is in Belgium and a unique opportunity to get an insight in Google’s creative processes.

And guess what: up to 30 girl geeks get in for free – just put your names on the wiki page. And yes, you can bring male guests, as long as everybody’s real names are on the list.

About his master lecture Ji Lee says

Yes, my talk is focused on how personal and professional can complement each other and when it happens, it produces AWESOME. I also will talk about how Google as company encourages its employees to work 20% of their time to come up with their OWN ideas of innovation. And also how Google create free and useful tools for people to make their projects come alive.

After the masterlecture you are invited to discover Design at Work with its surprising architecture and a long list of productlaunches, such as for instance the Nissan Cube and the Dyson Air Multiplier…

Design at Work  aims for the establishment of a platform related to all aspects of product development and innovation, be it about products or services, in any possible field (such as market research, industrial design, prototyping, engineering, intellectual property, packaging, branding, etc.)

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Dominique D’Heedene graduated in Business Administration from KU Leuven in 1986. She started her professional career in Latin America, during and Aiesec traineeship in a banana company in Ecuador for 2 years. Right after she spent 8 months at IBM in Puerto Rico. Back in Belgium she continued to work for IBM until 2007 as an IT Architect.
In 2007 she interrupted her career at IBM and launched her own company, DesignArenas, an e-tailer specializing in bringing hotel luxury and lifestyle at home. DesignArenas partners with luxury and design hotels, build collections of interior design articles used in the partner hotels and builds a compelling visual experience through the webshop. Dominique is the architect of the business model and the portal and webshop structure. She negotiates with hotels and suppliers and runs DesignArenas. Today there are 6 online shops as a result as partnerships with Belgian and Spanish Hotel groups. These online shops offer the design and luxury products that can be found in the partner hotels and “bring hotel luxury home”.
This completely new direction in her life gives her plenty of energy and space for her own creativity and drive. With DesignArenas, Dominique wants to put money aside and create a children fund for her 3rd career in charity sector within 10 to 15 years …
Since October 2009, she’s back at IBM as an IT Architect while she continues as an entrepreneur with DesignArenas.

On Wednesday 21 October  at 19:00-21:15 , Belgian chocolate brand Cote d’Or invites 30 Brussels Girl Geeks to its boutique on Square Petit Sablon nr. 1 in Brussels for an exclusive chocolate soirée.

Cote d’Or will divulge some of the secrets which gives its chocolate a unique and intense flavour.  A  chocolate 8 out of 10 Belgians can recognize even when blindfolded. A chocolate that is the result of technologies and manufacturing processes imagined and mastered for over 125 years by the brand with the elephant. But all this magic also comes from multiple innovations and daring and delicious combinations of flavours. Discover some anecdotes about 100% Belgian chocolate, the origins of the cocoa pods and the different steps in the manufacturing process, such as the conchage.

Denis Vernaillen, chocolatier at Cote d’Or, will welcome you to his workshop at the front of the boutique to initiate you in his art before tasting in all exclusivity a new chocolate, which will pair two of the favourite flavours of the Belgians… surprise!

Also on the menu: tablets especially for this season, exclusively created for the Boutique, or gift boxes soon available online.
A cocktail will close this evening full of flavours.
Because the Boutique is small and cosy, we will have to limit attendance to the 30 girl geeks who put their name on the wiki page. This will give everyone present the chance to fully indulge in their chocolate evening.

See you next week !

UPDATE: Don’t forget to take your camera(phone) during the Chocolate Soirée. You can upload your pictures to the Cote d’Or Facebook Group to enter a chocolate related contest. Details about this contest will be revealed tonight.

Journalist Brecht Decaestecker describes her as Something like a phenomenon. Imke Dielen is really Helena Van Eykeren, an ambitious 25 year old who started blogging 2,5 years ago. The book “Imke Dielen” describes how the character she created thinks and feels about sex, men, cars, and toilet paper.

Imke Dielen has been published by Ludion Publishers in Dutch and is available in bookstores in the course of this month.

The first 100 people who order a copy through e-mail and mention the voucher code “1609″ get free shipping.

And as mentioned yesterday night during Brussels Girl Geek Dinner, the first 4 bloggers who refer to this post get a free, signed copy.

Els Vermang (°1981, Leuven) studied Visual Arts at the Stedelijke Kunstacademie Leuven (1997 – 1999), and did a Master degree in architecture at the Henry van de Velde Instituut / Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp (1999 – 2004). She lives and works in Brussels and at Bozar currently shows a selection of recent work created together with LAb[au], the Brussels studio that specializes in computer art, and also the team behind the gallery Media Area. Their approach summarizes in an n-dimensional, parametric and trans-disciplinary approach of spatial thinking that is merged into a technological and art historical continuum. The sculptures Frameworks 5x5x4 and SwarmDot and printed series Chrono prints show the different formats of LAb[au],’s work, where interactive and generative processes merge into a contemplative entity where the boundaries between traditional and avant-garde art fade.

LAb[au], consists of Manuel Abendroth, Jerôme Decock, Alexandre Plennevaux and Els Vermang, who together develop and execute projects and artworks.

Linda Niskanen is the marketing manager for MariaBingo in Western Europe. After two years in finance, specialising in outsourcing and SAP usage and implementation, she moved towards project management and marketing within the gaming industry, currently focussing on female gaming and the marketing of a product range including Bingo, Casino, Games.

Her favourite quote:

“The biggest mistake people make in life is not making a living at doing what they most enjoy.” Malcolm S. Forbes

Linda loves skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, music, marketing, reading, painting decks, movies, and photography.

La Fille d’O is not a lingerie brand and Murielle Scherre is not a fashion designer. La Fille d’O is more of a state of mind. And a joke, that started 6 years ago on April Fool’s Day.

A lot has happened since then. There were sensational shows, unforgettable parties, video clips and all sorts of projects. Think Fifty Foot Combo. Oh, and books, tv appearances, and magazine interviews. And of course: the collections.  Cake, Cats and Curiosity. Pumpkin. DryClean. ‘O Grrrls Going South. La Toile Vierge. Iscream. Razorblades and Lollipops. Her first shoe collection. And recently: Hard to Heart, a lingerie collection that urges you to follow your heart.

In the meanwhile Belgium’s favourite bad girl doubles as a deejay in all kinds of clubs – anything between Culture Club of Make Up CLub and the fair in your local village. This new dj project is called DeVilles Amateur Dollhouse.

So it’s safe to say La Fille d’O is definitely not a lingerie brand. It’s a state of mind. An excuse to think out of the box and to live life with all your senses.
Or, to quote Murielle: “To be honest: I am just interested. Period.”

Sarah Blow (Twitter, LinkedIn) is a software engineer with an active interest in mobile and wireless appications development. More recently in the tech industry she has been drawn to web related technologies such as using new media technologies as part of strategies both internally to organisations and externally to improve communications. At BGGD #11, she will speak about designing and developing for mobile devices.

Sarah founded the London Girl Geek Dinners in April 2005 which she further extended to Girl Geek Dinners later the same year. She was made a Women’s Enterprise Ambassador in 2007 and is also part of Make Your Mark as a connector and an ambassador.

Most of what she writes about these days can be found on GirlGeekdom and SarahBlow.com.

Picture by Benjamin Ellis (@benjaminellis)