I decided to spend Fridays in San Francisco for Q4 in 2016, half in an effort to grow my local network and half to prove that I’m out of ICU and back at work. So I set up a bunch of coffees and lunches. I learned how to ride the BART better and also learned that Coit Tower is NOT something to visit before you’re seeing a prospective client. (Holy. Sweaty. Steps.)
I saw a lot of people during my Fridays in the city. But after a few weeks I began noticing something that pissed me off. Catching up with the women in my network were social moments. Catching up with the men in my network were the only ones that seemed like they could lead to future work.
This was irritating but it was okay because we were about to elect the first female president. I could taste the broken glass ceiling. And then, by mid-November, I couldn’t.
So here we go.
Plucky’s 2017 will be dedicated to #PluckyWomen. Once a month I’ll organize a spot for drinks, a networking space for women in the Bay Area who want to meet other women to talk about work. ANY WORK. Any industry. If you have been hungry for female networks, if you have been interested in events but felt too shy to go, if you have ambitions about sitting at the table but haven’t gotten there yet, come out for a drink. I am friendly and I know about work and I want to meet you.
Additionally, I will be spending my professional development budget this year to attend events that are specifically supportive of female leadership. And I’ll tell you which events I’ll be attending ahead of time. If you’re a woman and you were thinking about attending but felt anxious to attend alone or to ask for budget, I am telling you that you can always sit next to me at a conference.
You don’t have to work in DevOps to know how systems operate. It’s time to build some new systems and I’m ready to get to work. #PluckyWomen, I will see you out there.
The first #PluckyWomen meet-up will be Tuesday, January 24 in San Francisco at Press Club from 6-8pm. You can RSVP on Plucky’s Facebook page.
Want to hear about future meet-ups? Sign up for Plucky’s newsletter here.