Berlin Geekette of the Month: Simone Simonato

Meet Simone Simonato, Fashion Designer and Founder of SICA.

If you want to support Simone and SICA, check out her crowdfunding campaign here!

What's your background?

Fashion. I started sewing when I was 14 and have been doing that since than. In 2006 I started with SICA. I have a diploma in fashion and a BA in graphic design and just finished the MA program Sustainability in Fashion at ESMOD-Berlin. 

Upcycled bags from SICA

What inspired you dive into sustainable fashion?

My work experience with SICA, full time from production through sales. I developed ways to minimize waste and pick better, long-lasting materials. I also choose to hire the right people, and pay them good salaries... but to develop consumer awareness was still a big challenge. I realized I needed time to research how I could do better in fashion. I decided to quit SICA and explore how the industry works. The brand already had a sustainable concept to exist and I needed to know more about it.

Have there been challenges you needed to overcome? If yes, what did you do?

Being a foreign women establishing a project alone in Bangladesh, where most of the decisions are made by men. But I believe in myself and what I do. I listen and observe ten times more than I speak.

Please walk me through your day, what's a typical working day for you?

Normally, it's getting out of bed and turning my bedroom into my workspace. Most times, I stay on the computer and work on marketing, production or do research. Sometimes, I have my sewing machine and textiles out and work on designs, which is what I really love to do. I especially love when I get to travel to join ongoing and new projects.

Can you see yourself in ten years doing the same thing you do now? 

Yes I can. I love diversity and would love to take part in different projects. Being able to provide jobs through design is what drives me.

What is the best advice you ever received? 

To not give up! I get inspired by people that feel connected to what I do and support it somehow. That keeps me going.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year? 

It does not matter where you are; people are quite the same. Everybody is afraid and does not always know what to do/where to go. Gotta keep going. 

And what are your plans for the future?

Cooperation and research. I want to keep learning and share with others what I have learned. My goal with SICA is to get involved in different upcycling projects. 

If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?

I don't believe in changing my past. I believe every step (bad or good) is important. Things only happen when we are prepared for them to happen. 

Any advice for Berliner women?

Of course joining the Berlin Geekettes! I will take this moment to thank the Geekettes community. Being part of such a talented and powerful group only made me stronger and believe that success is possible to everyone. Every now and then, I realize how many barriers I had set up in my life. Being surrounded by these beautiful women blows up my mind!

Portugal Geekette of the Month: Cristina Fonseca

What's your background?

I have a Masters Degree in Communications and Networks Engineering. Yes, as a student I learned how to code, studied how routers and antennas work and conducted research in the field.

What inspired you to become a founder?

I think I was not inspired by a person, success story or role model. During the 1st year of my Masters I got sick with a pneumonia and stayed in the hospital for a week in critical condition, not being able to breathe by myself. Doctors told my parents I had 50% chance of surviving. I had an important delivery of my research project and a week to study for the final exams.

When the doctor explained that I had to stay in the hospital for a week my reaction was “I can’t! I have lots of important things to do”. At that time I thought those were really important things. One week later all I could remember were the truly important things that I was missing because of everything I was expected to do or to be.

Having that real feeling that you can die tomorrow makes you change your priorities. When I finished my Masters I was not particularly excited about the job offers I was receiving. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. So instead of wasting my time doing something that was not right, I decided not to accept any of the offers.

During year one, I used technology to come up with working prototypes of some ideas and learned as much as possible. Becoming a founder was the result of my curiosity to learn and solve problems. I am an engineer so I really like to get stuff done.

After 2 projects launched and a couple of failed attempts, we participated in a contest to win a MacBook Air. We won the contest and started to receive positive feedback about the idea. With Talkdesk things happened almost naturally. I end up founding a company without a clear plan.

Please walk me through your day, what does the Founder of Talkdesk do?

During the morning I focus on the ongoing challenges, basically scaling Talkdesk. We are improving and scaling the product, infrastructure, marketing, communication efforts and the team.

I spend some time focused on hiring. In the last month, 5 team members joined the team (2 of them work remotely). I do part of the onboarding with them and I have been working to build scalable processes. And we are still hiring.  

Besides meeting with some clients, I work on customer support / success, emails, account setup sessions and online demos. Everyone in the team works closely with our clients because this is the best way we have to make sure the product meets the customer’s needs. It then helps me prioritize the features and decide our product roadmap, which I am responsible for.

Can you see yourself in ten years doing the same thing you do now?

I don’t think so. First of all, Talkdesk can end before that.

Besides, I really like to learn and I like new challenges. In 10 years Talkdesk will no longer be a startup nor will I know everyone within the company. Also, I think I will be too old to work the hours that I do now :) And my priorities will change for sure.

What is the best advice you ever received?

I remember Dave McClure saying “if you are waiting for something to be done, go and find the guy that can help you get it done today”. Sometimes we give ourselves excuses to justify that we can’t get stuff done. It just depends on us.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year?

You need to adapt to the circumstances. Plans fail most of the time but focus, dedication and hard work will end up helping you succeed.

And what are your plans for the future?

I don’t make long term plans. I am happy doing what I am doing, working with brilliant people and having fun in between.

If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?

I always try to make the best decisions I can with the context I have. But If I could change something, I would better manage my time. I would love to have a super power to do it. 

Hamburg Geekettes App Camp

A guest post by Ines Schaffranek

Building my first app in less than five minutes was even more satisfying by making it about cats. More specifically, by making it about drawing on a cat’s picture of my liking and share it with the world to enjoy.

Hamburg Geekettes joined forces with ThoughtWorks to teach more than 30 women to build apps using the MIT App Inventor and I was one of them.

After a quick introduction to the open-source web application, four hours of intense teamwork and help by the coaches, we proudly presented our apps. One team built the arcade game “Whac-a-mole” (to impress the kids at home), another built a nifty homework organizer. There was also a well-designed nutrition app and a fitness app to keep you motivated.

So how does the MIT App Inventor work?

Log in with your Google account and get familiarized with the Designer.

Components like buttons, drawing elements and sounds are in the left panel of the screen. You can drag-and-drop them to the middle, the mock-up of a mobile screen, and specify function and design in the right panel.

After you set up the visuals, click on “Blocks” and have a look at the backend.

You will see various programming elements in the left panel, like objects, methods, and properties. Those prefabricated pieces of code can be assigned to your visual elements. They look and function like a jigsaw puzzle, only certain elements marry up.

If you want to test your code, open an emulation of an Android device - or use your actual Android device. And just like that your first app is born!

Imagine my excitement after sharing this beauty straight from my app on Twitter:

Katzen-Mal-App mit den @HHGeekettes bauen? Kann ich!!! #appcamp pic.twitter.com/oxjfz28riD

— Ines Schaffranek (@InesSchaffranek) 12. April 2014

I lost a few followers, but it was totally worth it.

Since attending the App Camp I constantly think of building my next app, which will be concerned with Sketchnotes.

And there will be no need for cats in this one.

Just kidding.

There is always a need for cats.

Find out more about AppCamps!

“Don’t get stuck in your feelings!” Nicoline Wisse Smit tells Maastricht Geekettes

Author: Ana Mihail is Chief Inspiration Officer at the Maastricht Centre for Entrepreneurship and Maastricht Geekettes Ambassador. 

Maastricht Geekettes held its first event and launch party on 11 March, welcoming young women interested in the field of technology and entrepreneurship.

An initiative created in February 2012 to help aspiring and established tech innovators, Geekettes has been opening new chapters across the world, from New York to London and Portugal. In Maastricht, the launch party featured successful local entrepreneur Nicoline Wisse Smit, founder of Wis&Waarachtig communications.

Touching upon many interesting points about what it takes to make it as a woman entrepreneur, Wisse Smit inspired the audience to take action and gave interesting insights into her business development experience.

In an interview with the Geekettes team, Nicoline shared her impressions on the Geekettes initiative and some advice to young starting entrepreneurs:

Thank you for being our very first speaker at the Launch Party of Maastricht Geekettes! What are your first impressions of this initiative? Do you think young women entrepreneurs need additional support to start?

I experienced an energetic group eager to learn, contribute and share. No doubt that they highly appreciate the initiative. That is what counts!

You are a role model for many women entrepreneurs in Maastricht. Could you share with us a few insights on how you started? Any new interesting projects coming up?

I started W&W to be able to do what I like to do and to do what I do best. After over 12 years of entrepreneurship, my motivation hasn’t changed. I always enjoy doing what I do best, making a difference by contributing to the success of others.

Recently we produced content for five connected websites. This was a challenging project because of the interaction between the sites. I like the discipline of SEO copywriting. Effective SEO copywriting requires a good understanding of the message you want to communicate and the conversion you like to take place on the website. You need to understand the expectations and behaviour of the website visitors and the way the search engines ‘read’ a website.

And yes, we have some interesting projects coming up but until contracts are signed, we keep upcoming work to ourselves. However, on waarachtig.nl you can find an overview of projects we have worked on in the past. They will give you insights into what we do and what to expect in the future.

What is the secret, according to you, to achieving outstanding results?

If you want to achieve outstanding results, keep on challenging yourself, interact with people and keep in touch with your feelings. Your feelings never mislead you! Believe in yourself!

Do you think women face different challenges when starting their entrepreneurial career?

I don’t think that there really is a difference, even though research shows that women tend to be more insecure. It is important to believe in yourself and in the business you are running. If you are insecure or in doubt, why should others believe in your product/service or even consider buying it?

Besides, I believe women have an advantage: our intuition. Make use of it and learn from men at the same time. They move on, while we keep on analysing, talking and reflecting. Sometimes you just have to get over it to move on. Men do understand that better.  They don’t let their feelings interfere that much. Use your intuition, but don’t get stuck in your feelings.

Do you have a role model, favourite writer? Who is your top influencer?

Just like when I just started my business I am making use of a coach at the moment. My coach makes me wonder about the way I approach things. Getting a better understanding of myself helps me grow my intuition even more. It also helps me to stay focused. For now I think this coach is my top influencer, although in the end, she’s only my mirror.

Last but not least, if there were one thing you could recommend to another woman entrepreneur, what would it be?

Do what you like to do and trust in yourself. Be aware that you have a great team of advisers around you: your friends and family. They know you best and don’t even have to understand your business to advice you. Besides, they are your best ambassadors.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview! We hope to see more driven women entrepreneurs here and wish you best of luck with your current and future projects!