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About Our Speaker(s)

In May of 1999, the company, WomenGamers.Com was founded by Phaedra Boinodiris, a successful entrepeneur with one profitable company already under her belt, and her sister, Ismini Boinodiris. Both avid gamers, they were searching for a gaming website that specifically addresses the needs of women. Dissatisfied with the number of gaming sites that focus on the male audience, the hard-core market, or on specific game genres, Phaedra and Ismini envisioned a gaming site geared towards both women and men, where they wouldn't be bothered by banner ads showcasing semi-nude women, technological terminology aimed towards gearheads, and chat rooms where the main focus of discussion is the "hot babe" someone had seen at the video store. After careful research, Phaedra assembled a team of experts to help launch WomenGamers.com in July 1999. The experts range from a practicing psychologist to programmers, and review journalists. By March of 2000, WomenGamers.com has achieved acclaim with a write-up in Entertainment Weekly and offers to appear at various trade shows and on-line discussions. Due in part to Phaedra's belief in strength in numbers, WG has focused on increasing strategic partnerships, diversifying and expanding the site features, and continuing to increase their customer base.

WOMENGAMERS.COM, THE WEBSITE
According to the ESA, 38% of American videogame players and 48% of gaming parents are women. In other countries such as Korea, statistics show as much as 69.5% of women are playing video games. Even so, women's interests continue to be grossly under-represented, leaving women as single largest untapped market segment in the gaming industry.


Our mission is threefold: first, to provide a fun, dynamic online gaming site that caters to the interests and needs of different types of women gamers. To achieve the widest possible appeal, all game genres are reviewed and discussed.
Second, the site serves as a platform or the dissemination of information about games from an informed, socially-conscious, female-centered perspective.
Third, WomenGamers.com gathers information from visitors about their gaming preferences, opinions, concerns, and ideas for the future of gaming, and the industry.
Fourth, WomenGamers.Com offers a suite of services that includes customized consulting services, market research, and support services to game companies and universities. Its revenues stem mainly from advertising.


Incorporated in 1999, WomenGamers.Com works outside of convention, continually pursuing these goals by doing what no other site has done before. By launching the country's first women's game design scholarships, and setting up a network for women who play video games, buy videogames and work with videogames, WomenGamers.com has built up a reputable brand well-respected in the industry. We work with educational institutions such as DigiPen Institute of Technology, Guildhall at SMU, NC State University, the University of Florida and other colleges to promote participation by women in the gaming industry, specifically in game design, by establishing scholarship programs and offering consulting and lectures on careers in gaming. To date these programs have been and continue to be extremely successful.

http://womengamers.com/

Hugh M. O’Neill
Professor O’Neill, former editor of the Academy of Management Executive, is currently Associate Dean for the Kenan-Flagler Executive MBA program at the University of North Carolina since 1997. He has been active in the Business Policy Division of the Academy of Management. His research interests focus on strategies for corporate turnaround and renewal. His publications have appeared in the AMJ, AMR, AME., SMJ and other journals.

Bob Freese, Ph.D,
Bob Freese, Ph.D, is an serial entrepreneur who formed his first venture – Alphatronics – based on his research work with 3M. He is active in the Triangle community, and has been extensively involved in university related technology spin-offs. His most recent work involves a venture with scientists from the University of South Carolina.

Event Date and Venue

This event will be held from 6:15pm on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at:

Johnny Carino's
6709 Fayetteville Road
Durham, North Carolina 27713
Map

http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=48nzLOp_0Tom1WWRiKBpsUZ39pXYIVeMEiwT6iF8ag--&csz=27713&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

Schedule

6:15 Registration & Networking
7:00 Speaker
7:50 Questions and Answers
8:00 Session Evaluation, Raffle and Networking
8:30 Adjourn

Pre-registration for this event is closed and on-site registrations will not be accepted.

About Our Sponsor(s)

Teksystems

http://www.teksystems.com/
The Premier Technology Execution Company
As the premier technology execution company, we promise you the right expertise and an unrelenting commitment to service.

Our ability to deploy superior technology expertise is rivaled only by our deep commitment to service and reliability. This commitment isn't just something we talk about; it's part of who we are, and it shows in everything we do.

At TEKsystems®, we seek individuals who are not only technologically proficient, but who also care about teaming with other colleagues and clients. We recruit people with true strength of character and integrity, who genuinely share our values, and we treat every assignment as another step toward building long-term relationships.

Understanding your goals is the first step in achieving them. Our history as the nation's leading IT staffing firm allows us to be intimately familiar with virtually all IT implementation issues. Nationally, we have a focus in four key vertical sectors: communications, financial services, government, and information technology. In addition, each of our TEKsystems offices has diverse industry specializations according to their location and client base. Understanding your business, your culture, and your needs is our business.

Technology Execution Services
Our depth of experience and access to a talent pool that's considered one of the best in the industry ensures that our clients get the results they demand. Every day over 20,000 of our employees are on the job with clients all over the world. Whether we provide one or two additional staff members or assume responsibility to implement an entire project, our clients know that we will deliver. Whatever your circumstances, you'll receive the dedicated professionals you need, while retaining the level of control you prefer for each project.

Staffing Services - Get the labor and skills you need on an on-demand basis. We do more than just source applicants. Our Successful Placement ProcessSM means you get carefully screened people with the skills and personality to fit right in and hit the ground running.
Team Services - In these exclusive engagements, we assemble the precise mix of skills, experience and personalities it takes to complete a project. As the single-source provider, we ensure rate consistency and process efficiency, ultimately delivering multiple skill sets as smoothly as delivering just one.
Workforce Management Services - Streamline the management of your company's contingent labor and save money with our Workforce Management Services. We combine the right people, business processes, and Web-based technologies to help you optimize your workforce and your budget.
Component Services - Our proven ability to manage turnkey technology projects allows you to rest assured you'll get the results you need. Find out the benefits of turning to a trusted outside partner to manage and complete whole projects and components of larger ones.
See a complete list of our technology execution services to see which one is right for you.

Careers for Technical Professionals
We've built TEKsystems by seeking out professionals with integrity, character, know-how, and relentless work ethic. We define success according to how satisfied our technical professionals are and how satisfied our clients are. That's why we take so many measures to ensure this satisfaction. For technical professionals, this means career development services, competitive compensation and benefits, and truly exciting and challenging work assignments.

Because of our substantial experience, contacts, and reputation as the premier IT staffing firm, we can provide you with more and better career opportunities. There are a lot of advantages to working for TEKsystems.

See what IT jobs and communications jobs are waiting for you right now.

The TEKsystems Advantage
Our Successful Placement Process ensures client and technical professional satisfaction throughout every phase of the engagement. Our industry expertise and heritage of serving thousands of clients over 20 years means we know how to deliver what you need, when you need it. With over 90 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, the TEKsystems advantage is rarely far away.

Contact Us

For more info regarding registration or event details, please contact Felicia Joyner ([email protected]).

For more details about pre-registration, contact Tech Support.