I found out about Geek Girls Carrots when they organized their anniversary at my university. After a set of interesting meetings Kamila stood up. As a professional speaker she made a huge impression on the audience. We decided to meet in the cafe where she told me about the idea of Carrots.
Kamila: When I organized the first Startup Weekend a very few girls came. I asked myself why, because I knew that there is a lot of active girls out there. I realized that they need to be shown to the world. That's how the idea of dedicated space was born. For one of the first meetings in Warsaw came Julia Krysztofiak-Szopa from Krzemowa Dolina. She stated that she had never seen so many Geek Girls in one place. When she asked how many of them run or plan their own stand-up, almost all 60 people raised their hands up. Then even I was surprised that so many girls think about their own business based on new technologies. It was a very nice surprise.
What guides you in GGC? What's the base of your idea?
Our main values are passion, being activ, and belief in new technologies as a tool for interesting projects, business and people. It doesn't matter if you are a humanist or a scientific mind, whether you work in corpo, university or have your own business – you can create or use technology to work, self-development and to earn money. By promoting your achievements on the internet you belong to us too. New technologies are the thing we have in common. We show and promote creative, interesting, positive people and cases.
The meetings?
When we meet we talk about our dreams, we can see that other people achieved what we would like to achieve too, and that's the best motivator to take action and wait no longer. If you have concerns you can talk to people more experienced in this matter. It's important to meet people like us, who are one step further than us. That's inspiring. I have an impression that such meetings destroy all arguments like: I'm just a girl, I'm too young/too old, I'm afraid, I can't. It appears this worries need to be ignored, because now it's time and excellent occasion to start being active.
Girls come to get inspired, some of them are looking for job or for employee, so here you can get to know them or meet someone with whom you have much in common.
Tell me about GGC organization.
Our goal is to make our organization a place for people who want to learn new things and skills.
I've got a supporting team, we work close to each other. There are already 60 organizers, we work in 14 cities in Poland, in Berlin, Seatlle, and from 22 July 2014 also in Luxembourg. My co-workers are very interesting and cool people who want to do something and be active, they are unique for me. They engage and learn, and here they have the opportunity to do the real thing, in a fully functional international organization, we work as a regular business. The will to learn is more important to me than experience. Besides, the local organizers create communities, free the potential, not me. Thanks to them we enjoy the variety of topics, because meetings are not identical. A group of organizers is also a platform to exchange knowledge, experience and inspiration.
Meet the GGC meeting organizers :) : geekgirlscarrots.pl/organizatorki/
What kind of leader are you?
Our organization is easy, we don't have complicated structure. Girls can act, make decisions without me, but they expect consequences if something goes wrong and that they will have to repairt it, but they are not afraid, they are active anyway and that's great. I believe that if you give people the freedom, they do their job the best they can. I don't make strict rules, just give them a general idea. I believe that as I give them an idea, together they are more creative than I am just by myself. I try to give them a lot of freedom, to serve the advice and share experience.
How many people associate your community today?
We estimate it's around few thousand people.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in GGC?
I'm mostly proud that Geek Girls Carrots work outside Polish borders. I am very happy for the cooperation with local organizers of meetings and workshops, because thanks to their work, commitment and creativity Geek Girls Carrots works and develops so fast.
What is your inspiration to act?
The meetings?
When we meet we talk about our dreams, we can see that other people achieved what we would like to achieve too, and that's the best motivator to take action and wait no longer. If you have concerns you can talk to people more experienced in this matter. It's important to meet people like us, who are one step further than us. That's inspiring. I have an impression that such meetings destroy all arguments like: I'm just a girl, I'm too young/too old, I'm afraid, I can't. It appears this worries need to be ignored, because now it's time and excellent occasion to start being active.
Girls come to get inspired, some of them are looking for job or for employee, so here you can get to know them or meet someone with whom you have much in common.
Tell me about GGC organization.
Our goal is to make our organization a place for people who want to learn new things and skills.
I've got a supporting team, we work close to each other. There are already 60 organizers, we work in 14 cities in Poland, in Berlin, Seatlle, and from 22 July 2014 also in Luxembourg. My co-workers are very interesting and cool people who want to do something and be active, they are unique for me. They engage and learn, and here they have the opportunity to do the real thing, in a fully functional international organization, we work as a regular business. The will to learn is more important to me than experience. Besides, the local organizers create communities, free the potential, not me. Thanks to them we enjoy the variety of topics, because meetings are not identical. A group of organizers is also a platform to exchange knowledge, experience and inspiration.
Meet the GGC meeting organizers :) : geekgirlscarrots.pl/organizatorki/
What kind of leader are you?
Our organization is easy, we don't have complicated structure. Girls can act, make decisions without me, but they expect consequences if something goes wrong and that they will have to repairt it, but they are not afraid, they are active anyway and that's great. I believe that if you give people the freedom, they do their job the best they can. I don't make strict rules, just give them a general idea. I believe that as I give them an idea, together they are more creative than I am just by myself. I try to give them a lot of freedom, to serve the advice and share experience.
How many people associate your community today?
We estimate it's around few thousand people.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in GGC?
I'm mostly proud that Geek Girls Carrots work outside Polish borders. I am very happy for the cooperation with local organizers of meetings and workshops, because thanks to their work, commitment and creativity Geek Girls Carrots works and develops so fast.
What is your inspiration to act?
My inspiration are the stories of girls who learned something from us, changed the attitude, started business and got to know interesting people. That gives the strength to continue the work.
Thank you for your time.
You are welcome to a GGC meeting in your town.
More about Kamila:
Thank you for your time.
You are welcome to a GGC meeting in your town.
More about Kamila:
Kamila is a co-founder of the English-speaking Speaking Elephants Toastmasters Club public speakers club. She was a finalist of the fifth Businesswoman of the Year 2013 contest organized by Sukces Pisany Szminką ( A Success Written with a Lipstick). She was on a list of 25 Young Leaders of thr Future selected by Teraz Polska magazine. Kamila likes to travel, public speaking, read good books and jogging at night.
Translation: Basia Zwolińska
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