One of the reasons we made this organization was for women in the data center industry to meet and connect. This is not all that we want to do – but the more knowledge based meetups require a bit more planning.
Never been to a members meeting? We will show you the ropes. Never met us before? Even better! We love meeting new people.
Tuesday December 1st: Christmas meetup at BrƦkhus (Oslo)! This event is in the making, but it has the makings of being “the place to be”. Info will be shared as soon as we have more info to share!
We can finally say it out lout: Datacenter Dames Norway is officially founded!
It feels like a blur: the idea born on a rooftop in early summer, the meeting with Norwegian Datacenter Industry where the “polite cheering” turned out to be proper support – incredible, helpful support in the founding phase. Our very first gathering at Arendalsuka in August ā where we weren’t even sure anybody would show up. Smiles and curiosity, energy and conversation flowing from the very first minute. And this week – the wonderful meet and mingle hosted by FĆøyen Law Firm, kicking off the conference week in the best possible way. To the culmination of all of it.
The founding board
A board was appointed, and we are beyond proud to introduce the women who will lead DC Dames forward:
Chair: Maja Enes
Co-chair: Helene Norman-Dupuy
Board members: Ellen Kristine Usland, Hege Wullum, Anne Cathrine EdstrĆøm, Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen, Hanna Myhre Kaupang and Ninja Roede
Nine women, nine different corners of the industry. Infrastructure, energy, legal, sustainability, hardware systems… the datacenter industry is so adverse and multifold, and our board reflects exactly that.
What comes next
Bylaws have been adapted, an action plan will be drawn up, and the work of building our community begins in earnest. Our aim stands as it always has: to be a non-profit, free and open arena where women in the datacenter industry can find community, learn from each other and help each other.
To everyone who came to the founding meeting this week, to everyone who joined us at Arendalsuka, at the mingle on Sunday, and to Norwegian Datacenter Industry for opening the doors ā thank you.
DC Dames invites you to a casual āmeet and mingleā hosted by FĆøyen Law Firm on Sunday, 20 September, as a kick-off ahead of the data centre conference at Fornebu the following day.
Drinks and light refreshments will be served.
Time:Ā Sunday, 20 September 2026
Agenda: Get to know each other š
Please register by emailingĀ us by 15 September 2026, so that we can get an overview of the number of attendees.
We look forward to meeting all the new faces and encourage you to share the invitation with a female friend or colleague who also works in the data centre industry!
(Some information is lacking here, contact us for the rest of the information!)
DC Dames had their first official meeting at Arendalsuka – courtesy of Norwegian Datacenter Industry.
Starting a new initiative is always exciting – everything is new and it is impossible to know what to expect. We had our hopes and fears going in to the event. The backup plan (“if no-one comes, we have coffee and an hour to discuss how we can better promote the organization”) was thankfully not needed.
The first woman who came were such a ball of energy, and we started talking. So when the next person came, the conversation just continued, involving her as well. And then person by person – someone alone and someone in pairs – entered, and the conversation just continued.
Smiles and curiosity. This is how I remember it. Smiles and curiosity.
We had to break up the chatter to have the pretense of a meeting, which was mainly everyone introducing themselves and their area of work.
I am grateful for everyone taking their time in an intense week, and I am so unbelievable happy that everyone brought just the exact energy I hoped for; everyone was curious and no one had the exact same skills and competences.
The datacenter industry is just so adverse and multifold and I have no words really to describe the multitude of areas it is possible to be in, while at the same time being part of the same industry.
Ideas are easy. To make action out of ideas is (usually) harder.
When I (Maja) first started talking about datacenter dames, people were enthusiastic an applauded the initiative. Being my own largest critic, I always had the gnawing doubt that this reception was just polite cheering, rather than heartfelt support.
So we had a meeting with Norwegian datacenter industry. And any thoughts of “polite cheering” vanished.
Have you ever had a thing you should do, and you envision something like a flower growing – and then someone just dump a lot of fertilizer on it and it just sprouts out larger and quicker than you thought was possible?
It might just be the industry – we are in an industry where things change fast and you need to have people readily adapting change – but after the meeting with NDI, we now have both a official date for the founding meeting (September 21st, 2026), and an actual spot on Arendalsuka.
And in return? The expectation that we start the organization and act as door openers and watchdogs.
DCDames at Arendalsuka:
Wedensday August 12th at 10-11
Place: Annen Etage (Langbryggen 3, Arendal)
Round table meeting at Arendalsuka for everyone to join in on the brainstorming and the discussion. We have a lot of ideas, but ideas need… fertilazer, nurture.
Datacenter dames is an initiative started on a rooftop in early summer 2026. On an inpulse, Maja bursted out “hey, we should start a women networking organization!”, and so here we are.
The plan is to gather interested parties and create a community for women in the data center industry. Wether you work with infrastructure, software, project management, delivery, finance or legal; we are all a part of a predominantly male business, and we would love to connect to… well, build a network.
Timeline
The tentative plan is to hold a start-up meeting at the end of August, where we will decide on bylaws, action plan and create a board.
We aim to be a non-profit, free organization where everyone is welcome. Our aim is to be an arena for women to find community in the business, to learn from each other and to help each other. In the long run, we would love to administrate some sort of mentorship arrangement or “big sister”-type of connections,
We need more people to be involved! Do you want to take part in any of the following tasks, send us an e-mail or send Maja a message on LinkedIn
Plan and arrange the practical around the start-up event
Help find sponsors for the startup-event, or continued work of the organization
Be a part of the board
Be a part of reaching out to similar organizations for input or collaborative initiatives
Discuss the future action plan for the organization
Make a logo for DC dames
Or just be a general hangaround? (If there are enough of us, we might even be able to do some social networking during the summer)
Wanna join? Or at least get an e-mail when we know exact time and date for start-up meeting? Leave your details on this list, and we’ll invite you to the startup-meeting AND potential social gatherings before this.
