So we will have two more meetups this year.

Monday October 12: Meet and greet in connection with the Norwegian datacenter industry member meeting. Event starts at 14; we will be there from 13:15. Come say hello!

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 Brækhus (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!

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 — 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 Føyen 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 Edstrøm, 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 — thank you.

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.