Hey Chicago! Hey Girls! (Hey Girls In Tech in Chicago?! :)) Okay, that’s a bit trite… :)

It was a beautiful Tuesday evening this December 1st of 2009 – For the opening event of the Chicago chapter of Girls In Tech!    There was an almost equal pairing of women and men at this launch event! It’s great to see the number of men who want to see women thrive in technology and are willing to come out to show it!   

I took a photo which didn’t really come out, but I did take a short 5min video of the introduction, kick off and overview of the organization (with banter from the crowd as well ;)

So, I encourage you men and women alike to not only keep an eye on Girls In Tech, but take an active role in promoting this to others as well!  This is a great organization reaching out to the masses who don’t need to stand alone, there is a solid community and support network out there! Embrace it.  Join and you won’t regret it!

I want to extend special thanks to Managing Director Dawn Kuczwara @digitaldawn for organizing this whole event and Microsoft Technology Evangelist Angela Dugan @oakparkgirl for presenting at this first event!

For those of you who know me, and I know some of you do very well, you know how much I love education, learning, Certification, and most importantly.. Sharing the goods with everyone else! Well, this situation is no different!

I’m now able to take advantage of this special promotion for MCT’s which allows me to share discount vouchers with you! Discount vouchers to the tune of 10% to 20% off on Certification exams (depending upon the country)

All you need to do is let me know you want a voucher, provide an email address and country (and number of vouchers you’re looking to use) and I can supply that to you! You can reach me on Twitter @cxi, here by a comment, or sending me an email

You have no idea how excited I am to have this opportunity to share with you, so lets take advantage of it, I know I will :)  Below are the details and a brief look at what is available.

This voucher is redeemable for one Microsoft Certification Exam delivered at an Authorized Prometric Testing Center™. This voucher expires June 30, 2010. You must take your Microsoft Certification Exam prior to this date

Why you should get certified                                                     Learn more

When you earn a Microsoft Certification, you are demonstrating your knowledge and skills with Microsoft products and technologies, while validating real-world skills and job-related experiences that are used every day. Whether you are new to technology, changing jobs, or a seasoned IT professional, becoming certified helps you prove to peers and employers that you are committed to advancing your skills and that you are a candidate for new opportunities and career growth. Plus, as a Microsoft Certified Professional, you’ll have access to a vibrant, worldwide community of other certified professionals.

Save 40% on a 60 Day Online MeasureUp Practice Test      Learn more

You’ve made a great decision to certify your training and experience. Now make sure you are ready to pass the exam using a MeasureUp Practice Test. MeasureUp Practice Tests questions are written by subject matter experts and designed to test the concepts presented in the actual exam. Performance-based simulations are included in some practice tests as an additional test of the student’s capabilities.

Save 40% now using your voucher number and prepare for certification success.

¹ 2006 MCP Customer Satisfaction Survey • ² Redmond Magazine’s 2006 survey of compensation for Microsoft IT professionals • ³ IDC Study: Value of Certification: Team Certification and Organizational Performance, Nov 2006 •This voucher may not be combined with other vouchers and discounts. It is no longer valid after the expiration date; This voucher is nontransferable and is void if altered or revised in any way. It may not be redeemed for cash, credit, or refund and may only be applied towards Microsoft Certification exams. Microsoft ,Prometric™ and Authorized Prometric Testing Centers™ are not responsible for vouchers that are lost or stolen. Any resale of this voucher is expressly prohibited. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Prometric and the Prometric logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Prometric and its affiliated companies.

The fine print:

* Only MCTs can request MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers. You can offer MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers to students who have attended one of your instructor-led classes or one of your colleagues’ classes. You can also offer discount vouchers to people who you reach through your personal network or through your blog, website etc. These vouchers will be personalized and will include your name as the trainer that provided the discount voucher and you will receive points for each redeemed voucher. Please note that MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers may not be resold. Discounts may vary by country. For a list of discounts by country, (let me know ;))

How many of you have ever attended a “Lunch and Learn”.  For those of you not familiar it typically will involved a Partner, Vendor or someone with some information to share, and often involves food (Usually Pizza or Sandwiches).

Here are the typical conditions following lunch and learns “Wow, you mean there’ll be free food? Sure I’ll come to the lunch and learn!” or “I’m interested in that topic, but I love free food!”

Yes, those are very true and strong conditions when it comes to lunch and learns.   Now let’s shift the tables a bit, and you become me.  Hi, I’m Christopher and I’m vegan, and I love people and technology.  So what does this mean?

If I am attending a lunch and learn, it is NOT for the food.    When I attend these events it is because I want the “Learn” component of the lunch and learn.  Even when it’s a subject that I know implicitly, it also has it’s value of my ability to ask questions (Both those questions I want to know the answers to, and those which others may not be asking but they really need to know the answers to and it isn’t being covered).   These same guidelines apply to user groups as well, which is to say, whenever I go somewhere it is RARELY if ever for the food.

Just think about that, if you ever see me at a Lunch and Learn, a TechEd Party, User Group meeting or who knows what – I am either there to learn, meet you, or educate in my ever so technical evangelist way, but I’m never there for the food, nor am I ever there to be the ‘know it all ass who wants to show you what I know’.  I’m more interested in what you know and if you have any questions or challenges, I love solving problems!

I did this before I did it for a living, and if I won the lotto tomorrow (Let’s make that Tuesday, for $180million please) I’ll continue to do it, because I care more about the education and growth of our community than I do anything else.   An attitude of growth, sincerity and caring matter far more to me than egos, or free food :)   Think about it the next time you meet a Vegan Technologist, we’re definitely not in it for the food ;)