Speakers and Topics for Dinner #9

Here are the bios of our speakers and their topics for our upcoming dinner on 1/13, sponsored by Microsoft Windows Server and Cloud division.

Shannon Loftis
Studio Manager, Good Science Studio
Shannon Loftis has been has been making games since 1995 and is currently the Studio Head of Good Science Studio. Good Science has led the way in innovating for Microsoft’s Kinect on Xbox 360, starting with its first published game, “Kinect Adventures,” which introduced the world to controller-free gaming on Kinect this holiday.

Prior to this, Shannon spent two years in the United Kingdom establishing Microsoft’s European-based game publishing subsidiary. Her most recent games include “Fable II” and “Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts,” in addition to her contributions to more than 30 games since joining Microsoft.

Shannon graduated from Duke University in 1987 with degrees in Computer Science and Math. Prior to joining Microsoft, she was a management consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc. When not working, Shannon loves to spend time with her husband and two sons, aged 7 and 9, either travelling, running, or flying.

Speaking topic: Disruptive Creation: Breaking Down Barriers to make Kinect

Kinect’s main goal from the start is to break down barriers between people and technology. Many rules and norms had to be discarded in the process of bringing this technology to market. Shannon will discuss the changes to approach, success factors, lessons learned, and what to do in order to have a creative technical career, based on her experiences building games for Xbox360 and for Kinect.

Erin Chapple
Group Program Manager, Windows Server
As part of the Server and Cloud Division, Erin Chapple’s team is responsible for driving the Management Experience and Automation Platform for Windows Server. Common across these deliverables is the goal of providing our customers rich, cost effective solutions to manage their environment. Erin joined Microsoft in 1998 and has held several roles focused on delivering solutions for IT. Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. In 2005 she completed a Master’s in Applied Behavioral Science from the Leadership Institute of Seattle. In 2007 she was recognized by her Alma Matter with a UW 50th Anniversary Alumni Award for her work supporting women in technology. In this same year her peers at Microsoft presented her with the Outstanding Mentor for Women Award. Most recently, Erin was recognized as one of ten “Microsoft Woman Worth Watching” on Mary-Jo Foley’s ZDNet Blog.

Speaking topic: Why Every Women Needs Her Own Board of Directors
One of the strongest means of support for your career advancement and overall job satisfaction are women. Yet we often find excuses as to why not to invest in building these relationships even though the pay-off is huge. As a founding member of the Server and Tools Business (STB) Women’s Leadership Council, Erin will talk about her experience developing her own Board of Directors and the impact a strong women’s community has had personally and professionally across the women in STB.

Event: Seattle Girl Geek Dinner #9

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PT)

Location:
116 Bellevue Square
Bellevue, WA 98004

Reserve your seat at Eventbrite!