Posted: July 16, 2010

By Danielle Walker

danielle.walker@insidebiz.com

Although Sonya Schweitzer has made a home and business for herself in Hampton Roads, she traveled a long path before embracing her inner Geekette.

The 40-year-old Australian native was born in Sydney and has lived in England, Hawaii, New York and Washington, D.C.

As she moved, her career in marketing burgeoned and she eventually worked for AOL in D.C. for five years.

By the time Schweitzer and her husband, an American whom she met in England while he was stationed there in the Army, moved to Virginia Beach last year, she'd had many accomplishments but still wasn't satisfied with the corporate world.

"Women were always complaining that men were making more," Schweitzer said. "But instead of working together, we were working against each other."

After coming to the region, she decided to start her own business, Wave Marketing, but found she was still confronted by the same competitiveness when networking around town.

The Geekettes Club was born as a response, and as an opportunity for women to get out of that discouraging cycle.

"If women can help women, maybe we can get to the top quicker," Schweitzer reasoned. "And it's not just about technology. You're collaborating and sharing ideas to help each other."

The Geekettes Club had its first meeting on March 24 at the Aloft Hotel in Chesapeake.

More than 150 women and men - men were allowed just for the kickoff - met to discuss ways that Hampton Roads women could work together to launch or enhance their careers.

For a half-hour, two Geekette members gave business advice to the group - everything from advice on getting an attorney to moving a career in a new direction.

So far, the Geekettes have met monthly at the Aloft Hotel and other regional locations including the Virginia Beach Town Center.

Schweitzer said women are attracted to the group because of the diverse range of women they meet.

"We have the younger women who are very artsy and in the technology era, and older women being mentors to these younger women," she said.

The flier for the kickoff defined a Geekette as "a woman who excels in (or wants to learn to excel in) technology, marketing and business."

The group's "chief literary Geekette" has organized a business-related book group.

In addition, the organization will host an all-day event on how to start a business in early fall.

Other perks include business opportunities that women share while networking.

Nicole Newsome, conference coordinator for the 2010 Local Marketing Expo, which will be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Sept. 29, introduced her fellow Geekettes at their first meeting to a deal that could benefit their businesses.

She told members they could get a discount for the expo, which will be hosted by premier sponsor Pilot Media, and Cox Business, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Retail Alliance, among others.

Newsome said about 20 Geekettes had taken advantage of the offer so far.

Membership options for the Geekettes Club include either a $49 yearly fee, which includes admission to network meetings and advice from the group, or the $149 plan, which also gives the member two one-on-one sessions with Schweitzer.

For the club, Schweitzer plans to build a board of directors, who would also provide one-on-one consultations with members.

She also hopes to extend the club nationwide.

Women in D.C., San Francisco, Florida and New York have already shown interest in starting local chapters, she said.

Schweitzer also wants the club to be a support system for women who lack business resources because of financial difficulties.

One of the club's first activities was to seek out used tech items less than four years old, including computers, cell phones and other networking tools, for donation to a local charity.

The nonprofit group also hopes to get grants and local aid for women.

"It's local women supporting local women," Schweitzer said.

For her, the only indisputable rule for the organization is the "no cattiness" clause, which some members have described as refreshing.

"She's really promoting us helping each other instead of competing," Newsome said. "It's a nurturing atmosphere, but professional."

Twenty-eight-year-old Katie Jenkins said that things "kind of fell into place" when she decided to get serious about her business, KJ Massage.

Jenkins teaches massage therapy and works contracted jobs in addition to running her own massage therapy business in Virginia Beach.

"I started the business back in 2007, and haven't really pursued it up until this year," Jenkins said. "This was the year I was going to develop my business."

While Jenkins comes from a family of business owners, she said, "I had seen it, but never really done it, so I needed a little tweaking."

After meeting the Geekettes, she said she'd found a place where she fit in.

"I thought it was a unique opportunity, not only for women, but for the small business owner," Jenkins said.

This year, things really took off as far as recharging her business.

Schweitzer's "no cattiness rule" made an impression on Jenkins.

"That's one of the reasons why I left corporate America," she said. "I got sick of the backstabbing and the whining."

She is now a premier member, with access to one-on-one consultations.

In starting the Geekettes Club, Schweitzer's main goal has been to help women create their own opportunities - much like she did when starting her own business. She said that the group has helped women find jobs and even created jobs for others.

A vendor day is in the works for members in sales and retail to give them an opportunity to showcase their products.

Schweitzer is working on putting up a section on the Geekettes website that will feature members and include their contact info, field, website and other networking information.

To date, the club consists of nearly 40 members plus Chief Geekette Schweitzer. nib

Sonya Schweitzer spoke at the Geekettes launch in March, attended by about 150 women and men-men were allowed for the kickoff only.