Sonja Bernhardt
Encyclopedia
Sonja Bernhardt OAM
is an Australian information technology
industry identity and role model, founder and Inaugural President of WiT (Women in Technology) in 1997 and co founder and Inaugural President of AWISE (Australian Women in IT and Science Entity) in 2005, two not for profit industry groups that run community based projects and programs specifically to encourage women and girls into technology careers. In addition, Bernhardt is responsible for a number of high impact (and usually controversial) initiatives to raise the profile of women in technology and break perceptions of technology careers as "nerdy" or "male", such as the 2007 Screen Goddess IT Calendar, IT's Million $ Babes Awards and Doing IT Around the World.
) was employed as a consultant by Mincom Limited
prior to February 1999 when she established her own software development firm – ThoughtWare Australia. Bernhardt and ThoughtWare have won a string of awards and recognition – such as listings in multiple Australian Who’s Who publications. Bernhardt is notably the first Australian inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International
) Hall of Fame (2005).
Community projects
Bernhardt is active in the area of supporting women in IT
especially addressing the under-representation of women in technology
, and towards these goals both founded Women In Technology in Queensland and co-founded AWISE, a national Australia umbrella group. Through AWISE and WiT Bernhardt has been involved in many girl and women in technology perception altering, awareness raising, mentoring and role model projects. For example, Go Girl - Go For IT and the Board Readiness Program. Bernhardt herself has been featured as a female role model by both the Queensland Government and Australian Government.
In addition Bernhardt is the innovator of voluntary community projects including the controversial 2007 "Screen Goddess IT Calendar", which featured 20 female role models in poses inspired by famous movies, “IT’s Million $ Babes Award” recognising successful Australian female entrepreneurs, and “Doing IT Around the World”, a diary and series of e-booklets featuring the work and lives of 36 women in technology covering all continents around the world on 11 August (chosen as the date Hedy Lamarr
was awarded the spread spectrum
patent) 2008.
Volunteer Positions
Bernhardt has held several positions in the women and technology and IT policy community, including:
Awards
Bernhardt's volunteer work in IT especially increasing the career takeup and profile of women in technology has been recognised by these awards:
Publications
Bernhardt's publications include:
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
is an Australian information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
industry identity and role model, founder and Inaugural President of WiT (Women in Technology) in 1997 and co founder and Inaugural President of AWISE (Australian Women in IT and Science Entity) in 2005, two not for profit industry groups that run community based projects and programs specifically to encourage women and girls into technology careers. In addition, Bernhardt is responsible for a number of high impact (and usually controversial) initiatives to raise the profile of women in technology and break perceptions of technology careers as "nerdy" or "male", such as the 2007 Screen Goddess IT Calendar, IT's Million $ Babes Awards and Doing IT Around the World.
Career
Sonja Bernhardt (born 1959 in Launceston, TasmaniaLaunceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
) was employed as a consultant by Mincom Limited
Mincom Limited
Mincom Pty Ltd is a software and services company providing business software to industries such as mining, public infrastructure, defense, oil and gas in more than 40 countries across North America, South America, Australia, South East Asia, Africa, and Europe.Mincom Inc. operates in North America...
prior to February 1999 when she established her own software development firm – ThoughtWare Australia. Bernhardt and ThoughtWare have won a string of awards and recognition – such as listings in multiple Australian Who’s Who publications. Bernhardt is notably the first Australian inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International
Women in Technology International
Women in Technology International is a worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement of women in business and technology. It was established in 1989 by Carolyn Leighton as an email-based information network business....
) Hall of Fame (2005).
Community projects
Bernhardt is active in the area of supporting women in IT
Women in computing
Global concerns about current and future roles of women in computing occupations gained more importance with the emerging information age. These concerns motivated public policy debates addressing gender equality as computer applications exerted increasing influence in society...
especially addressing the under-representation of women in technology
Women, girls and information technology
Women have been involved in computers since computers were first envisioned. They are present in all facets of computing and information technology. Despite this, their presence is comparatively small in these fields; see statistics below....
, and towards these goals both founded Women In Technology in Queensland and co-founded AWISE, a national Australia umbrella group. Through AWISE and WiT Bernhardt has been involved in many girl and women in technology perception altering, awareness raising, mentoring and role model projects. For example, Go Girl - Go For IT and the Board Readiness Program. Bernhardt herself has been featured as a female role model by both the Queensland Government and Australian Government.
In addition Bernhardt is the innovator of voluntary community projects including the controversial 2007 "Screen Goddess IT Calendar", which featured 20 female role models in poses inspired by famous movies, “IT’s Million $ Babes Award” recognising successful Australian female entrepreneurs, and “Doing IT Around the World”, a diary and series of e-booklets featuring the work and lives of 36 women in technology covering all continents around the world on 11 August (chosen as the date Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".Lamarr also co-invented – with composer George Antheil – an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, necessary to wireless...
was awarded the spread spectrum
Spread spectrum
Spread-spectrum techniques are methods by which a signal generated in a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth...
patent) 2008.
Volunteer Positions
Bernhardt has held several positions in the women and technology and IT policy community, including:
- 2010 Technical committee invited member of the ACIITC (Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council)
- 2009 Foundation Member of ACIVA(Aged Care IT Vendors Association)
- 2008 Regional Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Centre for Women and Technology (1 of 10 regional centres forming a global hub for Women and technology)
- 2007 Member of APEC Digital Forum committee (role is to seek solutions for APEC economies re: Building a sustainable e-future
- 2007 Appointed to the UN supported International Taskforce for Women and ICT’s (vision is to promote communication and information exchange; increase sharing of research, knowledge, and resources; develop a series of collaborative activities; and promote recommendations for policy and programming – globally)
- 2004-2005 Member of Federal ICT Summit Advisory Group - this group reported directly to the national Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
- 2003-2005 Appointed to Australian Government's Business Higher Education Round Table (B-HERT) - science & technology careers taskforce
- 1998-2004 Appointed to the prestigious Queensland Government ICT Ministerial Advisory Group – Industry Development – this group reported directly to the Minister and provided IT policy advice.
Awards
Bernhardt's volunteer work in IT especially increasing the career takeup and profile of women in technology has been recognised by these awards:
- WITI (Women in Technology InternationalWomen in Technology InternationalWomen in Technology International is a worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement of women in business and technology. It was established in 1989 by Carolyn Leighton as an email-based information network business....
) Hall of Fame (2005) - Optus ICT Achievement Award (2009)
- Queensland Government "Our Women, Our State" Awards - Industry or Business Category (2009)
- Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)Order of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for services to the IT industry (2011)
Publications
Bernhardt's publications include:
- IT Workers: Human Capital Issues in a Knowledge-Based Environment (2006: Information Age Publishing). Bernhardt co-authored a chapter of this book titled "Employment Sharing for IT Micro and Small Business."
- The Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology Bernhardt wrote a chapter for this encyclopedia: “Boards, IT Skills and Women - the Australian Context.”
- Regular contributor to The Education Technology Guide (published by the Australian Media Group). Topics have covered gender and ICT, ICT on school boards and nanotechnology.
- Regular speaker on ABC Local RadioABC Local RadioABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
(most regularly on 91.7 ABC Coast FM91.7 ABC Coast FM91.7 ABC Coast FM is an ABC Local Radio station. Based in the suburb of Mermaid Beach, the station broadcasts to the Gold Coast and surrounding hinterland in Queensland, covering as far south as Byron Bay in New South Wales....
) discussing a range of technology and women in technology issues. - Technology Diva's Top Tech Tips for Your Business: an interview with the Australian Businesswomen's Network (2009)