GirlGeek of the Week
October 1999

Brenda Arnold

I first became involved with computers as a Project Coordinator at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1986. I was assigned the task of creating the majority of the graphics for its Star Trek Attraction. I was initiated on a Macintosh computer and gradually taught myself how to incorporate graphics into our scripts, schedules, and tech sheets.

After I left Universal, I worked for Langdon Rieder Corporation, a commercial brokerage firm, and was responsible for an array of new aspects of computers - graphics, word processing, troubleshooting, installations, networking, etc. I was soon exposed to many areas of technology since they didn't have anyone responsible for these tasks prior to my arrival. Again, I learned on my own by trial and error.

After Langdon Rieder Corporation, I was asked to join a project management consulting firm, PMLA. Since PMLA was a small start-up company, I was asked to wear many hats -- I was responsible for administration, human resources, technology, and accounting.

For the following 6 years, I continued with the same responsibilities, but the technological aspect of my position grew tremendously. I was responsible for purchasing, troubleshooting, installations, networking, etc. In 1996 PMLA implemented Lotus Notes GroupWare, and I became the Systems Administrator for the application. I was then responsible for installations, training, assigning security access, roles, etc. In 1997, PMLA created a project management software named GoProject for the corporate real estate and IT industries.

In October 1997, I was asked to be a partner in the new company called GoProjex, Inc., that was formed by PMLA to market, develop, and support the GoProject software. At GoProjex, I am currently responsible for operations, accounting, marketing, sales, overseeing development and implementation.

How do you earn a living?

I continue to wear many hats and enjoy the diversity I have at GoProjex in the above stated capacity!

Do you consider yourself a Geek?

No, even though my job revolves around technology, there are many, many other facets of life that interest me. It's important to keep abreast of what is happening in technology, however, there is more to life than software and hardware!

What is your favorite Website?

What is my favorite Website? Believe it or not, my favorite is www.foxsports.com. I am a huge sports fan, especially tennis, so I view sports updates on a daily basis. Another favorite website is www.wired.com. They have great articles and offer a wealth of knowledge for this new age of technology.

What do you do when you are not working?

I am very involved in women's empowerment. I currently facilitate support groups and am in the process of conducting workshops and/or speaking engagements on empowering women. I feel a very strong need to educate and support women on being the best they can be. I concentrate in technology because it is a male-dominated field, and women need strong support from other women to let them know "they can do it."

For fun - I enjoy watching tennis, reading, golfing, dancing, and laughing with friends. There is nothing better than laughing - it is such a release from the normal stress of life. Most of all - it puts things in perspective and makes me realize, almost out loud, "you know what, Brenda, GirlGeek life is actually very simple."