Who is Sylvia?

It depends on the context.

If you ask Fast Company magazine, she is a Silicon Valley Public Relations Icon.

Strategist

For work that’s also play, she develops strategies for creating awareness of new technologies, people, companies, publications, organizations and events. She’s had the good fortune to work with the founders of CNET, Wired magazine, Marimba, and Ask Jeeves when their companies were nascent or still on life support. Her current clients include tech startups as well as the Rockridge Institute, the Biomimicry Institute, and book authors.

Founder

She founded Gracenet, a networking group for women in high tech with chapters in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is also on the advisory board of BlogHer. For several years, Gracenet’s DisGraceful Award in Advertising – given to the most sexist ad in high tech media -- made the news itself and encouraged companies like IBM and InfoUSA to withdraw ads depicting women as inferior beings (not only to men, but to aliens as well!).

Networker

She organizes events that bring people together and are intended to generate ideas, sometimes even disruptive ones.

The Berkeley Cybersalon focuses on the impact of technology on all aspects of our personal and social gestalts, and have been taking place regularly since 1994.

The Last Friday Ladies Lunch seems to have become a magnet for a randomly generated and open group of amazing women who share their yearnings as well as disillusions over lunch in Berkeley on the last Friday of the month.

All these events take place at the venerable, Maybeck-inspired Hillside Club (www.hillsideclub.org) at 2286 Cedar St. in Berkeley, California.

To get on these mailing lists, contact whoisylvia@aol.com.

Cyclist

She’s also served on the board of the Grizzly Peak Cyclists and encourages everyone to take up cycling or at least not run over a cyclist.

Blogger

To see what’s on her mind these days, see www.whoisylvia.typepad.com.