GirlGeek of the Week
November 2000

Miriam Warren

At the age of 14, Miriam took a risk on a startup, and she's been a geek ever since. That startup was a school called The Advanced Technologies Academy (A-TECH) in Las Vegas, NV. When she applied, there was in fact no school at all, but simply a patch of dirt and an idea. That idea grew into a truly 21st century school, boasting a 1-to-1 computer/student ratio, with 9th and 10th graders declaring majors in subjects like Computer Science and Systems Technology Support.

Miriam was the president and one of the charter members of A-TECH's debate team, and the founder of the Multi-Cultural Student Union. Her most memorable summer job was spent working on the back-to-school online project, in which she helped parents and students navigate the Web to find information about busing and immunizations. While on this project, she taught herself HTML and started a personal Website that she's been maintaining ever since

After graduating with honors from A-TECH, Miriam moved to the Bay Area to attend Mills College. More geeky jobs found their way to her resume during college, including the development of a knowledge management system for a Minneapolis-based Microsoft Solution Provider, and a short stint in the marketing department of a San Francisco dot-com. Today, Miriam manages creative and strategic recruitment for Quidnunc in San Francisco. She can also be seen beaming applications to co-workers from her Palm Pilot, and eating lunch in the geek mecca that is SOMA's South Park.

When did you first discover your love and/or obsession with computers and technology?

I can't pinpoint the genesis, but I think it had something to do with Tetris and my Gameboy. I also loved playing Atari with my brothers.

How do you earn a living?

I'm an Integrated Communications Recruitment Manager at Quidnunc, an international digital business consultancy. (Yes, I hire the geeks!)

Do you consider yourself a Geek?

Absolutely.

What is your favorite Website?

www.google.com -- it can find anything!

What do you do when you are not working?

I love to travel, experiment with cuisine, drive too fast, paint, go hiking in the rain, and write spoken-word poetry.

I'm also currently working on a multimedia endeavor called The MestiZa Project where I am researching the formation of ethnic identity among mixed race Pilipino Americans at the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. The project includes a documentary which I am currently filming on a mini dv cam, a book I'm currently writing, as well as the Website.

What's your motto?

Well-behaved womyn rarely make history.

Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Lisa Ling, with a shorter, funkier haircut

What would be the title of your autobiography?

Mango Monkey Musings

Who is the person you most admire?

Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman

If you could have one super power what would it be?

The ability to sync my calendar and notes from my Palm into my brain, complete with alarms for appointments, important "to-do's", and of course, snack breaks! Being able to fly would also be quite cool.