The Event: On June 3, 2010, Chic Meets Geek hosted its third networking event at the Automattic lounge at Pier 38 in San Francisco.

The Cause: Chic Meets Geek is a conference with a social atmosphere designed to connect the cultural chic and intellectual geeks beyond a surface level. A panel of both geek and chic speakers shared their inspirational backgrounds in order to bridge these two seemingly incongruous groups. Founder Carol Tran believes the pairing of these two cultures through meshing a red carpet gala and a tech conference into one event will challenge guests to reach beyond their comfort zone and open their minds.

Chic Meets Geek also highlights a nonprofit organization at each of their events, and this time was no exception. One hundred percent of the proceeds from auction items benefitted the Glide Foundation, a San Francisco organization founded by the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in order to provide free meals, health, medical, and housing services to those affected by poverty. Auction items included diamonds, clothing designed by former Project Runway contestant Jay Nicholas Sario, and tech gadgets. Furthermore, the panel included speakers from the homeless community who shared their struggles from life on the street.

The Event Chair: Carol Tran, founder of Chic Meets Geek. With multiple degrees in various fields, Carol has often been labeled a geek. However, she also embraces fashion and serves as a director of the San Francisco Bravo Opera Board. She believes that everyone is innately both geek and chic and encourages cross-collaboration between the two sides in order to promote inspiration and social change.

The Credentials: Chic Meets Geek combines aspects of a technology conference, a red carpet gala, and a nonprofit fundraiser. The venue, the Automattic Lounge at Pier 38, is well-known by geeks as the headquarters of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, a user-friendly blogging platform. Geek Meets Chic has been described as a “user experience” where one may network with people outside their normal circles.

About 400 people attended the event and enjoyed the panel of geek, chic, and non-profit speakers. Geeky women speakers included Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of Polyvore; Victoria Ransom, CEO and Co-Founder of WildFire App; Lily Kanter, CEO and Co-Founder of Serena & Lily; Wendy Lea, CEO of Get Satisfaction; and Amy Muller, Co-Founder of Get Satisfaction. Furthermore, chic men speakers included Jay Nicholas Sario, fashion designer on Project Runway; Charlie Ayers, former Executive Chef for Google, Owner of Calafia, and Author of Food 2.0; Raul Navalta (also known as RJ KoolRaul), dancer on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew; and Joel Goodrich, San Francisco philanthropist and socialite. Finally, speakers from the Glide Foundation included Reverend Cecil Williams, founder and Minister of the Glide Foundation, and Janice Mirikitani, Founding President of the Glide Foundation. Carol Tran, the founder of Chic Meets Geek, served as the moderator.

Several celebrity guests were also in attendance, including Chris Pirillo, a media-friendly geek who produces content and catalyzes communities, and Steve Wharton, television and movie actor.

In the future, Chic Meets Geek will be hosting small and medium events in the months leading up to their one-year anniversary in San Francisco. Other big cities can look forward to a Chic Meets Geek presence in their community beginning in 2011.