Sonja Bernhardt
Sonja Bernhardt OAM is an Australian information technology industry figure involved in mentoring and role model programs for women in IT. She was founder and Inaugural President of WiT (Women in Technology) in Queensland in 1997 and co founder and Inaugural President of AWISE (Australian Women in IT, Science and Engineering) in 2005, not for profit industry groups running community based projects and programs to encourage women and girls into technology careers. She is responsible for the 2007 Screen Goddess IT Calendar, IT's Million $ Babes Awards and Doing IT Around the World. Career. Sonja Bernhardt (born  1959 in Launceston, Tasmania) was employed as a consultant by Mincom Limited prior to February 1999 when she established her own software development firm – ThoughtWare Australia. Community projectsBernhardt 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 WiT 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. She has been featured as a female role model by both the Queensland Government and Australian Government. Bernhardt initiated community projects including the controversial "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 around the world on 11 August (chosen as the date Hedy Lamarr was awarded the spread spectrum patent) 2008.