In January 1995, upon realizing the potential of the World Wide Web, Aliza Sherman and Kevin Kennedy launched Cybergrrl, Inc., focusing on building websites and online resources for women to help them propel their personal and professional lives forward. Cybergrrl also offered consulting services to corporations focused on the women's market. Her background was varied - from promotion of heavy metal rock bands like Metallica to executive director of a nonprofit group creating awareness of domestic violence. Her lifelong dream, however, was to be a writer. His background was equally as varied - from athlete to entrepreneur, competing for the United States Track Team in Taiwan and playing professional tennis to building a graphic design company and a software training company.

As Cybergrrl.com continued to grow, people read the content and started responding through email. Cybergrrl started linking other women's websites and we called those women "Webgrrls," drawing a cartoon character to represent them. One day, It was decided that the "women of the web" should meet.

A meeting was arranged at a New York City cyber café on April 29, 1995. Six women showed up. While their jobs were different -- from a writer to a Unix programmer to a performance artist to an editor at a publishing house -- they shared a passion for the Web and technology that bridged their differences and united them as women trying to succeed in a brand new, yet already male-dominated, industry.

They had a great time at the first gathering and decided to meet again. This time twelve women showed up. Fast forward to July 1995 -- fifty women got together to listen to an accountant and a lawyer answer their business questions. Cybergrrl.com had been chronicling this saga on the website, which attracted more women. By November 1995, 200 women attended the Webgrrls meeting, and they knew they had to get organized!

Meanwhile, other women on the web were discovering the websites and decided that Webgrrls sounded like a great thing to get involved in. A woman in Seattle called and wanted to know how she could get involved - and the second chapter of Webgrrls International was born. Other chapters followed, as women emailed and said, "Hey, this sounds like a great idea. Can I do it, too?"

The mission statement was developed to clarify their aim, which was at its heart to empower women through technology and to give women a local forum, with a national and international reach, to meet with, support and encourage one another, share job leads and find strategic alliances and explore business opportunities.

While Chapter Leaders shared their ideas and experiences with one another, they each created a Webgrrls chapter based upon the needs of their communities, and the organization grew exponentially. In NYC, Webgrrls International created the Team Webgrrls outreach program to encourage young girls to use the Internet and also began offering HTML and Photoshop classes, organized speaking events and presentations for members, and fielded calls from the media who were fascinated by this incredible grassroots organization for women in the exciting new media industry.

In October of 1996, the NYC chapter organized a technology expo that highlighted the achievements of women in new media, and Mayor Rudolph Guiliani made a surprise appearance, proclaiming10/22/96 as "Webgrrls Day" in New York City.

By October 22, 1997, there were over 100 Webgrrls chapters around the world who together celebrated the first International Webgrrls Day to acknowledge the accomplishments of women in new media worldwide. They joined voices using Internet Relay Chat, CUSeeMe and Wordcasting technology to connect with one another online and featured special guests, chapter launches and website debuts from the real-world chapter celebrations, offices and homes of Webgrrls around the world.

We, as Webgrrls, are growing an incredible organization for women around the world who want to be empowered, want to help one another succeed, and are taking charge of technology for their personal and professional gain.