ThoughtWare Australia emerged as a software development firm in February 1999 under the leadership of Sonja Bernhardt. Based in Launceston, she established a professional career as an entrepreneur and technologist, focusing on the representation of women within the technology sector. Her work includes leadership roles in national industry groups and an extensive portfolio of academic writing.
Advocacy and Institutional Leadership
Bernhardt founded the Women in Technology group in 1997, serving as its inaugural president. In 2005, she co-founded the Australian Women in IT, Science and Engineering, an umbrella organization designed to foster community projects. Her commitment to industry growth led to appointments on government advisory bodies, including the Queensland Government ICT Ministerial Advisory Group from 1998 to 2004 and the Federal ICT Summit Advisory Group between 2004 and 2005.
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Seeking to address perceptions of the technology industry, Bernhardt initiated several high-profile projects. The 2007 Screen Goddess IT Calendar featured twenty female role models in cinematic poses. She later developed the IT's Million $ Babes Awards to acknowledge successful female entrepreneurs. In 2008, she launched Doing IT Around the World, a series of e-booklets documenting the experiences of 36 women globally, timed to coincide with the date Hedy Lamarr received a spread spectrum patent.
Academic Contributions and Writing
Bernhardt has published extensively on gender dynamics and technical infrastructure. Her 2014 book, Women in IT in the New Social Era, posits that industry numerical deficits often stem from personal career choices rather than systemic barriers. Her later work shifted toward emerging technologies, notably co-authoring the 2019 volume Blockchain Technology for Global Social Change. She has also contributed chapters to The Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology and provided regular commentary for The Education Technology Guide.
Career Milestones and Honors
Before starting her own firm, Bernhardt worked as a consultant for Mincom Limited. Her contributions to the industry have been recognized by several institutions, including the Pearcey Foundation, which inducted her into its Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2011, she received the Medal of the Order of Australia. Her earlier accolades include the 2005 induction into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame and the 2009 Optus ICT Achievement Award.
Fast facts
- Born: 1959, Launceston, Australia
- Founder: ThoughtWare Australia (1999)
- Medal of the Order of Australia: 2011
- WITI Hall of Fame: 2005
- Pearcey Hall of Fame: 2019
- Optus ICT Achievement Award: 2009
Questions readers ask
What is Sonja Bernhardt's primary occupation?
She is an Australian entrepreneur and technologist who founded the software firm ThoughtWare Australia.
What role did Bernhardt play in industry organizations?
She was the inaugural president of both Women in Technology and the Australian Women in IT, Science and Engineering.
Achievements
- Women in Technology Hall of Fame — 2005
- Medal of the Order of Australia — 2011
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