Else, Leah would probably have ended up in some research lab. She certainly wouldn't be one of the co-organisers of the forthcoming Australian national Linux conference which is to be held at the Sandy Bay campus of the University of Tasmania from January 19 to 24.

After two years of the Microbiology course, Leah dropped out and has no plans to go back. "These are the funny things that happen when you're a young adult and making life's big decisions," she told iTWire in an interview.

"I actually decided to do Microbiology after college because I was of the opinion that if I chose my passion - computers - as my career I'd end up hating it. As I was finishing my second year, and really struggling with it, I realised that having a passion for what you do is what drives you to succeed and really put in the effort."

Leah is coordinating matters to do with events and venues in Hobart; the conference has another co-organiser Ben Powell, who is based in Melbourne.

As secretary of the Tasmanian Linux User Group for the last three years and someone who has been involved in local IT for some time, it is probably some kind of natural fit for her.

"Being based down here (Hobart) it is much easier to meet people face to face and develop personal relationships with those you're doing business with," she says.

"It's one of the cornerstones of business in Hobart; I ran an IT consultancy here until earlier this year and it's all about the relationships you develop and word-of-mouth support and assistance you get from those you deal with.

"Hobart for the most part has a very supportive and personal aspect to it, the best discussions are those done over a beverage in bars and cafes and you gain much more by taking the time to develop your partnerships than to just 'do business'."

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