Leadership Recognition Awards
A national awards celebration honoring leaders shaping cybersecurity across organizations and communities.
This invite-only gathering brings together honorees and distinguished guests, with limited supporter opportunities available.
Registration Opening Soon!
- Thursday, October 8
- Capital One Hall Tysons, VA
Meet the 2025 Awardees!
Recognized for influencing decision-makers and elevating diverse perspectives across cybersecurity.
Recognized for driving emerging technologies, standards, and progress across the field.
Recognized for strengthening resilience through collaboration, partnerships, and strategic action.
Recognized for advancing a more inclusive and future-ready cybersecurity workforce.
Recognized for their exceptional impact, leadership, and potential.
An evening focused on...
Exclusive Access
Join respected leaders across cybersecurity for thoughtful discussions and meaningful peer engagement.
Peer Recognition
Celebrate individuals whose leadership, service, and impact have earned the recognition of their peers.
Trusted Community
Build meaningful relationships with mission-driven leaders committed to advancing talent in cybersecurity.
Recognized by peers. Celebrated by community.
About The Awards
The Cyber Guild Leadership Recognition Awards bring together leaders from across cybersecurity, technology, government, and industry to recognize meaningful impact across the field.
More than an awards ceremony, the event celebrates the people strengthening the future of cybersecurity through innovation, inclusion, mentorship, and community impact.
Recognized by peers who have seen their work firsthand, honorees reflect the leadership and collaboration shaping the cybersecurity industry.
The Awards Selection Process
Awardees are nominated from across The Cyber Guild leadership community with finalists selected by a panel of esteemed Guild luminaries and leaders. This peer-driven process helps ensure thoughtful and trusted recognition across the field.
Award Categories
Ambassador
Changemaker
Guardian
Champion
Rising Leader
2026 Judges
Bryan Ware
Renee Wynn
Malcom Harkins
Lillian Dunlevy
John DeSimone
The Cyber Guild truly feels like an inclusive community and celebrates everyone in cybersecurity at all stages of their careers.
Dr. Diane M. Janosek
CEO,
Janos LLC
The Cyber Guild represents the most effective effort to address the shortfalls in the cyber workforce - especially in the development of mid-level cyber policy leaders. The Cyber Guild's bottom-up approach to identifying and mentoring future cyber leaders will measurably contribute to the U.S. establishing a diverse, thoughtful cybersecurity leadership for the 2030s.
Mark Montgomery
Sr. Director and Sr. Fellow,
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
"Participating in The Cyber Guild and UWIC has not only been an incredible opportunity to discuss recent cyber events and shape future cyber policy making, these events have also been where I've made new professional connections and lifelong friendships with peers across the industry."
Kim Gajewski
Principal Consultant,
Mandient (Google Cloud)
"I was blown away by the access to women and ally leaders in cyber who shared their career journeys, lessons learned, thought leadership on emerging technological trends and best practices to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion at work."
LaLisha Hurt
Sr. Vice President, National IT,
Federal Reserve System
"UWIC was the first women-focused event I attended and it was such a valuable experience because of the caliber and accessibility of the speakers. Intimate events are a wonderful way to really get to know everybody in the room, and the fact that it was attended by more than just women showed us the mentalities that our allies have for advancing our place in the industry."
Maril Vernon
Solutions Architect,
NetSPI
"UWIC was a professional and personal life changer! It introduced me to a powerhouse of talent and support in the vital cyber community I had never known. This unique conference is valuable to any female interested in strengthening her network with women who help women."
Sue McCarthy
Alumni Host, Contributor, Journalist,
Women's Business Report
"This was the best conference I attended and it's back for their annual event in October. The network and friendships I've gained from this one day is a close second to the quality of content presented. Always an all-star lineup of speakers."
Kathryn Wang
Channel Principal ,
SandBoxAQ
Past Awardees
The Cyber Guild Recognition Awards have honored individuals whose work continues to influence the future of cybersecurity through mentorship, advocacy, innovation, and collaboration. Together, they reflect a growing network committed to strengthening the cyber community.
2025 Awardees
Last year, The Cyber Guild recognized five leaders driving innovation and inclusion in cybersecurity across sectors and communities.
