An event to advance the cybersecurity workforce through leadership, innovation, and inclusion.
Uniting Women in Cyber 2025
- Thursday, October 9, 2025
- Amazon HQ Conference Center, Pentagon City, VA
Key notes from nationally recognized thought leaders
Dynamic panels with thought-provoking speakers
Highly interactive audience sessions and Q&A
Quality time to grow purposeful networks and professional spheres of influence
About Uniting Women in Cyber
Participants get:
- Exposure – Gain enhanced access to an active network of high-profile leaders and peers.
- Education – Receive expert updates on trending cybersecurity topics and their impact on daily life.
- Resources – Access shared lessons learned and actionable strategies to advance cybersecurity technology and workforce.
UWIC 2024 Recap
Watch exclusive outtake interviews from UWIC 2024, where industry leaders share their experience at The Cyber Guild’s premier networking event. Watch now to get a behind-the-scenes look at groundbreaking discussions on the latest trends in cyber technology and workforce.
UWIC Scholarship
for Women in Career Transition
This scholarship includes complimentary full-day access to UWIC 2025 and a VIP invitation to the Recognition Awards immediately following. Priority will be given to public servants in transition to industry and to anyone facing financial difficulty.
Agenda
Welcome to UWIC 2025!
Speaker:
- Debbie Sallis, Founding Executive Director, The Cyber Guild
Cybersecurity threats know no borders—making a global understanding of regional challenges and shared lessons essential.
This panel brings together international policy experts, thought leaders, and business executives to explore how evolving strategies and technologies can outpace common adversaries and strengthen collective cyber resilience.
Topics include:
- Available technologies to defeat common adversaries
- Regulation and approaches to managing and mitigating risk
- Solutions required to enhance cyber preparedness and resilience
Panelists:
- Kris Lovejoy, Global Security and Resilience Practice Leader, Kyndryl (Moderator)
- Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist, NTT
- Juliette Wilcox, CMG, President, Ultra I&C, Cyber Division, UK and Fmr. UK Ambassador for Cybersecurity
- Morgan Adamski, Principal, PwC and Fmr. Executive Director, U.S. Cyber Command
- Hart Rossman, VP of Global Secret Services, AWS
- Chris Gower, Minister Counsellor, Australian Department of Home Affairs
As cybersecurity matures into a mission-critical profession, experts from industry, academia, and training institutions are rethinking how we define, develop, and deploy cyber talent.
This panel explores the fast-evolving cybersecurity workforce—what’s working, what’s missing, and what’s next.
Bring your questions for a live audience Q&A!
Topics include:
- Evolving employer expectations and hiring priorities
- The impact of AI and other emerging technologies on hiring
- The growing importance of skills-based hiring in cybersecurity
Panelists:
- Simone Petrella, Board Member, N2K Networks (Moderator)
- Dwan Jones, Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, ISC2
- Alissa Abdullah, PhD, Deputy CSO and SVP of Emerging Corporate Security Solutions, Mastercard
- Erin Kelly, AVP of Global Internal Communications and Talent Brand, SentinelOne
- Dawn-Marie Vaughan, Global Offering Lead – Cyber Security, DXC Technology
Brings to life the popular Cyber Guild See It To be It Spotlights.
Rising stars and rock stars from all aspects of cybersecurity share their personal stories of their journeys to cyber.
Featuring:
- James Chapman, 2025 RISE Mentor, The Cyber Guild
- LaLisha Hurt, 2025 RISE Mentor, The Cyber Guild
- Sarah Blake, 2025 RISE Protege, The Cyber Guild
- Ingrid Peterson, 2025 RISE Protege, The Cyber Guild
A once in a lifetime opportunity to be in the audience for a live CyberWire podcast interview!
- Why real-time collaboration is key to national cyber resilience
- How ISACs, vendor coalitions, and peer networks are reshaping cyber response
- What leaders need to cultivate in today’s evolving threat landscape
Presenters:
- Dave Bittner, Producer & Podcast Host, The CyberWire
- Caitlin Sarian, Founder and Executive Director, CyberSecurity Girl
Connect over lunch with peers and professionals from across the cybersecurity community.
As the digital landscape continues to expand, so too do the threats against our vulnerable senior population.
In this intimate fireside chat, experts will delve into the multifaceted challenge posed by online predators and discuss proactive measures to safeguard our seniors in the digital age.
Panelists:
- Stephen Rubley, President – Government Segment, Thomson Reuters and CEO, TRSS LLC
- Trisha Simmons, Special Agent, USSS
- Cari Cistola, Senior Director, Data Protection Engineering, Capital One
In this highly interactive session, executive coach, Dr. Susan Bernstein will help you build your own Powerful Under Pressure™ Playbook—practical tools to help you stay grounded, focused, and effective when the stakes are high.
Leave with actionable strategies you can use immediately to perform your best—no matter the pressure.
Speaker:
- Dr. Susan Bernstein, CEO, Powerful Under Pressure
Technologists and leaders from diverse sectors share insights on how advanced threats, emerging tech, and global power dynamics are redefining cybersecurity and the need for resilience.
Topics include:
- Human and Machine Teaming: A look ahead at how AI is enhancing our resiliency and efficiency while also being leveraged by malicious actors
- Software Understanding: What’s next in expanding our ability to construct and assess software-controlled systems to verify functionality, safety, and security across all conditions
- Rise of Quantum Technologies: How the US–China quantum arms race, export controls, global alliances are shaping cybersecurity agenda and reshaping environments of the future
- Proactive Resilience: Building forward-looking defenses and responding at machine speed as threats and environments evolve
Panelists:
- Meghan Good, SVP, Technology Integration, Leidos (Moderator)
- Carol Glennon, Sr. Director Cyber Security, Walgreens Inc.
- Nicole Bucala, CEO, DataBee, a Comcast Company
- Andy Sauer, CEO, Sentinel Blue
- Anjana Rajan, Fmr. Assistant National Cyber Director, The White House
- Dr. Shauna Sweet, Program Director, DARPA
Go behind closed doors with top industry leaders for a candid conversation about how cybersecurity is framed, funded, and prioritized at the executive level.
This session offers actionable insights for securing executive buy-in and fostering a security-first culture from the top down.
Topics include:
- Translating technical concepts into business value
- Communicating risk in a way that drives action
- Gaining executive trust to move security initiatives forward
Panelists:
- Nancy Morgan, CEO and Owner, Ellis Morgan Enterprises LLC (Moderator)
- Niloo Razi, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Vanderbilt University
- Dave Rankin, CISO, Verisign
- Leslie Ireland, Board Member/Advisor
- Dr. Georgianna Shea, Chief Technologist, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
Join us as we recognize our 2025 RISE Inclusive Mentoring Program graduates.
Presenters:
- Teresa Shea, Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild
- Bryan Ware, Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild
Thank you for attending UWIC!
Speakers:
- Debbie Sallis, Executive Director, The Cyber Guild
Join us after UWIC for drinks and conversations!
Mix and mingle with UWIC speakers and alumni, Cyber Guild Luminaires, Partners, and Recognition Awardees past and present.
UWIC 2025 Speakers
Alissa Abdullah, PhD
Deputy CSO and SVP of Emerging Corporate Security Solutions
Mastercard
Amy De Salvatore
Partner, Business Development & Platform
NightDragon
Emcee
UWIC 2025
Andy Sauer
CEO
Sentinel Blue
Anjana Rajan
Fmr. Assistant National Cyber Director
The White House
Bryan Ware
Co-Chair
The Cyber Guild
Bryony Hodges
Director of Security Compliance & Managing Counsel
Dominion Energy
Emcee
UWIC 2025
Caitlin Sarian
Founder and Executive Director
CyberSecurity Girl
Cari Cistola
Senior Director, Data Protection Engineering
Capital One
Carol Glennon
Senior Director, Cyber Security
Walgreens Inc.
Chris Gower
Minister Counsellor
Australian Department of Home Affairs
Crystal Hartman
CEO
Haystack Solutions
Emcee
UWIC 2025
Dave Bittner
Podcast Producer and Host
The CyberWire
Dave Rankin
CISO
Verisign
Dawn-Marie Vaughan
Global Offering Lead - Cyber Security
DXC Technology
Debbie Sallis
Founding Executive Director
The Cyber Guild
Diana Rothschild
VP of Strategic Reach & Workforce Partnerships
The College Board
Emcee
UWIC 2025
Dr. Diane Janosek
Executive Director
Center for Women in Cyber, Capitol Technology University
Emcee
UWIC 2025
Dr. Georgianna Shea
Chief Technologist
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
Dr. Shauna Sweet
Program Manager
DARPA
Dr. Susan Bernstein
CEO
Powerful Under Pressure
What People Are Saying
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 mission of The Cyber Guild directly aligns to two things I have a passion for. One is helping get more people into cybersecurity to fill critical shortages across the nation. The other is increasing the diversity of that workforce that both better reflects the world that we live in but, more importantly, creates better outcomes. Cybersecurity is a team sport. It not only takes ‘more’ people in cybersecurity, but it takes much stronger teams and more highly functioning teams to keep our nation, our companies and our families safe.
Sean Stalzer
CISO, Director of Cybersecurity,
Dominion Energy
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
