We believe the world will become more secure when cybersecurity is part of the fabric of everyday living.

Uniting Women in Cyber 2024

UWIC Event Includes

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

Event Speakers

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About Uniting Women in Cyber

UWIC is the premier event for cybersecurity professionals and aspiring practitioners. Connect with a vibrant, diverse community focused on emerging global trends, technological advancements, and workforce development. Attend UWIC 2024 to learn, share ideas, and expand your professional network!

Participants get:

UWIC 2023 Recap

Watch exclusive outtake interviews from UWIC 2023, where industry leaders share their insights and expertise. Watch now to get a behind-the-scenes look at groundbreaking discussions on the latest trends in cyber technology and workforce. 

What People Are Saying

"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)
kim
"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
Industry Advisor, Public Sector, Federal,  
Splunk
LaLisha Hurt Headsot
"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
Senior Application Security Architect,  
Aquia
Maril_Vernon_-_Headshot_-_370x370
"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
Host, Women's Business Report,  
WJLA 24/7 News
1632918997795
"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
VP of Partnerships, Public Sector,  
HUMAN
kathryn-wang-350

Did You Know...

33%
US-based cybersecurity jobs will increase 33% through to 2030
24%
Women make up only 24% of the cybersecurity workforce
70%
Neurodiverse individuals face unemployment rates reaching 70%

Join UWIC and drive positive change in cybersecurity!

UWIC 2023 by the Numbers

73%

women

38%

cyber newbies

38%

ethnic minorities

14%

career changers

12%

veterans

UWIC 2024 Speakers

Alison King

Vice President of Government Affairs

Forescout

UWIC Community Leadership Team Member

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Amanda Satterwhite

Managing Director Cyber Growth and Strategy

Accenture Federal Services

2023 Honoree

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Angelique Napoleon

Cybersecurity Director & Division Deputy CISO, Intelligence & Homeland Security Division

GDIT

Annita Sciacovelli

Professor of International Law

University of Bari Aldo Moro

Member

Advisory Board of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity

Aubrey Milham

Director, Government Relations

Monument Advocacy

UWIC Community Leadership Team Member

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Debora Plunkett

Fortune 100 Board Director, Cybersecurity Leader

Public Boards

Collegiate Professor

Dr. Diana B. Allen

Sr. Technical Program Manager

Google

Dr. Diane M. Janosek

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Janos LLC

Former Deputy Director Compliance

National Security Agency (NSA)

Dr. Magda Chelly

Managing Director, CISO

Responsible Cyber

Co-Founder

RiskImmune

Dr. Mary Aiken

Professor & Cyberpsychology Department Chair

Capitol Technology University

Elizabeth Bradt

Ops & Intel Coordinator

Skull Games

Elizabeth Kimber

VP Intel Community Strategy

Two Six Technologies

Former Deputy Director

US Central Intelligence Agency

Geoffrey M. Schaefer

Head of Responsible AI

Booz Allen Hamilton

Heather C. Fischer

Senior Advisor for Social Impact & Human Rights

Thomson Reuters Special Services

Jeff Tiegs

President & Founder

Skull Games

Jen Sovada

President of Global Public Sector

SandboxAQ

2023 Honoree

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Jessica L. Diggons

Unit Chief - Crimes Against Children & Human Trafficking Unit

Criminal Investigative Division, FBI

Joseph Scaramucci

Director of Law Enforcement Engagement

Skull Games

Kathryn Wang

CEO

Ctrl+Alt+Defeat.io

UWIC Co-Chair

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Kim Gajewski

Principal Consultant

Mandiant (Google Cloud)

UWIC Community Leadership Team Member/2023 Honoree

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Kristie Grinnell

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO)

DXC Technology

Board Member/UWIC Co-Chair/2023 Honoree

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Lexy Guenther

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Leidos

Board of Directors Member

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Linnie Haynesworth

Independent Corporate Board Member

Public Boards

Former A&D Executive

Mackenzie Wartenberger

Mid-Level Security Architect

Aquia

Mary Beth Borgwing

Founder and Chair Emeritus

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Matt Melo

Cyber Practice Lead

Piper Companies

Michal Block

Director of Intelligence

Skull Games

Ryen Buchanan

Shield Program Coordinator

Sentinel Blue

Sarbari Gupta

Founder and CEO

Electrosoft

Summer Anderson

Managing Director

ZRG Partners, LLC

Sumona Banerji

Founder

MindShield

Susan Gordon

President

Gordon Ventures, LLC

Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence

Suzanne Spaulding

Senior Advisor

Department of Homeland Security

Director - Defending Democratic Institutions Project

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Teresa Shea

President

Oplnet LLC

Board of Directors Co-Chair

The Cyber Guild Foundation

Wendy Cassidy

Senior Special Agent

United States Secret Service

Ambassador

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Will Markow

VP Applied Research

Lightcast

UWIC 2024 Agenda

Welcome to UWIC 2024! 

Speakers: 

  • Kathryn Wang, CEO, Ctrl+Alt+Defeat.io/UWIC Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild Foundation
  • Kristie Grinnell, Senior VP and CIO, DXC Technology/Board Member, 2023 Honoree, and UWIC Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild Foundation 

Cybersecurity threats know no borders, and as such, a comprehensive understanding of regional challenges is paramount in fortifying global defenses.

Esteemed cybersecurity leaders from around the globe will convene to share invaluable insights gleaned from their respective regions, shedding light on the diverse challenges faced in the realm of cybersecurity.

From Asia-Pacific to Europe, India to the Americas, our esteemed panelists will provide unique perspectives on the evolving threat landscape, regulatory landscapes, and innovative approaches to cybersecurity.

Topics include:

  • Cyber on the frontline of national security
  • Regulation and approaches to managing and militating risk
  • Workforce – What problems are we trying to solve and progress being made?

Panelists:

  • Dr. Diane M. Janosek, CEO, Janos LLC/Former Deputy Director Compliance, NSA (Moderator)
  • Dr. Mary Aiken, Professor & Cyberpsychology Department Chair, Capital Technology University 
  • Sarbari Gupta, Founder and CEO, Electrosoft
  • Dr. Magda Chelly, Managing Director & CISO, Responsible Cyber/Co-Founder, RiskImmune
  • Sumona Banerji, Founder, MindShield
  • Annita Sciacovelli, Professor, University of Bari Aldo Moro/Member, Advisory Board of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity 

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. 

Highly interactive session facilitated by Lightcast, the company behind Cyberseek.org.

Building better workforce solutions requires silos to be broken down between key stakeholders such as employers, talent, and training providers. Be one of the first to get hands-on access to the new Cyberseek.org employer “skills based hiring toolkit”.

We are all leaders in our own way, for our own career, for a work team, or informally through influence in organization or social networks. This is an opportunity to play a leader role to contribute feedback from the perspective of a key stakeholder in cyber hiring practices.

Speaker:

  • Will Markow, Vice President of Applied Research – Talent, Lightcast

Speaker:

  • Suzanne Spaulding, Senior Advisor, Department of Homeland Security/Director – Defending Democratic Institutions Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

As the digital landscape continues to expand, so too do the threats against our most vulnerable population: children. Online child exploitation is a pervasive and heartbreaking issue that demands immediate attention and coordinated action.

In this intimate fireside chat, experts will delve into the multifaceted challenge posed by online predators and discuss proactive measures to safeguard our children in the digital age.

Panelists:

  • Heather C. Fischer, Senior Advisor, TRSS (Moderator)
  • Wendy Cassidy, Senior Special Agent, U.S. Secret Service/Ambassador, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
  • Jeff Tiegs, President & Founder, Skull Games

Threat actors and aggressors are a diverse network not bound by geography, moral code, or compliance. Only a diverse, purposeful, and skillful network can counteract them. A highly interactive session, led by our friends from Skull Games to help demonstrate how the cyber mindset and related know-how and skills can play a role in protecting our most vulnerable.

Topics included:

  • Intro to Counter Trafficking and common indicators
  • Applying Open-Source Research to Counter Trafficking
  • Thinking critically to see beyond the screen

 

Speakers:

  • Joseph Scaramucci, Director of Law Enforcement Engagement, Skull Games
  • Michal Block, Director of Intelligence, Skull Games
  • Liz Bradt, Ops & Intel Coordinator, Skull Games

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, quantum computing, and satellite technology heralds a new frontier of possibilities and challenges.

Be more informed and expand your horizons in this discussion amongst true cyber experts from across industry, academia and policy. Our distinguished panelists will share insights, experiences, and predictions on how these domains intertwine to shape the landscape of the 21st century.

Topics include:

  • Symbiotic relationship between Ai and cybersecurity
  • Harnessing the power of quantum computing for data security and analysis
  • The role of satellites in an era of interconnected devices and smart cities
  • Ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks in the age of emerging technologies

Panelists:

  • Angelique Napoleon, Cybersecurity Director & Division Deputy CISO – Intelligence & Homeland Security Division, GDIT (Moderator)
  • Jen Sovada, President of Global Public Sector, SandboxAQ/2023 Honoree, The Cyber Guild Foundation
  • Dr. Diana B. Allen, Senior Technical Program Manager, Google
  • Geoffrey Schafer, Head of AI, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Lexy Guenther, CIO, Leidos/Board of Directors Member, The Cyber Guild Foundation

A powerhouse of women leaders join in frank conversation and share insights and strategies for breaking barriers and driving meaningful change in boardroom diversity.

While progress has been made in recent years, women’s representation in corporate boardrooms and at leadership levels remains a pressing issue.

Topics included:

  • Importance of diversity in corporate governance and decision making
  • What is the criteria for a successful board leader
  • Overcoming systemic barriers and biases in boardroom recruitment
  • Strategies to build experiences, network and capabilities for aspiring women leaders

Panelists:

  • Teresa Shea, President, Oplnet LLC/Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild Foundation (Moderator)
  • Susan Gordon, President, Gordon Ventures, LLC/Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence 
  • Linnie Haynesworth, Independent Corporate Board Member/Former A&D Executive
  • Summer Anderson, Managing Director, ZRG Partners, LLC
  • Elizabeth Kimber, VP Intel Community Strategy, Two Six Technologies 

Safeguarding Elections in the Age of Misinformation

2024 is election year, globally! Estimated 64% of the global population will be represented in an election this year in over 64 countries. In an era where misinformation runs rampant, safeguarding the integrity of our elections has never been more crucial.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to be in the audience for this podcast interview. Nationally recognized podcasters lead a discussion to  explore the complexities of combating misinformation and ensuring fair and transparent elections.

Discussion will cover:

  • How to identify and debunk false information
  • The role of technology and social media platforms in spreading and combating misinformation
  • The importance of digital literacy and critical thinking to navigate proliferation of misinformation

Host: 

  • Debora Plunkett, Principal, Plunkett Associates, LLC/Professor of Cybersecurity, University of Maryland

A new addition to UWIC. This is a crossover event with the Cyber Guild Recognition Awards reception drinks.

This crossover UWIC Afterparty provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to mix and mingle in with UWIC speakers and alumni, Cyber Guild Luminaires, Partners, and Recognition Awardees past and present.

Goals

Bring diverse leaders and thinking to address the challenge of attracting non-traditional and diverse talent to cybersecurity and to retain and advance to management and leadership positions.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events are currently scheduled. Check back soon.

Past Events

UWIC23_STD_LinekedIn
UWIC
October 3, 2023
8:00 AM
UWIC_22 image
UWIC
September 27, 2022
8:00 AM
2021 thumbnail_UWIC -Emergence- (1)
UWIC
October 5, 2021
1:00 PM