Free conferences providing educational and career talks for women in cybersecurity
Leadership Summit Agenda
Join us for a game-changing one-day conference tailored for women ready to take charge in cybersecurity.
Whether you’re climbing the career ladder or already in the C-suite, you’ll walk away with practical tools and strategies to amplify your impact as a leader in our fast-paced industry.
Agenda with Abstracts
Arlington Room
- 9:30 AM – 9:40 AM, Secure Diversity Opening Remarks with Deidre Diamond
- 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM, Keynote with Jameeka Green Aaron
- 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM, Keynote with Kimberly Snow
- 10:50 AM – 11:40 AM, Panel: Empowering the Next Generation – The Power of Women Mentoring Women in Corporate America with Kimberly Snow, Amber Bennoui, & Deidre Diamond
- AI adoption is happening in every corner of the business, often without formal approval. Security can either block it and drive it underground or enable it safely. This talk shows how to shift from roadblocks to guardrails by spotting micro-adoptions early, embedding low-friction controls, and building trust with shared KPIs. Attendees will leave with practical patterns to protect speed, compliance, and data while keeping AI initiatives above board.
- 12:05 PM – 12:55 PM, Lunch Fireside Chat: Near Disaster to Powerhouse: Finding Resilience in Yourself with Mea Clift and Jess Vachon (moderator)
- Sometimes the biggest crises that happen in our career, happen within our own brains. While we discuss avoiding fear, uncertainty, and doubt in our discussions as cyber professionals, how many hours do we spend living in those words inside ourselves? And how can we transform those struggles into superpowers to make us the leaders in the space we want to be.
- This will be a brave space conversation about tools and methods of making personal circumstances and patterns into assets on our path.
- 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM, Leading Through Crisis: How to Show Up When Everything Is on Fire with Merisa Lee
- Transitioning from an technical individual contributor to a people manager in a male-dominated team comes with a unique challenge: How do you maintain technical credibility while evolving into an effective leader? In this talk, I’ll share my journey of building a team of seasoned architects and engineers who initially questioned my shift from “doer” to “leader.” I’ll reveal how I leverage technical leadership to win team trust; adapted my leadership style and tips on when to switch leadership styles. I’ll also share practical experience of building a visibility & recognition program that spotlighting talents who made impacts.
- 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM, Communication: The Cyber Control Anyone Can Implement with Patricia Washburn
- What’s one thing you can do with NO tech skills to keep your organization’s data safe? Communicate clearly and effectively about cybersecurity! Patricia Washburn, a technical writer specializing in the cyber space, shows you how to: Communicate effectively with users. Communicate the value of cyber to your management. Communicate your security posture to your customers and prospects.
- 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM, Craft a Talk That Builds Your Business or Your Career with Bobbie Carlton
- Two-thirds of all conference speakers are men. This limits women’s career and business opportunities. Plus, we can’t be what we can’t see – representation matters. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to design a talk or presentation that aligns with your career or business goals, connects with your audience (without directly pitching or selling to them…so annoying) and opens the door to future relationships.
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM, DEI in the Workplace, Sponsored Talk with Kate Beattie from Foley & Lardner LLP
- 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM, Keynote with Laura Holdgrafer
- 5:00 PM – 5:05 PM, Closing Remarks with Deidre Diamond
Clarendon Room
- 10:50 AM – 11:40 AM, Human + Machine: Evolving Cyber Defense with AI in the Modern SOC with Merisa Lee
- AI is already reshaping cyber defense — both as a threat vector and a force multiplier. In this talk, I’ll share real-world lessons from leading security teams as we adapt to AI-generated threats, and explore how agentic AI and automation are transforming SOC workflows. From reducing analyst toil to accelerating detection and response, I’ll show how to position AI not as a buzzword, but as a strategic advantage for scaling security impact without scaling burnout.
- 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, #IAmRemarkable Workshop with Lillian Teng (not streaming)
- #IAmRemarkable is a global movement that empowers everyone, including underrepresented groups, to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond, while challenging the social perception around self-promotion.
Exeter Room
- 10:50 AM – 11:40 AM, Lead Like a Woman, Win Like a Founder with Brooke Motta
- Leadership advice for women often comes with an asterisk. Be confident, but not too emotional. Be assertive, but not abrasive. For women in male-dominated fields like cybersecurity, the message is clear: blend in to get ahead. But RAD Security Co-founder and CEO Brooke Motta built a successful, venture-backed startup by rejecting that script. In this session, Brooke shares her practical leadership playbook: how she raised Series A against the odds, created a culture of openness and flexibility, and scaled with clarity instead of burnout. This talk is for women ready to influence across levels and lead on their own terms
- 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM, Guardrails, Not Roadblocks: Security’s Role in AI-First Orgs with Amber Bennoui
- AI adoption is happening in every corner of the business, often without formal approval. Security can either block it and drive it underground or enable it safely. This talk shows how to shift from roadblocks to guardrails by spotting micro-adoptions early, embedding low-friction controls, and building trust with shared KPIs. Attendees will leave with practical patterns to protect speed, compliance, and data while keeping AI initiatives above board.
- 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM, Empowered Response: Insights into Security Vulnerability Trends at Microsoft (MSRC) with Tina Zhang-Powell
- Discover how the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) analyzes and addresses vulnerability trends to enhance cybersecurity. This session examines the latest threat patterns and shares actionable strategies for mitigation. With a focus on proactive defenses and the role of women in leading innovation, attendees will gain key insights to strengthen security, foster resilience, and drive impactful change in their organizations amid the evolving digital landscape.
- 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM, From Architect to Leader: Leading with Credibility and Confidence with Emma Yuan Fang
- AI adoption is happening in every corner of the business, often without formal approval. Security can either block it and drive it underground or enable it safely. This talk shows how to shift from roadblocks to guardrails by spotting micro-adoptions early, embedding low-friction controls, and building trust with shared KPIs. Attendees will leave with practical patterns to protect speed, compliance, and data while keeping AI initiatives above board.
Meet the Speakers
Talk Topics
Leadership Development
During breakouts, deep dive into focused learning experiences designed to accelerate your leadership journey. Choose from various sessions across four tracks, allowing you to customize your conference experience to your unique goals and challenges. Whether you aim to refine personal skills, enhance team dynamics, drive organizational change, or make your mark on the industry, there’s a session for you.
SELF: Master Your Potential
Strengthen your foundation with sessions on workplace rights, financial independence, and negotiation mastery. Cultivate the confidence and skills to chart your own course in the cybersecurity landscape.
TEAM: Lead with Impact
Master the art of leadership and influence. Learn to build high-performing teams, overcome resistance, and inspire innovation in the fast-paced world of cybersecurity.
COMPANY: Drive Organizational Success
Align security with business goals and become a strategic asset. Develop the acumen to understand core business drivers and secure resources for mission-critical initiatives.
INDUSTRY: Shape the Future
Elevate your profile and make your mark on the cybersecurity community. Craft your signature message and strategically engage in industry leadership opportunities.