My passion for technology centers on creating useful, usable solutions that solve real and pressing business problems. I also believe that we, leaders in technology organizations, need to commit to increasing the diversity of the technology practitioner community. My path started in 1994 when, as a junior high school student, I helped to start the first Internet Service Provider in my rural county. I ran technical support – which provided a first-class education in empathy for technology users. Through the decades, I’ve kept to that theme, leading IT projects and later, software development teams, with the goal of providing users the technology and process solutions they need to get their important work done. In 2015 I co-founded Remediant, an information security startup focused on helping large enterprises get control over their privileged access – which the Verizon DBIR estimates are implicated in 82% of all security breaches. As a leader, I am detail-oriented, data-driven and culture-focused. My philosophical outlook is that we must focus on solving user problems, not necessarily just answering their questions. This philosophy drives my curiosity for deeply understanding user needs and creating for them solutions that are a pleasure to use. To build effective teams, I believe every employee deserves a good manager – which means: a manager who supports their growth, hears them out and moves barriers out of their way. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work for inspirational leaders, and I seek to inspire the next generation of leaders and managers.I feel strongly that those who are able have an obligation to give back to their communities. I am the leader of a Technical Working Group in the Identity Defined Security Alliance, and have been a collaborator with the NIST NCCoE on two projects: NIST SP 1800-18 (Privileged Access Management guidance for the Financial Services Sector) and NIST SP 1800-27 (Protecting Property Management Systems for the Hospitality Sector). I also serve on the ATARC Technical Working Group for Identity Security, and am a contributing member of the National Order of the Arrow Technology Committee’s Security Subcommittee. I am a financial and in-kind supporter of The Diana Initiative, PyLadies, Day of Shecurity, WoSec (Women in Security), WISP (Women In Security and Privacy); I serve as a Board Advisor to the Cybersecurity Nonprofit, an organization dedicated to increasing the world’s knowledge of cybersecurity and the diversity of the cybersecurity community.