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Distinguished Security Strategist at Splunk, Ryan Kovar, shares his journey that started in the US Navy and how it contributed to his leadership in life after the military. Cutting his teeth as sysadmin on the USS Kitty Hawk, Ryan worked as a contractor following the Navy. At Splunk, he leads the SURGe research team to solve what he calls the "blue collar for the blue team problems". He works hard on incorporating diversity of thought. Ryan notes, "I've been doing cybersecurity or IT now for over 20 years and of that 20 years of knowledge, only about five years of that knowledge is really relevant. You can't sit on your laurels in this industry." We thank Ryan for sharing his story with us.

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Associate Director at Raytheon Intelligence and Space in the Cyber Protection Services Division Anisha Patel always loved math and it defined her career journey. As a first-generation American from an Asian household, Anisha said she was destined for a STEM-focused career and chose electrical engineering. She began her career and remains at Raytheon (formerly E-Systems) working in several areas of the business thanks to her skills and informal mentors. Starting a rotational assignment in program management (7 years ago), Anisha said she "went to the dark side and then the hole closed and there I ended up." Anisha talks about the need to bring diversity of thought into the industry and adds to her team with this in mind. We thank Anisha for sharing her story with us.

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Director of Google Cloud's Office of the CISO, MK Palmore, dedicated much of his life to public service and now brings his experience working for the greater good to the private sector. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, including the Naval Academy Prep School that he calls the most impactful educational experience of his life, MK commissioned into the US Marine Corps following his service academy time. He joined the FBI and that is where he came into the cybersecurity realm. MK is passionate about getting more diversity, equity and inclusion into industry. We thank MK for sharing his story with us.

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Ground Labs' Head of Engineering, Swati Shekhar, shares her circuitous route from and back to engineering. Always being interested in leveraging the tools available to solve problems, Swati talks about how she found her place in engineering. She mentions how she had her first real experience with a computer when she was 17 in her first year at college. Aside from being one of 30 young women in a sea of 500 young men there, Swati described it as a "good culture shock because anything that takes you out of your comfort zone actually makes you learn and grow." She notes that challenges experienced in life increase your risk appetite so significantly. Swati advises those looking to make a job change to be certain of what is attracting them and to be yourself. We thank Swati for sharing her story with us.

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Senior Vice President for Strategy, Partnerships, and Corporate Development at IronNet Cybersecurity, Jamil Jaffer, shares how his interest in technology brought him full circle. Always a tech guy, Jamil paid he way through college doing computer support. Jamil went to law school and worked in various jobs in Washington DC including a stint in the newly-created National Security division of the Justice Department just after 9/11. When talking about adversity, Jamil notes, "Adversity has happened in life, but you gotta run at those things. To me, you know, I like risk. I think risk is something that a lot of people shy away from." We thank Jamil for sharing his story with us.

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Jadee Hanson, CIO and CISO at Code 42, started her technology journey thanks to the help of a teacher in high school. She began college studying computer science and ended with a degree in computer information systems as it had more of the business side. Working in the private sector for companies such as Deloitte, Target and Code 42, Jadee gained experience and specialized in insider risk. She notes "utopia for me and my team is to get to a spot where the team is just firing on all cylinders and being really proactive about what's coming and what's changing." Jadee mentions she tries hard to do things that might scare her every day. For those interested in the field, especially young women, Jadee recommends they get involved and then stay curious. We thank Jadee for sharing her story with us.  

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Distinguished Cloud Strategist at Lacework, Mark Nunnikhoven, has gone from taking technology to its limits for his own understanding to providing clarity about security for others. Mark fell in love with his Commodore 128 and once he realized he could bend the machine to his will, it set him on the path to technology. While he had some bumps in the road, dropping out of high school and not following the traditional path in college, Mark did complete his masters in information security. His professional life took him from Canadian public service to the private sector where Mark noted the culture shift was an eye-opening experience. Mark always looks to learn something new and share that with others and that is evidenced as his includes teaching as a facet of his career. We thank Mark for sharing his story with us.

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Linux and Security Advocate at Intezer Ell Marquez shares her journey from the family ranch to security. Needing a life change due to a bunch of circumstances that had occurred that left her almost homeless, Ell found out about a six week Linux boot camp that took her down the path toward technology. She fell in love with security at at BSides Conference and hasn't looked back. Ell says she recently started a campaign called "it's okay to be new" noting that no matter how long you've been in the industry, you need to be new because technology changes so quickly. She concludes by offering one final piece of advice to everybody is just "be unapologetically yourself." We thank Ell for sharing her story with us.

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Lieutenant in the US Navy and Skillbridge Fellow at the CyberWire, Brandon Karpf, knew he wanted to join the military at a young age. He achieved that through the US Naval Academy where he was a member of the men’s heavyweight rowing team. Commissioned as a cryptologic warfare officer, Brandon was sent to MIT for a graduate degree where he experienced the exact opposite of the Naval Academy’s highly structured life. Brandon’s later work with both NSA and US Cyber Command helped him gain experience and cyber operations skills. As he transitions from active duty to civilian life, Brandon shares his personal challenges and struggles during that process. Through the DoD Skillbridge Fellowship program, Brandon’s transition has him sharing his skills with the CyberWire. We thank Brandon for sharing his expertise and his story with us.

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Product Manager in Anti-Fraud Solutions at SpyCloud, Pattie Dillon shares her journey from raising her family to specializing in the anti-fraud space. Upon reentering the workforce, Pattie worked on identity verification and developed a system with privacy concerns in mind. She moved to work in gift cards and was exposed to money laundering. Traveling along the fraud spectrum, Pattie learned about underground data and feels that this data can be leveraged to actually prevent and fight online fraud. Pattie believes if you don't try, you'll never know. We know we appreciate Pattie sharing her story with us.

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