In this episode of Rendered, we explore the future of cybersecurity through the lens of Tim Roemer, a former CIA officer, Director of Homeland Security and Chief Information Security Officer for Arizona, and now CEO of GMI (the largest woman- and minority-owned tech company in Arizona). With over a decade in national security and intelligence, Tim has seen how emerging technologies like AI are changing the stakes... fast.

🎧 In this episode we explore:

• What it’s really like inside the White House Situation Room
• How people are recruited into the CIA, and what it takes to make it through
• Why deepfakes, phishing, and AI-powered misinformation are today’s most dangerous weapons
• How human error, not just hackers or tech, is driving the majority of security breaches
• What quantum computing and AI convergence could mean for national and digital security
• Leverage a designer's framework to understand the psychological reasons we are willing to give up our data

💡 We also explore the very real question: Can we trust the information we see anymore? As AI becomes more convincing, more autonomous, and more accessible to bad actors, Tim argues that “hope isn’t a strategy.” We need new tools, and new mindsets, to defend what matters most.

About Tim Roemer

Tim is the CEO of GMI, the largest woman- and minority-owned tech company in Arizona. He previously served as Arizona’s Director of Homeland Security and Chief Information Security Officer, and spent over a decade as a CIA officer, including time in the White House Situation Room. Tim is a national voice in cybersecurity, emerging threats, and building public-private resilience in an age of AI-fueled attacks.

About JinYi Yang (@budljin_)

JinYi is a UX designer, artist, and systems thinker focused on building intuitive experiences for complex technologies. Her speculative work blends interaction design, storytelling, and interface prototyping to reimagine how people emotionally engage with information, and situations.