Meet the Judges

Since 2017, Ron has been a key figure in cybersecurity, investing in start-ups and supporting nonprofits. He mentors founders on GTA's portfolio boards and contributes to key initiatives. From 2002-2016, Ron co-founded and led Tenable Network Security as CEO, growing it to 20,000 customers, $100M in revenue, and securing $300M in funding, culminating in a $3B IPO in 2018. A cyber pioneer, Ron developed Dragon, an early commercial IDS, and served as a penetration tester at the NSA, also deploying honeypots for the U.S. Defense Department in the 1990s.

Troy Wilkinson started his career as a law enforcement officer, leading a Joint Terrorism Task Force and specializing in cyber and child exploitation crimes. He trained police in Kosovo on cyber investigations and worked with the UN and EU on political corruption and terrorism cases. As former Global CISO at Interpublic Group and CISO at International Cruise & Excursions, he co-founded Tego Cyber Inc. and serves on its Board. A global speaker, co-author of an Amazon Best Seller, and advisor to VCs and cybersecurity startups, he also contributes to national publications and conferences.

Malcolm Harkins is Chief Security and Trust Officer at HiddenLayer with over 20 years in info security. He's held leadership roles at Intel, Cylance, and others, and authored books on risk management and security. Harkins has received awards from RSA, ISC2, and more. He's testified before the FTC and U.S. Senate and is a Fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, advising Congress and federal agencies. Harkins holds a B.A. in economics from UC Irvine and an MBA from UC Davis and has taught at UCLA and Susquehanna University.

Rinki Sethi is a cybersecurity leader with executive experience at companies like BILL, Twitter, Rubrik, IBM, Palo Alto Networks, Intuit, and eBay. She currently serves on the board of Vaultree, and previously served on the boards of Women in CyberSecurity, One Prosper and ForgeRock. Rinki advises cybersecurity startups and is an active angel investor. She is also a frequent contributor to major publications like Fortune, Forbes, and WSJ and a keynote speaker at global conferences.

Damian Chung is a cybersecurity leader with 25+ years of experience. As VP of Cyber Defense at Netskope, he oversees global SOC, Threat/Vulnerability Management, and Operational Threat Intelligence. He leads the Netskope Customer Zero program and is focused on AI integrations to enhance security response and reduce risk. Previously, Damian led Cybersecurity Engineering/Architecture at Dignity Health, developing a healthcare security roadmap. He also served as VP of IT, Cloud Security & Compliance for a healthcare tech company, building HIPAA-compliant cloud services. Damian holds an MSc from Arizona State University.

Nick Shevelyov is the founder of vCSO.ai, a cybersecurity executive, advisor, and author. With experience as CSO, CPO, CIO, and CISO, he's helped companies like Silicon Valley Bank grow globally. A sought-after public speaker, Nick has advised on the development of next-gen tech companies and supported firms like StackRox, Kodem, and Bedrock Security. He works with PE firms and sits on advisory boards of major capital firms. Author of 'Cyber War…and Peace,' Nick blends history and behavioral science into cybersecurity strategy.

Patricia Titus is a seasoned cybersecurity executive and current Field CISO at Abnormal AI. She has led security initiatives at top organizations including DHS, Freddie Mac, Symantec, and Booking Holdings. With expertise in risk management, digital transformation, and AI-driven security, Patricia aligns cybersecurity with business strategy and regulatory compliance. She is known for transforming security organizations and enhancing business resilience. Patricia also serves on several boards, including Black Kite, The Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Glasswing Ventures.

Michael Baker is the Global CISO for DXC Technology, overseeing cyber risk management for the $14B enterprise with 130,000 employees. With over 24 years of experience, he has held leadership roles in government contracting, aerospace, and defense, as well as consulting. Known for his strategic vision and expertise in risk management, zero-trust architecture, and incident response, Michael drives operational excellence in cybersecurity. He is the current chair of the CapitalCISO Council and was a finalist for the 2024 Capital CISO of the Year Award, having won CISO of the Year in 2022.

Peter Kilpe is the founder and CEO of N2K Networks, a hub for news, insights, experts, and learning in the cybersecurity industry. Under his leadership, N2K CyberWire has become the premier B2B podcast network, providing intelligence and insights to leaders, builders, and decision-makers across the public and private sectors. N2K Certify is a global leader in performance-driven learning, offering certification practice tests and study tools to the world's largest training platforms.

Alicia Lynch, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, has 30+ years in intelligence, security, and cyber operations. She's held executive roles including CISO at TD SYNNEX, SVP Chief Security Officer at Cognizant, and CISO at SAIC. Alicia is an active contributor to industry groups, serving on the Northern Virginia Technology Council's Cybersecurity & Privacy Committee and the National Security Institute's Advisory Board. She holds an MBA from the University of Maryland, a CIO Program Certificate from NDU, and certifications in CISSP and CIPP, recognizing her expertise in cybersecurity and privacy.

As Director of Creative & Design at Mindgrub, Meagan has 19+ years of experience creating award-winning apps, websites, and campaigns for clients ranging from non-profits to cybersecurity. She leads a team of designers, content strategists, and UX/UI professionals to deliver innovative solutions. Past clients include Dragos, NASA Space Apps, Kleenex, Marriott, Under Armour, and more. Meagan holds a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and has taught UX/UI design as an adjunct professor.