 Good morning everybody. I think we're gonna get started now. We're actually gonna wait for our You can continue to chatter Good morning everybody, we're gonna get started I'm Paul Butler. I'm the president and chief transformation officer here at New America I wanted to say good morning to those of you who are here in the room Thanks for coming and to those of you who are joining online. Thank you for joining us For those of you who are online just a little housekeeping note. Just refresh your browser That'll make sure you're up to date and up to speed where exactly we are In this room, I'm gonna do a little bit of a welcome And talk a little bit about some of the work at New America and how this event and this program and this fellowship fits Into that work and then we're gonna jump right in and do the thing that we all came to do so as As we were preparing for this event I was I was wondering what I would tell you About the work that we do here at New America Particularly the work that we do around equity and how we're thinking about equity in the context of our work here at New America I thought I might tell you about How we think about the three key changes that are really shaping society and we talk about Borderless global threats that are affecting all of us We talk about technological change. That's reshaping our lives and we are talking about demographic change That is really reshaping the culture The norms and the systems that we experience here in our society and really globally And I thought I might tell you About that demographic change But many of you already know that we are moving to a point in our society That we've never been before Well, there will be no white majority and we will be the first time in our nation a plurality and that has Radical implications for the work that we all do But you all know that I Thought I might talk then about our equity transformation at New America This is a journey that we've been on really for the last two years like many organizations And like the work that many of you are doing and like the work that this program and this fellowship will be doing to put equity at the center of our work and I would tell you about How our approach is really to transform new America for the new America on three levels The individual level so our our own personal biases how we see the world what we know about the world The organizational transformation the policies and systems that operate within This organization and then the societal transformation how the individual and the organizational work can impact What happens out there in the world? and then I would tell you about Equity in the center of five clusters of work that we do here at New America and in five words its democracy technology education family and global and In all of those clusters we think about four commitments that run across all of that work The first one is equity The second one very appropriate today is field building and Those two commitments run across all of the work that we do here at New America and is in part Why we're here today and then I would tell you not about the programs, but I would want to tell you about the people And there are many people here at New America who are doing the important work of transforming this organization transforming themselves and Transforming the world outside of New America and so here we are today To welcome a group of people who are going to continue extend expand take us into new territories For how that work will continue in a very particular space that is important to all of us And ties back to those three changes that I talked about in the very beginning So I wanted to first ask the new class of the share the Mike fellows just to stand Stand where you are be recognized so we can welcome you and recognize you. I Wanted to thank all of you for coming I wanted to thank you the fellows for the work that you've already been doing and thank you in advance For the work that you will be doing you can take a seat We will meet more will meet them more later And finally as I leave the stage and pass the mic And share the mic in a different way. I wanted to thank Peter Singer Our fellow at New America who is leading the effort from inside He has taught he has been talking about this for a while With such passion and such commitment that this is something that we need to support at New American So we are happy to follow his lead. I Wanted to thank Bridget Chan who's out there somewhere making sure that this is happening and this is all connecting And I wanted to thank Camille Stewart and Lauren Zabrick for their vision to actually bring us to this moment and With that I am going to bring up a co-founder of share the mic Lauren Zabrick and the advisor to share the mic Christina Marillo. Thank you all You know, I'm just looking out at you all and you know, I'm I'm just reminded and really blown away by You know how everyone is here right now for this one purpose. I mean, this is truly amazing But before we get into that I you know I first want to say thank you to Paul for you know Really just allowing us to create this here and for your support. So thank you so much I want to thank Peter Singer for you know your Leadership your advice your your sort of vision here. I you know, I'll just say real quick last year we You know kind of went after some money and then it didn't come through And then we're like, well wait, why don't we just put together a fellowship like let's actually build something And that was really thanks to Peter So I just want to thank him for leaning forward and and for your vision and you know making this really happen And I want to thank Bridget too. I know she's as Paul said running around trying to get a few things You know set but you know, we hired Bridget This past summer and it was funny because I was I was talking or I think we're having a meeting And I was like you've been here for a year, right? No, it's only been a couple of months, but She you know really hit the ground running She you know just believed in this program so much and she did so much to lay the groundwork for this fellowship and I'm just so appreciative of her you know her skills and her motivation and and you know You know excitement in doing this. So I just want to thank them I also want to thank the sponsors for share the Mike and cyber for the fellowship We couldn't be here without their support So Google Twitter Hewlett the Hewlett Foundation and especially Craig Newmark Philanthropies so their generosity Really again has made this happen So as I said on Twitter You know with the creation of this fellowship this vision is realized and so let's go back a little bit to that vision If you have been here from the start of share the Mike and cyber which Christina has You may know that It happened with really a DM So I had seen the campaign share the Mike now on Instagram that where prominent figures in entertainment and politics White women shared their platforms with black women in those industries and I just got this idea this could really be good in cyber and national security Randomly I saw Camille's tweet about this Camille and I did not know each other I was not following her did we didn't know who each other were different states to different states exactly and I just DM'd her and then literally within weeks of just you know calls and and you know Texts and emails and things like that we put this the first one together and Peter was You know was one of those Early allies, so he's been there from the beginning Caitlyn, you know you were you were kind of I think observing right and then you know kind of came in but You know we just kind of put it together and thought all right Let's just try this and we were so blown away by the response And I think it really validated the this idea and the fact that this was actually, you know really needed in the industry And then we kept going I sat out the second one because I had a baby But you know Caitlyn came in and just hit the ground running And you know just made it even bigger and better So thank you Caitlyn for for everything that you done. She'll she'll never say like oh, I'm a part No, she'll be like I'm a host But no, I always say Caitlyn you are the wing beneath here on the Mike and Cybers way So you know and we've had Gosh, we just had our fifth Sarah the Mike and Cybert campaign At our at our biggest campaign we had had over a hundred million Impressions on Twitter, which is unimaginable again for just sort of this idea that happened We've had national leaders participate. So in the especially the last one we had National cyber director Chris Inglis. We had CISO director Jen Easterly and we had NSA cyber director Rob Joyce Participate in addition to all the amazing allies and of course all the amazing black practitioners that participated so fast forward to this vision right You know creating this fellowship, you know, we've talked about the problem, especially, you know Over the last year the Mike and Cybert campaigns We've talked about the issue and why diversity is so important for cyber security and national security in The last one we started to get to how how we can start to create belonging But really with this fellowship. I think that idea of how is starting to be crystallized, right? We are moving from talking about it to actually taking action and creating change in the industry and so I'm so Excited for this fellowship and and the fellows here to actually start doing the work, right? That's the theme of this day is doing the work And it's not just you that's doing the work We're all you know doing the work alongside you and we're we're here to support you and really excited for You know where you take it and so I just you know, I wanted to I know you stood up before but I want to You know say your names too. So Stephanie, Roshan, Michael, Thomas, Lily, Safi and Sarah Thank you so much for for being here So I did want to kind of kick it over to Christina for a second as you know I'll share the Mike and Cybert alum many-time alum and of course now an advisor at the fellowship Yeah, I mean I think one of the most important things that Lauren didn't mention is that The tweet impressions are impressive But I think the most important thing is what has come out of these You know the share the Mike and Cybert campaign and that has been their relationships the mentorships the support the Opportunities I mean even using me as an example. I was part of the first and I think the second and You know, I developed a relationship with Camille and Lauren and because of that I became an advisor So it was because Camille shared the mic So that's just one example, but there are hundreds, you know That it's important to like to eat someone but it's more important to like take that offline as well and Share the opportunities including financial opportunities, right? Because that's what we all want So yeah, I mean, I'm super excited to meet all of you. I will tell you that I Don't get up at four o'clock in the morning for just anyone And take the a cella in you know at four o'clock in the morning from New York City So I'm super happy to be here. I do need some coffee But I can't wait to you know to speak to all of you on a month and I can't wait to see what you build I'm super excited. I think you know cyber really needs your creativity your innovation There's a dearth of innovation and cyber security despite what people say online Folks are not innovating right? It's the same old same and so I'm super excited. We need fresh blood We need that inspiration creativity. We need your work whatever you put out there And so I'm super excited to see that as well So welcome and I hope you have a great time feel free to stop us ask any questions and yeah, thanks to Lauren Bridget Peter new America Caitlin everyone who has contributed to make this all possible Yeah, absolutely. So very shortly. We're going to transition to Principal deputy national cyber director Kimball Walden's keynote, but I know she's still kind of getting settled in here. So Again, I just want to thank you and and you know if you have any questions right now. I'd love to answer them Any questions or comments or anything like that? I think everybody needs coffee, too Yeah, maybe we can take a break and get some coffee and water and then we can bring Up here for yeah, so thank you Is this is this back on Okay, everyone. We are so excited to announce again principal deputy national cyber director Director Campbell Walden We're so privileged to have you here today to talk about You know diversity equity inclusion and cyber and share the mic and cyber and welcome our fellows This is really such a privilege to have you and so with that I'd love to bring you up here for for your remarks And and we'll do Q&A after I normally walk around so I'm going to try to stand here But forgive me in advance if I don't I'm Kimball Walden. I'm the principal deputy national cyber director in the White House We are the newest kids on the block in the White House So I'm here to talk a little bit about Cyber security a little bit about me, but mostly about you and your role in it And I wanted to give you some framing comments. Nothing. I'm gonna say right now is new to you But this will give you the perspective from which I speak So what is ONCD? We were created by statute by Congress. It was passed in January 2021 our director Chris Inglis was nominated by president President Biden in April of 2021 he was confirmed by the Senate in June or July walked into the White House and We were not appropriated then until November of last year So we've been running at a full sprint for a year since November. We are at initial operating capacity now So that's that's how we got into the office. So what do we do? We have four strategic objectives that we are focused on federal cohesion actual public private collaboration Which is another way of saying information sharing but information sharing that's souped up We are focused on current and future resilience and then the least sexy But the most powerful thing we have is making sure that we have performance metrics in place is aligning Resources with aspirations. So those are our four strategic objectives And then now what is so that's that's kind of who we are and I'll get to what we've done But so what is cyberspace just to step back for a moment cyberspace is all the technology that we all Come to know and love right the tablets the hardware the software the phones the watches all of that the refrigerators all of that But most importantly cyberspace is people People are not under cyber over cyber around cyber next to it. They're in it. We've developed cyberspace We use cyberspace so in addition to technology cyberspace is people and then finally and arguably the most important cyberspace is Process right doctrine. We need to know who's accountable for what and who's responsible for what? cyberspace is all three of those elements and we have to care for all the vulnerabilities associated in all three of those elements in The process and the doctrine section if we don't know who's guarding the gates the transgressor is going to walk right through It's the easiest thing to do. It's the choice that makes sense, right? They'll walk right through an open gate They if they can't if we close that vulnerability and they can't walk through the open gate The next thing they're going to go to are the people. That's you. That's my mom. That's my kids They're gonna that's you and that the simplest way to see it is in the fishing attacks that happen every day They're going to find people they're going to help people lose confidence in their systems That's where the transgressor is going to go next the hardest thing for the transgressor to do In fact is to go for a zero-day vulnerability in the technology, right? But if we get our house in order in that order process People and technology then we've gotten to a better place We can buy down risk going through the vulnerabilities there Okay, so that's the next principle. I want to describe to you The final principle I want to describe to you before I get into the DEIA Conversation is is what we are seeking to achieve The reason I do cyberspace The reason why anyone in my office does cyberspace I suspect the cyber security I suspect the reason why most of you do cyber security so make sure that our Communities our individuals can thrive and prosper in the internet full stop We just want them to thrive and prosper our communities our individuals small and medium businesses customers We want them to thrive and prosper and in a space that is secure that is resilient and that is equitable That's how I imagine the internet and that's my opportunity. That's my north star. That's what I do That's why I do it. I don't do cyber security just for the sake of it I'm not an engineer. I don't do the tech stuff. It is important But that's not why I do cyber security So those those are the sort of big picture framing opportunities for me So I want to focus primarily on the people part right and that's where DEIA is important America's superpower is our diversity There's no country like ours or very few countries like ours. Maybe there's one or two But there are very few countries like ours our superpower is that we have people that don't all think alike that don't all Do alike there are not in that don't have all the same abilities that don't all look alike And so we bring The complexity of cyber security we have the complexity of our society to be able to bring to bear to solve that problem Right, that is our superpower We need to lean into that it is not only a national security imperative But it's an economic opportunity. It develops our economy. It develops our technology We can be innovative because we're diverse because we're creative right It's not a it's not an add-on. It's it's our power That's what we need to use we haven't been fully realizing our power in this space and my Opportunities to do that now So what are we doing about it? So the the office of national cyber director has been doing a number of things the one that I want to talk about mostly But then we'll talk about other things too is our workforce national our national workforce education strategy in the summer This past summer we had a national workforce and education summit that kicked off our work in this space We started to take a look at what do we want to focus on we notice that there are over 700,000 jobs or so That were left unfilled with the word cyber or IT in them, right? That's a national security problem From my perspective. I'm a national security lawyer by training But it's also an economic opportunity. It's just I mean obviously we can fill those jobs So what do we need to do to fill those jobs? What's our strategy? How are we thinking? What are the barriers? How do we pull those down? What do we do for those jobs that are are right now unfilled? But then we started to think a little further when we started thinking about pulling down challenges and barriers We started to think about I think and I I'm a visual person, so I have pictures in my mind So excuse my hands these are concentric circles But what do we do about those that implicate cyber people like me? I'm a lawyer or a policy person or assembly line worker or the CEO of a company or the accountant Those that implicate cyber. What is their cyber awareness? What do we need to do to raise their awareness so that they support those 700 and thousand or so Empty jobs filling those jobs But then and then the national cyber director's office were strategic in thinking What's our strategy for filling that pipeline? What's the all proposition? What are we doing about cyber education in K through 12 for grand parents for? For those that need to be reskilled or upskilled. How are we thinking about? The pipeline cyber education. What's being taught in school, right? So there are a number of things that we've come up with we're looking at best practices at this point We've kicked off at the White House Summit. We kicked off with the secretary of labor There's there my hands again the secretary of labor the secretary of commerce the secretary of Homeland Security one of the undersecretaries of Education why were they important to be there because when we start thinking about filling those jobs and Finding opportunities so that anybody that wants a job can have it we need to not only think about the education system But about the labor system and then we need a job at the end of that stream commerce, right? This is a three-legged stool. There are equal parts there So we had all three departments and agencies Recognized at the summit including the Department of Homeland Security because this is a national security concern So we had 19 companies make commitments The departments and agencies committed to including cyber security in the registered apprenticeship program Thinking about apprenticeships in the space as an opportunity as a pipeline as a pathway to filling those jobs So we executed a hundred and twenty days sprint To do that We went the capstone program at the end of the sprint was a trip with the first lady the secretary of Commerce the secretary of education the secretary of labor to Chicago To have the final come several companies sign up for the registered apprenticeship program I had an opportunity to meet students who were part of that program in the cyber security space And we were able to announce at that time that we had a hundred and ninety four Companies register have registered apprenticeships that represents about a hundred and twenty occupations Represents over seven thousand apprenticeships filled, right? It's a dent. It's a great start Companies are continuing to sign up for these registered apprenticeship programs in partnership with the Department of Labor Commerce and Education So we're not done. It's just the beginning But that is one pathway one opportunity another opportunity that we've leaned into as looking at HBCUs we kicked off a cyber security workshop At Hampton University at one of the HBCUs to really lean in and talk about opportunities for education curriculum development Employment afterwards. Do you really need all of these certifications or do you need these skills, right? What is it you need in order to succeed in this space? Do you have to be a technologist a technologist clearly? I'm not do you have to be a technologist? No, you don't you have to be creative. You have to be innovative, but you don't have to be a technologist We're in we have most of our team are in in Washington at Wacova Wacova Wacom Community College to talk about the same things. Are we using our community colleges to our full advantage? Are we using vocational programs to our full advantage? Do we really need college degrees to fill these jobs? What are the barriers that we are imposing? These are the things that we're trying to answer we've collected best practices we issued a RFI that's now closed But we're still having listening sessions. I think we had about a hundred and fifty or so responses We've hired a whole team to go through call through really pull out best practices. I in some of my travels I've heard of a company that is reskilling using paid Internship programs for mothers returning to work for example particularly those of us and one of them that were sort of being school teachers To our children at home and how do you get back into the workforce and how do you reskill and upskill? I mean we're finding these opportunities. We want to leverage them and bring them to bear So that's our workforce Strategy our workforce strategy hangs off of our national cybersecurity strategy, which will hopefully come out at some point But one of the themes the themes that you'll find in the national cyber strategy that will carry through in the workforce strategy It's not only that cyber is is technology people and doctrine But also that we're looking at shifting the balance of risk, right? Right now risk is borne by those that use the internet that use the space our mothers our fathers our kids our grandparents that are doing online banking that are hooking up the refrigerator to the internet for God knows what reason for Whatever it is, right? Are my all of it is being used Everybody is in in in this space So but they bear the risk like God forbid my seven-year-old son plays Minecraft on my computer and downloads Some sort of malware on my computer which could have national security consequences when I come in and VPN for my own router, right? Like that is not okay So we need to figure out what our strategic investments are to shift the balance of risk to the Those that can bear it and buy it down the large enterprises Federal government is included in that large so some from small to big from customer to provider How do we what are the investments that we need to make to shift the balance of risk? So to those that can bear it and afford to buy it down You all know I don't have to tell you that you never get to zero risk cyber security is an exercise in risk mitigation You're not going to get to zero But what you want to do is have what you have make what you have defensible and then with that residual risk Really hone in on resilience, right resilience in cyberspace the technology the people the doctrine What are the strategic investments that we need to make in order to buy down that residual risk? And that's what where I Profer that we need to lean into America's superpower, which is diversity, right? This all feeds in also to the Biden Harris administrations Serious contention with cyber security. They've done some remarkable work So for example the bipartisan infrastructure law Will have again shifting that balance of risk is doing grants for to 355 Local municipalities and communities to rebuild America our infrastructure our broadband is included in that Cyber plans are required for those grants, right? ONCD is there to help with that planning The electric vehicle systems are getting an influx of funding through the inflation reduction Act and Through the what's the other law that we just chips and science Act, right? So, what are we doing there? So we for example had the electric vehicle market come to the White House We gave them a threat briefing and a vulnerability briefing because in the classified space because you don't you all know that risk is is a is a Result of threat vulnerability and consequence, right? So we gave these executives Everybody has a role to play. You know, we're working on that process Who's accountable for what? Who's responsible for what so he gave the C-suite in that market a Threat briefing in a vulnerable Vulnerability briefing and then we had the consequence conversation outside of the room in the public space With the government with the labor with energy With our climate office in the White House to figure out What are the strategic investments that that community needs to make as they have the influx of cash? From the inflation reduction Act to develop the market, right? Cyber security is an opportunity for technical innovation Right, it's not it's not one or the other. It's not national security at the expense of innovation. It's both and Right, so cyber security in our view is about national security Economic opportunity technical innovation Those some marriage of all three of those that we need to lead into in order to progress in order to make the North Star Happen make sure that our communities are able to thrive and prosper and the internet will stop that is the what that's what we're here Doing that's what we're working on. I read all the fellows. I read your research ideas I am excited about them I've talked quite a bit and I know I have a hard stop, but after reading your backgrounds. I am Super interested in I think we have time for a question or two Super interested in your feedback your questions any opportunities that you think that I should lean into I would love to hear that I'll say while you while you're thinking about it I was one of the first and I think I was in one of the first cohorts share the mic in Maybe yeah, absolutely now I'm in the White House. So look at what share the mic does Hi, my name is Stephanie Schilling and part of my research project project is trying to baseline these cyber The cyber knowledge and the digital aware the digital resiliency of the American people in part because I strongly believe that cyber a Lot of it is people and I think that people wanted to do the right thing, but not knowing how that's right What are we doing to try to pull this training information outside behind the corporate paywalls? Because we have some of our most vulnerable communities who desperately need this information who just don't have access to it So when I talk about our workforce strategy and what our strategic intentions are One of the things that the team is charged to do is to find figure out what the barriers are what the challenges are and Remove them right make investments to remove them We're not going to necessarily Be able to Regulate the companies that have data that's behind a payroll paywall But what we have to do is influence them to understand their role in this space, right? It's that shifting the burden of risk When our national cyber strategy comes out And I can't tell you many details But we've we've concluded there and we've said before in public that market forces aren't working in the way That we need to have them work So we need to do something a little bit beyond the voluntary notion sort of the goodwill notion the internet's public good and it's owned by The private sector at this point we need to be able to influence them if that's a carrot if that's a stick I don't know I view some sticks as carrots sometimes But we need to be we need to be a little bit more forceful and find other innovative ways Other than market forces to encourage that kind of behavior, but yes We're we're pulling down we're figuring out how to pull down the barriers if you have any ideas through your research I would welcome that Okay Yeah, oh, that's absolutely right. Yeah, that's absolutely right. I look forward to that conversation. Thank you I think you know this is very timely for a lot of us a bunch of us met up last night We're talking about this type of thing but specifically My comment question is, you know, I hear a lot about like making sure we have like the workforce development And we have you know a lot of the pieces that are working together from the private public space but I think At some point we kind of maybe need to take a pause and look at like access, right? Like how are people who are most disadvantaged accessing the internet and kind of making maybe taking a look at how we can Either get better regulation around, you know Private excuse me public internet like places where people who you know are living in the digital divide don't have access to a laptop at home So now they're going to Starbucks to pay their bills on a public Wi-Fi, right? Like those are the types of situations that I think we really need to take a look at, you know If we're trying to solve a problem we have to figure out why it's a problem for some people and without the understanding of you know Where where there's some of the shortcomings in terms of access for people across the nation, right? Like rural areas, you know to mention not to mention, you know, like inner cities, right? and you mentioned a lot about the The you know K through 12 education and improve improving that, you know I think at a certain point I would love to see in this country for the internet to be a utility, right? It's something that everyone it's their right Water it's a public good, right? And so some of you know at a certain point where you know Where's their room or area for growth for subsidizing a lot of that stuff for members who are not fortunate enough to you know Be able to pay those bills themselves and as a result you mentioned, you know You might have your kid or you know someone else getting onto your laptop doing things that you wouldn't necessarily want them to do But the alternative for some of those people are doing those things in public on a mobile phone, right? so long story to say like part of my research in my Dissertation is really talking about how the increase in advancement of technology is really leaving behind people in terms of like entire Communities from being able to protect themselves and their privacy online So I think one of the things we should really as a group And I know it's one of the things that a few of us are focusing on is just really how to make that Right become you know or the right to having access to secure internet And you know all the things that come along with the opportunity, you know job and job remote work How do we make sure those things translate into you know a Dollar that someone now doesn't have to spend on the internet and now can you know buy food for their family so Yeah, I don't know if I have anything to say because you've said it all that's yes So a few things come to mind as you're talking The so the bipartisan infrastructure law the reason why I mentioned that is because part of that law is to Bring broadband to rural areas to expand internet accessibility into not just urban centers, but way out there in rural areas We need to build resilience into that right we need to we need to build in you remember the commercial with the red easy button I don't remember what that was say staples the easy button, right? I we don't we don't need people we need to talk to Providers to about this. We don't need people to try to figure out Whether to turn on their logging or how to turn on multi-factor or not it just needs to be an easy button and that's what it is It's built in by default and so as the Department of Commerce who has who has Jurisdiction over that part of the bipartisan infrastructure law and the grants that are associated with that build out of broadband We are integrated with them. I've met with my counterpart at commerce. I keep you know Like as you as you deliver these grants you have to have certain cybersecurity measures built in in order to win the grant Right, so that's the work that we do where that cartilage that makes the fingers work, right? But where that's what we do. That's how we are thinking the other thing that came to mind when you were talking In Texas, I can't I think it was Austin we went and visited high school. It's called I CSI This high school figured out how to develop an after-school program from for for a students in a disadvantaged area or a Disinvested area of Austin To allow these students to be able to come in they learn how to run a sock. They understand the OSI stack They can put together a router. I mean it's it's what I went to it is Beautiful space. They have become accredited now to offer Certification testing in their facility so that these students by the time they graduate they might have a CIS SP They might have a CEH. They might have a CISM But they are they are they are not required then to take a bus to some testing center and a little slightly scary space It's a right. So we've got to be innovative and thoughtful and lean into these opportunities Reach people where they are and figure out how to how to break down those barriers We need to find those best practices Highlight them and then scale them scale them up There are other Opportunities where industry is pairing with at that level that high school level to feed a pipeline Right because you need a job at the end of it Right a lot of those kids Their parents don't understand what cyber security is they understand you're gonna go to school You're gonna be a doctor or a or a lawyer right? That's what my that's how it why I'm a lawyer, right? But educating the parents about what it is and what it's about what cyber security is about and how it is a viable economic Opportunity for their kids, right? So all these pieces play together There's something for everybody to touch But remember the North Star the power that you have right now is not about the cyber security It's about making communities thrive. That's it full stop. That's what that's what I believe You're called to do in your research and whatever it is. You're working on that's what that's what it is at the end of the Day that time so I I want to thank you I know you have you know a place you need to be so I just want to thank you so much for being here You're amazing. We're so thank you Thank you, I appreciate it So I have to run Singer we'll have tyrants Billingsley Caitlyn ring rose and Darina Thomas. So thank you So hello all as was introduced earlier. I'm Peter singer and I just wanted to add three things one is my excitement at This event both the panel but also the overall launch as was said earlier This really is the culmination of something that went from idea to reality and There's there's excitement in that. There's there's pride that something actually really happened You know in many ways, this is like a startup that you know, it's the unicorn that made it But there's also a sense of anticipation In what comes next and this is where I put my wonk hat on There is anticipation for me in what comes next in the projects that you're going to do I've actually read the project proposals I know the kind of research and the interesting questions and I'm personally and professionally Excited to really see them develop and see the fruits of it come out over the next couple of months the second reason is that I'm excited by this goes to The topic but also the approach in terms of This idea of doing the work. I know personally I've been Writing on We called them workforce questions and cyber security since 2014 I see Laura Bade in the background an old a new America alum. This is not a new topic it's been with us for a long while and It's really cool to see it move to the next level from treating it as something that you have to make the case for to now actually again doing the work and That leads to the third reason excitement is we've got a really great group here to explore What this all means to do the work? So we have Joreena Thomas who's director of professional advancement at a really cool organization And I'm gonna add I'm gonna say this twice a really awesome named Organization, we were talking about this in the back about branding girl security Then we have tyrants on Billingsley. He's founder and CEO of another awesomely named organization black tech street and then Caitlyn ring Ring Rose who is lead for global law enforcement and government access at it is a cool name It's just been with us for a long time, which is Google And so with that let's jump right in Can you tell us all about the work that your organizations are? Currently doing to advance DEIA in the cyber security workforce, and I'm just gonna we'll just keep we'll go in order through Okay, sure. Nice to be here. Hi everyone. My name is Joreena, but thanks for that intro Peter So I would say to start girl security our mission is to work with girls in high school and up into about 26 years old to expose them to national security and Help them and get into the fields and then also to thrive while they're there so of course national security covers a range of Professions but also cyber security So the main thing that we do is try to bring them and expose them to the different facets of cyber security And kind of demystify it too because a lot of times I think when people hear cyber security their eyes glaze over They don't really know what it is And they think it's just something technical and they don't want to be bothered But we really try to help them to understand and expose them to different professionals and potential mentors That cyber security is a range of things. It could be trust and safety. It could be the technical stuff. It could be Many different things policy things like that So we try to expose them and then help them to find where their niche is and then give them mentors to help them on their way Can you give a specific example you say expose like what what does that mean? What does that look like in the real so what that looks like as a practical matter is those that are a part of our program? We bring them in and we do very practical workshops. So we say here's an issue Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it from all different sides So we do scenario based Training and scenario based workshops so they can kind of get their hands dirty a little bit That's one and then the other thing I'd say is the mentorship piece. That's a huge piece of what we do And so we pair them with professionals in the field professional women in the field to help them Learn more help them to have someone to bounce their questions off of and expose them in that way So those are two major ways that we we expose them because I'm a big believer in Exposure like you you're really limited by what you're exposed to, you know I know a lot of people I'm from Chicago And I know a lot of people that I grew up with kind of just stopped at the borders of Illinois because they weren't exposed To other things and other types of jobs other things that they could do everything else was kind of mystified So I think that our ability to expose girls and young women to what's available in national security broadly but also in the the very Complex realm of cyber security is very useful How many of you have heard of black Wall Street raise your hand Well, that's I'm that's really I'm glad to see that a couple years ago. That wouldn't have been the case So black Wall Street, I'm just going into the origin to kind of explain how we do our work So you have the most affluent community of African-Americans in the history of the country at the time destroyed in 1921 Tulsa race massacre That's kind of defined a narrative ever since so a hundred years later I kind of began to ask myself the question what could black Wall Street have been had it been supported and not destroyed and when I Look thought about the level of tenacity that it took for these entrepreneurs to build incredible businesses during Jim Crow The smashing through walls and the out-of-the-box thinking reminded me a lot of the tech industry and that kind of led me to a Three-pronged epiphany one tech is one of the only industries in which you can build intergenerational wealth in 17 years via successful company exit To tech is the core medium through which all global innovation and the creation of new wealth generating markets takes place pretty consistently and Three by the year 2020 30 they're projected to be as many as four point three million high-paying vacant tech jobs Due to a tech talent shortage. So when I put those three things together I not only saw an incredible wealth building opportunity for black people I saw the black Wall Street vision kind of pushed to a new horizon So I surmised that had black Wall Street been supported and not destroyed It would be nothing other than the nation's premier black tech ecosystem So that's where the name black tech Street comes from and our mission is to rebirth black Wall Street as a black tech capital But also catalyze a movement that sees black people embrace tech as a means to build wealth and impact the world So when the day-to-day we serve we kind of serve as a facilitator and liaison between the Tulsa ecosystem and black tech opportunities so we partner with different organizations and companies to secure opportunities that will help black people either Break into the tech workforce or become tech entrepreneurs recently We actually hosted Microsoft in Tulsa For an initiative that to preview an initiative that we're calling the digital transformation of black Wall Street to black tech Street Those two individuals are high up in the cyber security area of Microsoft and one of the things that will actually be doing is Creating different programs and supporting programs to train African Americans in cyber security You know and actually in Microsoft is actually really given a commitment that if we can train a certain amount of individual black individuals They'll build a facility in Tulsa. So I mean, it's um, you know quote that yeah, that's still coming That's still coming down the line, but that's what you said don't quote where your heads up. We're on line They've given that they've given that commitment that's far off But but yes, but in in short we're engaging with Microsoft because Cyber security and AI are two verticals that are gonna have universal penetration with all the others So the wealth generating potential and the impact potential is massive there. So changing the narrative of What a person in tech looks like and creating the right pathways is kind of what black tech Street's core work is Well, don't just work with Microsoft Oh It's so good to see everyone here. I feel like we've seen each other virtually Emails and it's just really good to be here in person I feel like I've just been smiling so much today. My face is like hurting already And I can't wait to see you, you know after this too I feel like I'm here wearing kind of two hats right first I'm here to represent Google and our work on cyber and DEI And also is it sure the mic and cyber co-hosts and so I want to speak to both first at Google we Recently created something called a cyber security action team and the whole point of that team is to be flexible and plug into other teams and functions to make sure that our Security team our security comms folks our policy leads our engineers are all really focused on Inclusive hiring representation and making sure that folks when they're at Google feel and are accepted and understood and Have a very valuable voice at all of these tables. So I think that's important To flag first off and secondly that we're also putting our money where our mouth is so last year We pledged ten billion dollars to cyber security over the next three years and what that looks like is It's it's a big pot of money. It's really going to change the face of cyber security And part of that is we're pledging to train a hundred thousand Americans With Google cyber security skills. So that's our certificates in IT data analytics, etc So far over half of our applicants to that program and everyone can apply Have been from the lowest one third of the economic bracket in the US and over a half have been from diverse backgrounds too. So Black people women veterans, etc. And I want to say There's something in a certificate, right? That it's not just about the learning you get but the outcomes that you receive after So it could be something like you get a promotion at work You've got a new job offer. You're able to pivot careers Maybe you're a nurse and you care about cyber security and how it impacts hospitals. And so you start to Pivot your job and that's what we've been really focused on. So we've done some statistic gathering in 86% of graduates from this early certificate programs have gone on to report like a positive career impact in one of those areas And speaking from share the mic and cyber I want to say you all know about the mission You know why it's important. We talked a lot today about Hiring and getting folks into the field But there's something really critical to say about supporting people who are in it already Who are doing the work of securing our data our people in our country every single day? And that aren't being celebrated and aren't being affirmed at work And so it's our place to as share the mic and cyber and as colleagues and as friends to affirm one another So I think that's something that's really important about share the mic and cyber's work and something that we should all be bringing to our own goals So I want to take the conversation and a bit of a tougher part, which is as I Reference in my opening We've been talking about these issues for a while What part of the conversation around Diversity in this cyber security field has been helpful and are there parts of it that have not been helpful or Not been valuable or maybe even been harmful So I'm just going to go in the same order again to give people a chance to explore that Okay, I think that's a good question I think on the the harmful and not helpful side and this goes in any conversation about diversity I think the tropes that are pulled out are Unhelpful and what I mean by that is when we talk about certain groups of people or we Conflate being a minority with being poor for example So those things are pulled out and I don't think that they're done maliciously or intentionally but they come out And so I think that's not helpful because it's stereotypes people so that's the negative with the positive I think is that we're having these conversations and There's been a lot of studies done on the cyber security workforce I just read one recently that ISC squared put out and it was really interesting and it's it actually said that the percentage of minorities in The cyber security workforce is actually not as dire as we kind of make it same. I think it was like 20-something percent and Which is still not great, but it's that as that is as we made it think so I think so my point is I think the positive is that we're having these conversations people are doing studies on Bit the topic and pulling out truths as opposed to like the stereotypes or the things that We generally talk about that may or may not be true So Um, yeah, this can be there's a lot of different facets to this and you do see this in a lot of different areas of DEI work The reason why people will often scout or want more diversity Sometimes when it's presented in a way that it's solely because we just want more talent to hit benchmarks Or it's solely because we want to look good That narrative can be damaging. I mean yes, I'm all for mutually mutual benefit, but I mean Sometimes that can be damaging I think it's more important to have narratives that actually show the positive impacts of people of Color and diverse background being in cyber security I mean thinking about some of the national security issues that we're going to be facing as Like things like quantum computing advance and how different perspectives and people from diverse backgrounds will actually be key to Helping secure the nation if we mobilize into it Like I think the reason the reasoning behind why Black people or my other minorities should get into cyber that narrative from the beginning is one that they're going to pick up when they go Into it and if it's more kind of like we just want you to serve us sometimes it can be harmful But on the other end I would say I mean the harmful part of the conversation is that a lot of it just stays conversation I would say that's that's a pretty big thing And I agree with you and it you said something earlier which is like there are so many Ways to be in this field and you don't have to be Hypert technical you don't have to come in and have like you know a massive love of coding etc. I Was an English major for undergrad. I'm a lawyer. I work in cyber and tech now And I think that that's really powerful To be able to say like hey, this is a career field that embraces Diversity and diversity of thought and background in that way But it is something that holds us back when we also use acronyms and terms that people don't understand and we Create this insular community that seems very difficult to join and be part of and so I would say that that's maybe like Something we need to do a little bit less of in terms of embracing folks who are coming at this Especially from a non-technical background I also think just the language that we use so I mentioned earlier like the term cyber security can be can turn people off right off The bat so I think as part of the discussion of bringing different types of people in especially younger people is Making it very accessible and explaining what we mean when we say cyber security. So are you interested in? Misinformation are you interested in whatever and then just pull that out a little bit more because I think a lot of times We use the term and we don't understand how that falls on people. So it's interesting I was at a corporate event last week of CISOs who are gathering acronym exclusionary and one of the Issues one of the one of them talked about their sense that 20 years from now that term chief information security officer Will will will will be gone that it will be redefined as something else because it's and this actually links back to What Kimba was talking about as well is that it's not just information security It's bringing in other issues of privacy and risk and policy There's some insurance elements to it and that if you framed it that way You also have very different backgrounds of people coming in. Yeah, and I was gonna say This is something that we're exploring as we think about how to communicate cyber security to the black community in Tulsa like Asking about protective instincts versus making them wonder about, you know, do you have certain technical backgrounds? I mean a large percentage of the reason why Many of the verticals and take look the way they do is because of how we talk about them So that's that's a hundred percent like you made it I mean some of this stuff as I'm reading it. I'm like it. I do this for like wait a minute Like wait a minute like this like and it's it's it's how you communicate things matter because it allows It dictates how a person is going to be able to plug into into a framework And if the way you plug into that framework looks or sounds a certain way You're gonna discourage a lot of people from even touching it to begin with so these are all Aspects of a topic that that people who know me is very near and dear to me is around that idea of narrative and the power of narrative But there's also potentially other things going on here. So What are other Barriers that may be systemic when we talk about building more diversity in cyber security I mean, I think we hit on the biggest ones to some of the biggest ones to be honest I mean, it's I Think the narrative is a big one I mean other other barriers are some of the same systemic barriers that you will see like across different verticals, but I mean Is there is there are there targeted campaigns to get people who don't typically look like that? Who don't look like the you know typical cyber security person that we have put forward as the archetype are there targeted campaigns to get Are there different ways that we're work shopping how we talk about it? Not just generally but in different specific communities Do you have people who look like the communities you're trying to recruit actually talking about this to them again? Like are there examples the biggest way to get people to try something new is to see somebody who they can equate with doing it Is that happening? You know, are we being intentional about that? Or are we just saying we need diverse talent and we're putting ads out and we're looking for Certain networks to try to just source it from afar or are we just saying we need diverse talent for the sake of saying it? Because we know it's what's in right now, you know I think the barriers are numerous and if you want to get super specific we can but it's like It's it's levels to it is levels to it and I think it's not necessarily we don't know what to do It's are we committed to doing what's necessary to make it. I'm gonna pressure on that. You said we can get super specific Go for it. Well, I think that was it. I mean again, I think again Again as I'm learned like as I'm learning like people keep trying to make it seem like this is some complex Equation that we need to crack but no it goes back to the things that we just said like it's it's that simple Do I see? Somebody who looks like me from a community like mine doing the same thing and telling me I can do it too Sometimes it's that simple the human human ingenuity like it's I'm not saying I will solve all the problem But I think a lot of people would be shocked by how much of the problem could be solved just by things like that So, I mean, I don't I don't have a you know quantum encrypted, you know big big answer It's it's that you know, it's not you know, it's not as complicated as some people make it to be It's just a matter of the effort. I'm sorry So pause a sec I'm gonna repeat that because we may have people online who didn't hear you with a mic So for those that are online the question was What about racism? And in particular when job candidates are looked at who are diverse Is it perceived as lowering the bar? Did I get that right? Okay? so Anyone can weigh in on that Well, I think that is a good point and I think that that is still something that happens I don't have any numbers or percentages, but just from living life and working for a couple decades I I know that that's true and So I think that at least for girl security. We're playing the long game with that So we want to start with young folks get them in and get them in the pipeline and get them in so that they're gonna be in 10 15 years the ones that are gonna be looking at those resumes and the ones that are going to be Deciding on the candidates that are coming in and stuff So I think that that is that racism issue is there It's like the dirty little secret in the room, but it is something that I think we have to play the long game on it Just I think over time and as as the director mentioned in his opening statements, you know The United States is changing demographically. So at some point, you know The people on the other side of the table doing the interviews and reviewing the resumes are gonna be the ones making those decisions and by default That that racism issue will hopefully be be minimized a bit more Yeah, and when I speak to systemic issues, I Sometimes I have to clarify that I mean racism because I talk about it so much I mean, I live in a community that was burned down because of it So a lot of times it's like when it comes to racism. It's like I understand that's a thing But at this point, I'm trying to focus on what I can do for my people how we can help because I can't change Anybody's hearts. I love DEI training. I think everybody should learn about it But it's like look man I can't if you're gonna do that my focus is going to be to figure out how to circumnavigate you and build resources around it I'm not I'm not trying to evangelize you. That's who you are. You want to storm the Capitol? You can do what you want to do but but I'm gonna do I'm gonna I'm gonna work I'm gonna work to make the country better the way I know I can but all right I should let you do that I'm gonna disagree with you if you want to storm the Capitol you can't You know we talk about systemic racism and wow this is a really big problem and it's very multifaceted It's true, but there are low-hanging fruit. There's things that we could do now We should have been doing and that part of it is In recruitment a person like me looking at applications Why are you putting forward a job application that like you say you want diverse professionals to apply and diverse talent to apply? But the very qualifications you have are painting a picture of the applicant You're truly looking for and it's a person who has a certain number of years of experience Who is able to afford to go to a certain school? Who probably has the connections because they're white and straight and they know certain people that are also white and straight And I think that's really difficult. I think like you can't go forward and say oh This is such a difficult problem. I have no means of solving it at all I'm gonna throw my hands up and be concerned about why folks aren't applying or taking these jobs I think that that's ridiculous and I think too. There's this, you know, let's put forward unpaid internships Who is taking those it's people whose parents can afford to put their bill, etc And I mean I've taken a lot of unpaid internships and had to live off credit cards. It's horrible. It sucks And so I think that we need to really put our focus, you know We say this is our focus in terms of hiring, but we don't actually do it We don't even take the five minutes. It would take to tailor Our work and make a targeted approach. You're right. I think too We don't focus on retention nearly enough, right? We talk about systemic racism in terms of hiring and in terms of inclusive hiring in particular But we don't talk about the people we hire, how we structure Layoffs, for example, we don't talk about how we care about people in their work Support them when they're in their jobs Especially during the pandemic. Are we reaching out to people and making sure that they are seen and heard? Do we have tools in place to make sure that their voices are Respected and something as simple as a zoom call. So I think all of that is important It's something that can change very very quickly to adapt And something we already should have changed if we're doing that work today That's great, but it should have been built into our processes from the start so in his opening remarks Paul painted a picture of a new America that demographics Mean definitely will happen a more diverse America Can you paint a picture of the cyber security field? moving forward and in particular are there key gaps in DEI efforts that need to be filled to achieve that vision Yes so I'm tell you guys a little anecdote so I a couple of semesters ago I taught a class with a colleague who's a cyber security expert at American University. It was about disinformation and We had some interesting conversations with our students about if that if the course was a cyber security course Or if it was something else and someone told me oh, yeah, great You know so much about cybersecurity and I said no, I don't I'm an intel person like I don't know much about this and they said yeah, but we're talking about disinformation That's a cyber security issue and I said no, it's not it's a sociological issue and they'll and then someone said it's actually both And so my point is in the future I think that cyber security is going to be a mishmash of people with tech backgrounds and legal backgrounds and humanities backgrounds and Communications backgrounds because cyber security is all of that and I think the better we do at explaining that It's not just this silo thing. It is it's an art and a science and it mixes in so many different things You know CISA the cyber security infrastructure security agency It's on their website Define cyber security as the art the art of protecting networks and information I thought that was beautiful because it is an art and it's our inner science But I think that in the future we're gonna have we're gonna move away from that see so framework that you were talking about And we're gonna have people that define cyber security as all of the above and it's not a siloed approach It's very very integrated. So that's my first answer to my question my question answer to your first question And the second one about the gaps. I think is related. It is those gaps in DEI when it comes to cyber security is Making sure that people know they can get in where they fit in if you're interested in this You can do this and be in the cyber security realm if you're interested in this you can do this and be in the cyber security realm So really is about the narratives and the words that we use that we talked about earlier that I think that's a gap We can fill and that will bring in if the more you diversify what cyber security means the more diverse types of people You're gonna be able to bring in. I'm not just saying racial diversity. I'm talking about neuro diversity, you know, I'm talking about Different differently abled, you know, there's so many different types of abilities and and definitions of diversity that will bring that we can bring in if we diversify Meaning of cyber security. Yeah, that speaks to the overall like trend of what we kind of push our black tech Street in the overall trend in tech tech is being redefined as not just the technology but the ecosystem around it and once you Broaden that definition to the ecosystem around it. You have exponentially more pathways to interact with something So I think that the diversification of in the expansion of how you define it will probably be what what is going to get The most diverse perspectives. I would really just cosign that but again when it comes to the gaps in the efforts like Continuing to go back to what was said earlier. I think share the mic and cyber was an incredible like I think this is like, you know That's an incredible pathway that needed to exist that hadn't and I think the more you see things like that That's that's how we'll make we'll make progress Yeah, I love that. I think that's all incredibly important And something I hear really often in the queer community too is like nothing about us without us And so it's not just you know building this ecosystem all being part of it But also who has the power right who has the power to create rules set norms It's just so important to make sure that we're not only there, but we're representative And we're speaking out and we have the ability to make change So I I hope that that's part of our future. Yeah, that's actually interesting My community has a different take on the same It's what you do for me without me you do to me So when it comes to you building out what the future of cyber security looks like if we're sitting like here in Ivory Towers with other people saying what does it look like you already failed you got to get out there and say What does this look like you know, how does this how does this how do you how do you see a pathway into this? How does what you already have the skills you already have? Translate to one of the base skills that is crucial to cyber security or any other vertical. That's that's how you that's the starting point We were listening in the back and I heard your questions to Campbell which I thought was great and It was about making it real like someone who has to go to Starbucks on an open Wi-Fi and Pay their bills, you know, that is that's a huge vulnerability So I think part of our future too is making cyber security really relevant and practical This is why this is important to you, you know And I think it's really relevant when it comes like digital rights and privacy and stuff like that's just real stuff And if we put it in those terms to help her everything if we put in those terms cyber security isn't just this thing over here This is like real stuff Involved in your life if we figure out a way to do that Collectively I think that would really encourage people to want to be interested in the field because one of the things we We I see I've seen in girl security some girls and young people like to come to the field because of a Personal experience they had as a child I think that that's true for a lot of us We end up where we end up because of something that happened to us as a child or some experience We had something that caught our attention and that drives our interest So I think the same with this field, you know People really realize how it impacts them on a day-to-day basis They might be more interested to coming in and participating So I'm gonna end with one last question before we turn it over to the audience, but it's about the audience so we have this new group of fellows who are kicking off a year's worth of research and project building But they're also in a certain way they're they're representative of a broader set of people that are either at the start or in the middle of their careers in this space, so What's one bit of advice that you would give either to our fellows and or someone working in the field I would say with your work, and I applaud you all for being fellows. I think that's so awesome is Challenge your assumptions So as you do your research as you talk to people as you as you approach the work Challenge your assumptions along the way and think about is this relevant is this is this applicable to A wide range of people. So that's what I would say I think a lot of times when we we do our work and we talk and we make comments We we work from preconceived ideas about whatever and they're not all bad But I think sometimes it's good as we move along with projects and stuff to challenge whatever assumptions We're we're we're making along the way to make sure your work is as solid as it can be So that's that's my humble advice. Yeah, I mean it would to riff off that it would be root the things that you Research in some of the most real problems You can imagine because when things are rooted in real problems that touch people immediately and tangibly that's a phrase Immediately intangibly those are the things to get picked up the quickest those are the things that scale the quickest Those are the things that are gonna have the most long long lasting change. So Absolutely, I do want to hear about the human experiences You're exploring when it comes to cyber whether that's you know getting folks the resources They need in order to have access or protecting them while while they're online I think too. This is a unique opportunity You're surrounded by people who support you and are just so excited to learn about you and your work And so I think just reach out use folks as resources Understand that institutions are here too and those often have ties to others in the community And so leverage those make sure that you're you know using all the tools in your toolbox and You know if you have questions reach out everyone here in this room I'm sure would love to get an email or you know be on the phone with you or Text and make sure that they're supporting And I think that's a it's a unique opportunity, right? It doesn't always happen that way in DC There are a lot of closed doors here, and so I would just say leverage the ones that are open to you Great ideas. So let's turn over to the audience and I Believe you know actually Lauren's gonna run the mic to folks. Is that the car? No, you're going to the mic Can I start with a question? Absolutely, okay And actually sorry to interrupt For people online who may be just joining in or watching on tape if you could introduce yourself Before the question absolutely. Hey everyone. I'm Lauren Zabrik co-founder of share the mic and cyber and one of the advisors on the actual fellowship program So I have a policy question, but first I just want to show like throw you all some love dream out amazing work I love girl security. I'm a mentor, and I just everything that you're doing is incredible Tyrants, I'm such a fan of yours. I think black text tree is just so Innovative and incredible, and I'm so glad you're here and you know Caitlyn is such a great example of someone, you know, you're talking about these like micro actions to make people feel valued and Appreciate and belong. She is a perfect example of someone who does that. So I just want to throw you all that love Okay, so I was on a panel the other day Where we're talking about banning tick-tock, right and I I'm not gonna ask you your opinions on it because I know it's you know there might be controversy there and You know, I acknowledge look they're enormous national security concerns, right, but there's so many people who and businesses who depend on that particular Lifeline, and I think banning it outright without, you know, a communication strategy without maybe like an off-ramping or You know an alternative or anything like that I think it can be really damaging to you know a lot of different people, you know different communities You know, especially when we're thinking about equity, right? And Something that really changed my thinking on this I was actually speaking with a formerly incarcerated black man about crypto currencies And I was like, oh, we should like regularly and you know all the stuff and he really You know made me understand that for him and of course at the time You know cryptocurrency was a way towards building wealth for you know him and for people like him who really have been cut off From accessing those pathways towards wealth and it just really changed my my thinking on that and so tyrants you said What you do without me is what you do to me And so I was really thinking about that in terms of this question And so I just want to throw to you know, how would you create a policy around, you know the use of you know potentially harmful, you know social media to national security while taking into account, you know This equity issue so that's really interesting because the governor of Oklahoma just signed an executive order today and take talk You know in but specifically you're like government government Channels and I mean that's that's interesting, but if you're talking about balancing I mean, maybe it is just not using it on government channels I mean, but banning it all outright clearly that could have some issues But if the same in the same breath there are also plenty of other social media platforms that businesses can leverage to you know used to do well, but The cryptocurrency thing isn't isn't interesting is an interesting conversation simply because Cryptocurrency and web3 has been billed as one of the main ways that like people who typically don't get a good Fair shake at the typical financial system can you know use it to build wealth and I think but like everything in life I think there's a happy medium. You can't have something without regulation. I mean the recent headlines have really shown us what can happen when that happens, but There's a way to think about things and systems differently without throwing them entirely And I think that that's that's kind of the medium in the line that we have to walk Full disclosure, I'm not a policy expert. I'm probably not the best person you could ask that question to but if you wanted my opinion Come out on either side just you know policies around that and thinking about you know equity and inclusion and you know just Policies I think should serve its constituents, right? So how do we best serve basically? I mean you mentioned Formerly incarcerated or currently incarcerated population. I think we Drive a lot of resources to what information people get and trying to limit that information That's a population who struggles with access More so than I think any of us, you know really contemplate Enough and it's a population that maybe when when you're in prison or jail You're not allowed to access the internet. You're not allowed to be on a platform You're expected to exit those institutions and be able to operate in a setting Where everything is digital now, right? I think that's really difficult When we're talking about prisons or jails, we're also thinking about access to information That's off of platforms too, right books in prisons are highly regulated queer books in particular books about the LGBT experience or romances, etc. are Disallowed at many many prisons across the US if you look at the banned books list in these jails They often target books that speak to people's Experiences and sexuality and so I think it's really important when we're thinking about policy We often focus on like how do we protect people from bad information? Whatever we can screw is bad information, but we're not thinking about these very fundamental access questions Which aren't even about like how to access tiktok maybe in prisoner jail or after it's about like how do I even like read a book? when I'm in jail about You know something I care about and so I think that's critical, right? we need to drive more attention to things like that that Just feel like they're they're not being focused on general discourse and In Just just another full disclosure I don't even have to clock download it because the moment came out I have refused to to engage not because even before the social even before those the security issues came out So no, I'm not saying to ban it, but I think that I think that the conversation about access I think it's broader than tiktok and I don't know they should start there. I don't have it either I will never Have to write a lot so I keep my thoughts and tracks. So I'm Michael actually work for SZA And I have to say personal capacity. It's not the government's view. What that being said, I don't have tiktok on my phone I'll be fired So but as a government employee I have one the highest clearances you can get in government. I love my job I think I do a lot of cool things because of the clearance that said When I'm in these classified meetings, I look around and like I'm the only person of color in this room And also there's probably maybe one other woman in the room And you know, it's it's it's interesting because I know people of color or and if you're part of the marginalized community Or disenfranchised community, I think we all do the same thing of look around the room like, okay, cool and But part of it too is and this hasn't come up in the conversation yet and if there's more time I was going to ask Kemba this about how we're trying to be more inclusive in the fellow government space because it is very scary to try to work for fellow government not at least which because The government had a huge role in disenfranchising marginalized communities and we don't necessarily do a good job of Being a Sherpa and helping those who want to get national security in fellow government because you form yet to fill out is Extremely lengthy it takes several months if you're lucky you sometimes it's years to get part of this clearance process And you need to know people I mean, I think you mentioned earlier about internships, especially in DC It is such a close community that if you don't know somebody it is Really impossible near impossible to get part in the policy space It's a tight-knit community especially trying to work on the hill And notice why I was able to work in the Senate was because I had a network that was able to leverage and it felt weird that I had to like Reach into that versus just my own qualifications And so I say all that and it's even worse at a staying local level I used to work at staying local level and you know We people always talk about how private sector approaches people from develop government's salaries And we do the same thing at staying local level and so it's just it gets worse and worse as you go down the government chain and The government does so much right. I mean you're talking about how Oklahoma just banned to talk How many people in the best communities work for Oklahoma State and even at the local community? And it's just it's a problem. So I'm curious for any of y'all What are you trying to do in terms of for those who are interested in trying to work government? How are you engaging with local state federal level and what are some of the ways we can start breaking down those barriers? Well, I'll start. Thank you for that very very good question. So I'll start by sharing just real quick as you did so I've worked at the federal level to looked around the room like hmm, okay, and I worked at the local level too and I remember trying to build a team of analysts at the local level the fusion Center and We would get some applications maybe a couple of people of color and But mostly not and it was very difficult to to build a very diverse looking team Because of the people who would apply who knew about the position who were interested in it And it was very difficult for me as a black woman to not be able to facilitate that even though I wanted to so I Sorry, I forgot. What was what was what was the last part of your question? Just how we could start breaking down some of the barriers an entry into government make more appealing really Absolutely, so I think that that's a big part of what what we're trying to do at girl security. So not only are we exposing them generating interest and Training them to know how to navigate themselves in the field particularly for those who want to go into federal government be that military Intel community whatever Built getting those skills for them and then also because of the way we're structured with our mentorship program Connecting them with people who can be their sponsors who can be allies and help them I think you're right And I thought I thought your point was well taken when you said you were able to leverage your network But it felt kind of weird to have to do that But that's just the way the game is played right now. So we are trying to Help people to be able to have their own skills and own qualifications But also have their network of people and sponsors who could help them because that's just the way the game is played Right now and hopefully one day it doesn't have to be that way people can get in and on their own qualifications and But that's that's an idealized world I think there's a so there's a conversation about how the network works, but then there's also a conversation about trust It goes back to what you said earlier every minority group the most heinous thing that's been perpetrated on them has been by the government Almost in some way shape or form. So I mean when it comes to the trust factor How do you initiate a culture shift that you know is going to allow minorities to more so funnel into the government? understanding that that is the best The best mechanism that we have for change, but that's I'm just taking the other side I think the network side is spoken to I mean cultures develop around that, you know the closed-door culture That's one conversation of but I do think this other conversation that is pretty crucial is for us to reshape How we see the government not just also not just in terms of trust but also in terms of the role that plays in innovation I mean I worked I worked for for the mayor before I told so before I jumped into tech and Part of why I left was because I realized that some of the most crucial innovations that are going to solve the problems in 21st century aren't going to come out of policy in the government They're going to come from the private sector So how do you how do you make a government more innovative and be build a better cultural trust between the government and minorities that make it a more appealing option and that's interesting because that's one of those sort of second-order systemic issues because one of the things that's slightly different about the cyber security industry is That X government Job often is what gets you into a more senior leader role There's only a couple of industries like that the defense contractor role But when you look at the background of Executives or managers in the cyber security industry It's often so-and-so used to be Assistant secretary of acts or so-and-so used to be an FBI FBI agent for why and yet they're moving into either laterally or high up in cyber security either companies or a Non-cyber company, but they're in that information security role within it because of ex-government service Which is not the case in a lot of other realms. So it has sort of a double effect that you talk about It's not just oh looking around the room in government If you're pulling from government for leader roles, it continues on. So how do you break that down? Did you want to get on this question? No, I mean, I think that was all exactly right I'm thinking now about judges and the same thing with judges, right? They're coming from big law firms They're coming from government And it does create those knock-on effects And I do want to say it is it is odd that we have this discomfort about using our network I had the same feelings even when you Apply to join a state bar. You have to put down every address you've ever lived and someone who still lives in that city I was like, oh my gosh, you know, I don't know all these people and It's hard when you've moved around a lot, etc And something that I'm working through right now is this state the Supreme Court the US Supreme Court bar You have to have two recommendations from current US state US Supreme Court barred attorneys Who are those people? I don't know those people, right? And so I think I Think it's interesting when you don't have the network to leverage and you have to start making connections But I just think that's why it's so important for us to create our own networks and create those now Anticipation of next generations because I don't want it to be this difficult for for those coming next And that's one of the ideas of share. So we've got time for one last question in the back there Great, I'll make it quick First my name is Connor Godfrey and I work for the George Kaiser family foundation Which is the biggest place-based philanthropy in the world to the best of our knowledge and I introduce it like that because my question Is actually about geography. I would love to hear the panel riff a little bit on the intersection between Kind of racial and community diversity and geographic diversity. I think it's almost axiomatic at this point that cybers a team sport You know, okay, I'll put you on the spot, you know where Google's biggest data center in North America's. Oh I have no idea Tulsons in the room Sorry, so I actually George Kaiser family foundation is based in Tulsa So I have the privilege of working with tyrants and a number of projects But it's right right outside of Tulsa But whether it's critical infrastructure and energy and aerospace manufacturing, right? So we have different regional flavors that require cyber talent and technology I certainly don't want it all going to Fort Meade, right? Like I think we need to look to our own backyard first So we'd love to hear a bit of a riff on the intersection of talent recruitment geography, etc Okay, okay, well, okay You know color when I got put on the spot, I realized how it get a little more concise you want so the intersection between Geography in you know in race so when it comes to attracting talent specifically So this is enough that Tulsa really tries to really tries to crack a lot of money gets poured into it because you know The diversity of the talent pool of a geography You know plays heavily if not isn't the single biggest determining factor of where that geography is going to go Economically what kind of society it's going to build things like that. So when it comes to the interplay of those two, I mean People want to come and live in communities where they have a Flourishing ecosystem where there's an abundance of opportunities and where they feel like they have access to the things that are most crucial For them to build what they feel will be a good life. And when I say build a good life I don't just mean economics. I'm talking about have certain impacts Is this city connected in a way that's going to allow me to have a highway to impacting other places as well? So to specifically anchor that in cybersecurity As Connor and I talked about a lot the University of Tulsa actually has one of the best cyber security programs in the country I think it was number two right number two at one point 25 I thought it was it was high up there and there's you know, there's relationships with government agencies and I was actually having this conversation yesterday when I first got in DC I linked up with a friend of mine and he was talking about how different geographies have these things called endowments Here DC's based endowment is the federal government We were actually talking about how Prince George and Charles County are the two wealthiest black counties in the entire country Because so many of them people work for the government and they can stay there for years. They get good jobs and all of that So when it comes to geography and like in racing things like that I would say it's really about thinking about what are the endowments of a geography and how can those be leveraged to make it a more Inclusive or vibrant and inclusive environment. So we are both running out of time for this panel, but actually at the start of a marathon for the fellows and I want to end by thanking you all for sharing your insights with us, but also invite you to stay linked and Run that marathon with us in the year ahead. So please join me in a round of applause And with that we're going to exit the stage and I'm gonna hand it over to my colleague Christina to close us out with some remarks Okay, we'll do it twice if we have to All right, so I'm glad I took some notes right remember everything Okay, so Peter. I'm sorry to end when I interrupted I just wanted to really get that the good meat out of the panel. So thanks to the panel again and thanks to Peter So a couple of things that I learned today. Actually, I'm I'm here for my learnings too, right and this panel was excellent by the way Challenging your assumptions. That's super important and I didn't realize how much we do this So I'm gonna challenge the fellows to challenge Their assumptions as they go through some of the research What you start with or the idea that you started with may not be that output or the outcome that you end up with and That's okay, right be flexible because you don't know what you're gonna create. So that was gold I love that. I'm gonna continue to use them Leverage leveraging open doors. I love that because I too Do not like reaching out to my network. It's so uncomfortable. I it's It's it's like one of the most challenging things, but I think it's important to get comfortable with doing that, right? Be okay with saying what you want because as I say a closed mouth doesn't get fed, right? Focus on incremental changes. So like doing the work. I think that's that's critical I think a lot of times I know myself I sometimes get overwhelmed because it feels like I'm trying to climb a mountain and can't do it all in one afternoon one day And so I think that it's important that if we do want to change the face of cyber security National security that we have to do it incrementally. It's not going to be done overnight. So thank you for that reminder I thought that was really good and lastly just the takeaway of building your network and walking through these open doors Another gold nugget. I mean we go nuggets today. I'm like, I'm glad I woke up at four in the morning Just, you know Open the door like the door was already open for you, especially in an environment with so many closed doors So walk in walk in Don't have a seat but walk in and again, just Remember all these I know there's a lot. There's gonna be a lot of information today but if you remember nothing else just remember that There's so much opportunity and that is just here for the taking right so get warmed up and Definitely reach out to us if there are any issues and questions. We don't always have all the answers But I think together we can figure it out And yeah, I'm super excited for what's to come I'm more excited for lunch because I didn't have breakfast and Yeah in closing I think that's that's about it I'm super super excited to meet you all and for those folks online. Hello and good. Bye Yeah, I hope you have a fantastic day and a fantastic journey