GLOBAL CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY

OPERATIONALIZEDAS A BRAND NEW ORGANIZATION, WE BUILT NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE (OUR WEBSITE, COMMUNICATIONS AND CRM PROCESSES, STAFFING STRUCTURE, ETC). WE GREW TO THREE PART-TIME STAFF, AND WE WORKED WITH SEVERAL FELLOWS AND PRACTICUM STUDENTS IN THE REGION ON PROJECT WORK. NUMEROUS VOLUNTEERS ALSO HELPED US CARRY OUT OUR EVENTS. ALL IN ALL, WE BUILT A LEAN OPERATING MODEL.GREW TO ~25 MEMBERSINDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES ARE INTERESTED IN, INVESTED IN, AND SIGNING UP TO BE PART OF THE WORK GCC IS LEADING. OUR MEMBERS RANGE FROM FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES TO BRAND NEW START-UPS. IN MANY WAYS, CYBERSECURITY IS PARAMOUNT AND FRONT OF MIND FOR MANY ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR REGION, AS SEEN IN OUR GROWING MEMBERSHIP.HELD A DOZEN EVENTSWE ACTIVATED SPACES LIKE CORTEX THAT HAD BEEN LARGELY UNUSED FOR EVENTS DURING COVID, AND WE DREW CROWDS OF UPWARD OF 350 PEOPLE. FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SEASONED CYBER VETERANS, WE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO CONNECT IN OUR CYBER COMMUNITIES.FACILITATED ~1000 INDIVIDUAL CONNECTIONSTHROUGH OUR EVENTS AND PLATFORMS, WE CULTIVATED COMMUNITY AND CONNECTIONS. OUR DATABASE OF INTERESTED PEOPLE IS IN THE HUNDREDS, WE HELPED CONNECT FUTURE EMPLOYEES WITH COMPANIES LOOKING FOR TALENT, AND WE BROUGHT TOGETHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO PUSH OUR REGION FORWARD. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONNECTIONS ARE CRITICAL IN THIS WORK.GREW OUR ECOSYSTEM OF CORE PARTNERSWE STARTED THE YEAR OFF WITH A SELECT GROUP OF DEDICATED PARTNERS, AND ARE ENDING THE YEAR WITH THAT GROUP EXPANDED. ALONG WITH OUR MEMBERS, PER SCHOLAS, CYBERUP, NPOWER, GHECC, SAA, CIC, VENTURECAF, AND OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE KEY TO MOVING FORWARD IN THIS WORK.SPEARHEADED NEW WICYS AFFILIATEWE HELPED LAUNCH THE ST. LOUIS REGIONAL AFFILIATE OF THE WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY GLOBAL ORGANIZATION. ALONGSIDE DEDICATED WOMEN, WE ARE STANDING UP LONG-TERM ORGANIZED SUPPORT FOR WOMEN IN THE CYBER INDUSTRY IN OUR REGION.