Cyber Innovators Connect to bring together cybersecurity leaders, startups, and investors at CMU

Cybersecurity researchers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors will come together at Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday, September 16, for Cyber Innovators Connect, an event designed to strengthen connections across Pittsburgh’s growing cybersecurity and startup communities.

Presented by Carnegie Mellon’s CyLab Security and Privacy Institute and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Cyber Innovators Connect will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship in the Tepper Quad.

The event is part of CMU Startup Week and the broader StartUP PGH initiative, a multiday celebration bringing together founders, researchers, and community partners from across the region’s technology ecosystem.

For Michael Lisanti, CyLab senior director of partnerships, Cyber Innovators Connect is an opportunity to highlight Pittsburgh’s cybersecurity ecosystem while bringing together groups that do not always have opportunities to interact directly.

“We’re really hoping to spark connections, partnerships, and collaborations in the cyber world,” said Lisanti. “We’re focused on growing the cybersecurity community, with a special emphasis  on what’s coming down the road with AI and cybersecurity.”

That focus will be reflected throughout the morning’s program. Following an opening startup showcase and coffee session, the program begins with a keynote conversation, “The Future of Cyber in an AI World,” featuring Eli Fisher of Amazon and CyLab faculty member Lujo Bauer. Fisher will discuss the shift toward autonomous security through AWS Continuum, while Bauer will address CyLab’s work to establish the scientific foundations for cyber autonomy.

Bauer and Fisher will then join Airbnb chief information security officer Pat Moynahan for a panel on the opportunities and threats created by artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, moderated by Leo Scott of DataTribe.

“For industry attendees, we hope this event offers a chance to understand what’s coming down the road, whether it’s coming from out of the labs at CMU, from industry partners, or from startups,” said Lisanti.

I’m excited to see what comes out of it in terms of academic research partnerships, startup investments, and enterprise solutions.

Michael Lisanti, senior director of partnerships, CyLab

One of the morning’s signature activities will put those groups face-to-face through a “Cyber Shark Tank.” Beginning at 11 a.m., participating cybersecurity startups will deliver lightning pitches to a panel of chief information security officers, who will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

Scheduled participating companies include CyLab Venture Network startup partners GoSentrix, Karambit,  lyfe.ninja, North Star Labs, Phosra, Realm Labs, and Rockfish Data. Carnegie Mellon CISO Mary Ann Blair, Kennametal CISO Sam Merrell, and Moynahan will serve on the CISO panel, with Drew Hunt of Dreamit Ventures moderating the session.

Following the Cyber Shark Tank, attendees will have additional opportunities to connect during a networking lunch and CISO roundtable discussions. CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor will also be signing copies of her children’s book Privacy Please!. The event will conclude with another startup showcase and open networking session from 1 to 2 p.m.

The format reflects the larger goal behind the event: creating connections that might otherwise never happen. A conversation between a researcher and corporate security leader could lead to a new research partnership. A startup could meet its next customer or investor. An industry executive could discover an emerging technology capable of addressing a security challenge inside their organization.

Lisanti said that possibility is what he is most looking forward to.

“Really, just bringing those disparate groups together,” he noted. “You don’t often see that, so I’m just excited to see what comes out of it in terms of academic research partnerships, startup investments, and enterprise solutions.”

Cyber Innovators Connect also supports the mission of the CyLab Venture Network, which connects cybersecurity startups with Carnegie Mellon’s research community, industry partners, and investors. Lisanti said events like this create additional opportunities for Venture Network companies while simultaneously serving CyLab’s broader network of partners and security professionals.

“Our whole reason for doing this is because we want to continue to add value to our partners, to the community, as well as the CyLab Venture Network startups,” he said.

Community partners supporting the event include the Pittsburgh Technology Council, CyberHubPGH, Pitt Cyber, Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and the Information Networking Institute, with DataTribe and Dreamit serving as sponsors.

To view the full agenda and to request an invitation to attend the event, visit the Cyber Innovators Connect registration page.