Plexal, in collaboration with the government and industry partners, continues to support and nurture the next generation of promising young companies through its various programmes. One of their successful initiatives, the Cyber Runway programme, has seen great success this year with 14 of their alumni being nominated for the prestigious Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards.
These awards, which are peer-nominated, recognize the exceptional contributions of women in the cybersecurity industry. Diane Gilbert, Innovation Ecosystem Lead at Plexal, expressed her excitement and pride in seeing so many familiar names from the Plexal ecosystem among the nominees. She highlighted the entrepreneurial drive, innovative spirit, and diverse skills possessed by these trailblazing women, emphasizing the need to shine a light on this often-underrepresented group.
The nominees from the Plexal alumni include CEOs, founders, and professionals from a variety of cybersecurity companies. Among them are Shelley Langan-Newton, CEO of SQR Group; Emma Humphrey, CEO of KURO; Jemma Davis, Founder and CEO of Culture Gem; Jean Mcleod, Founder and CTO of Abri CS; Vivian Dufour, CEO and Co-Founder of Meterian; Melissa Chambers, CEO of Sitehop; and many more.
Many of this year’s nominees are alumni of the Cyber Runway Ignite cohort, designed for exceptional leaders in cyber who want to make a positive impact on the sector. The cohort includes startup founders from diverse backgrounds, including military veterans like Emma Humphrey, who aims to encourage more veterans, women, and girls to consider careers in cyber and cloud technologies.
Other notable nominees include the team behind CAPSLOCK, an award-winning educational organization that reskills adults into cybersecurity professionals. The founders, Andrea Cullen and Lorna Armitage, are dedicated to increasing accessibility to education in cybersecurity.
The awards also recognize the achievements of companies like SQR Group, which is on a mission to create a safer world by eliminating fraud, and TISOVA, which focuses on safeguarding students from online scams and fraud.
The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2024, sponsored by ThinkCyber, BT, and Plexal, will be held at the BT Tower on February 27. The awards are hosted by Eskenzi PR in partnership with Assured, WiCyS UK&I Affiliate, and the IT Security Guru, and aim to celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of women in the cybersecurity industry.
Overall, Plexal’s commitment to supporting and empowering emerging technologies and cybersecurity professionals is evident in the success of their alumni and their contributions to the industry. The recognition of these talented women in the cybersecurity sector showcases the importance of diversity and inclusion in driving innovation and success in the field.