Brandi Jones

Cybersecurity E-Learning Program Manager, Cyber NOW Education

Complex frameworks do not fail because they are wrong. They fail because the people who need to act on them cannot make sense of them. Closing that gap is the work I do. I am a GRC professional with a background that most people in this field do not have. Fourteen years in the Army Reserve taught me to operate under pressure inside complex systems with high stakes for getting it wrong. Two decades as a K-12 educator and college professor taught me to make those systems legible for the people who have to live inside them. Both of those skill sets are exactly what governance, risk, and compliance requires in 2026. Complex frameworks do not fail because they are wrong. They fail because the people who need to act on them cannot make sense of them. Closing that gap is the work I do. I am a GRC professional building toward AI governance and compliance leadership in financial services. Fourteen years in the Army Reserve taught me to operate under pressure inside complex systems where getting it wrong has real consequences. Two decades as a K-12 educator and college professor taught me to make those systems legible for the people who have to live inside them. Both of those skill sets are exactly what AI governance requires in 2026. My current focus is fintech AI governance and risk management. GRC professionals increasingly need to bridge technical security controls with regulatory requirements, quantify AI-related risk to support executive decision-making, and build compliance programs that hold up under examination. That intersection is where I am building. I am currently pursuing CompTIA Security+ and NIST AI RMF certification. I serve as Director of Events for WiCyS DFW, where I build programming for women advancing in cybersecurity across the Dallas-Fort Worth region. I also founded The Pivot Point Files, a newsletter and content platform that makes GRC and AI governance accessible for professionals navigating this field without a traditional tech background. If you work in compliance, risk, or cybersecurity governance or you are building toward it this is built for you.

Omowunmi Akinyoade

Senior Director, Compliance - Cybersecurity, Pegasystems

Omowunmi Akinyoade is a cyber assurance leader and Senior Director of Cybersecurity Compliance at Pegasystems, where she oversees vendor risk management and compliance certifications. She brings over 25 years of cross-industry experience and a human-centered, systems-oriented approach to helping leaders navigate technology risk with clarity and sound judgment.

Anitha Dakamarri

Lead Application Security Engineer, Donnelley Financial Solutions

Anitha Dakamarri, a seasoned information security leader with over 18 years of experience driving enterprise security strategy and risk management. My expertise spans threat modeling, application security, and network security assessments, enabling organizations to build resilient and secure systems at scale. Throughout my career, I have held key roles at leading organizations such as DFIN, UScellular, and Syntel Inc., where I have led high-performing teams, established security standards, and implemented robust, business-aligned security frameworks. I hold globally recognized certifications including CISSP, CISM, CEH, and CHFI, reflecting my commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence. Beyond my professional work, I am an active public speaker and a dedicated contributor to the cybersecurity community. I volunteer with ISACA (CISM Exam Development and Mentorship), ISC2 (Exam Development and CBK Panel), OWASP (Contributor), WiCyS (Mentor), CSA (Contributor), and Women4Cyber (UK Mentor).

Samridhi Agarwal

VP - Lead Cybersecurity Architect, JPMorgan Chase

Lead Cybersecurity Architect at JPMorgan Chase by day, securing and building guardrails for agentic AI systems and applications. CMU-trained, Deloitte and PwC battle-tested, with 7 years of turning complex threat landscapes into actionable security architecture. Top 3 global finalist for the Women in Cybersecurity Award 2025 (Fintech), RSA Women in Cyber Award winner, and written for Cyber Defense Magazine covering RSA and Blackhat Conference. Proud WiCyS DFW Regional Lead, because the best thing about being in the room is pulling more people in. Currently obsessed with: AI & agentic security, adversarial ML, and the question of who's actually securing your AI stack. If that's your world too — let's connect. 🚀

Maneeya Dechkhum

Lead Security Engineer, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Maneeya Dechkhum’s path into cybersecurity was shaped by an academic foundation in accounting, finance, and business, which sparked her curiosity about how risk, systems, and strategy connect. That curiosity grew into a career focused on protecting complex environments, reducing enterprise risk, and supporting innovation at scale. At the Women in Technology Leadership panel, she’ll share how inclusive leadership, collaboration, and continuous learning can create meaningful business impact. She is passionate about encouraging more women to explore cybersecurity and lead with confidence.