With the establishment of dedicated women’s sports teams, women’s participation in sports has skyrocketed from 500,000 in the 1970s to 3.5 million today, paving the way for leadership, teamwork, and resilience—skills critical for success in both sports and professional settings. Research by Deloitte reveals that over 90% of executive women earning more than $130,000 annually were involved in sports during their school years, highlighting the long-term career benefits of structured team experiences.
This webinar explores how these principles extend beyond the playing field and into the world of technology and cyber sports. We’ll dive into the impact of dedicated women’s teams in fostering confidence, skill development, and leadership opportunities. By creating supportive environments, these teams not only encourage female participation in male-dominated fields but also contribute to career advancement and higher salaries.
Join us as we celebrate the power of women-only teams and discuss how collaborative experiences can shape the future of women in technology. Whether you're a tech professional, student, or advocate for diversity, this discussion will offer valuable insights into the importance of fostering inclusive spaces for women to thrive.
Join our amazing panel as they discuss questions like:
- How has being part of a team—whether in sports, tech, or other areas—shaped your leadership skills and confidence?
- What are some challenges women face when entering male-dominated fields like technology and cyber sports, and how can women-only teams help overcome these barriers?
- What are some life skills you gained from team-based activities that you didn’t necessarily get from academic settings?
- How can organizations and institutions encourage more women to participate in cyber sports and STEM fields?
- If someone is hesitant to join a women-only team, what advice would you give them?
And there are so many other questions we want to cover. This is a conversation that you do not want to miss and our panel continues to evolve, so check back often to learn who else is participating!
Jessica Gulick, a globally known and respected cybersecurity professional and influential speaker with over 25 years of experience in engineering and cybersecurity. With a background in leading cybersecurity teams, co-authoring NIST Special Publications on Cybersecurity Standards as well as National Cyber Strategy documents, and establishing cyber innovation centers, she brings a wealth of expertise to PlayCyber as CEO. She founded and commissioned the US Cyber Games (blended and women’s team), Wicked6, International Cybersecurity Championship and Conference (IC3), and Global Cyber Games. She holds significant positions such as Chair of the International Cybersecurity Challenge (over 50+ nations engaged), Member of the Steering Committee for the Kunoichi Cyber Games in Japan, Member of the VT BIT Cybersecurity committee, and Member of the Bay Path University Cyber Education Council. Her qualifications include PMP and CISSP certifications, along with an MBA from Virginia Tech.
Shiloh is an offensive security professional working in the defense industry. She received in undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Cyber Operations from the Citadel, and is pursuing her M.S. in Computer Engineering at George Mason University. In her free time, she competes in “Capture the Flag” competitions— an online, gamified cybersecurity competition. Her focus is in hardware security and binary exploitation. Shiloh is passionate about encouraging more women to enter the technical sphere of cybersecurity, especially via the competitive scene of CTFs.
Gabriela Kote is a full-time Vulnerability Researcher & Reverse Engineer at Battelle and a member of the U.S. Cyber Team. She graduated with a degree in Computer Science and a concentration in Cybersecurity from North Carolina State University in May of 2024. Gabriela loves anything low-level, specializing in reverse engineering and binary exploitation within the CTFs she plays. When she isn’t hacking, Gabriela loves being outdoors, rock climbing, and being creative in many different ways (painting, designing, crocheting, and more).
Marne Martin has more than 25 years of technology business leadership. She has an illustrious track record working with both public and privately-held software companies, driving teams that deliver exponential profitable growth, market expansion, and increased brand and analyst recognition. Her experience includes leading organizations through initial public offerings, go-privates and other growth initiatives, M&A, and strategic exits.
Marne joined Emburse from IFS, where she spent more than five years on its leadership team, culminating in her role as chief strategy officer and president. Prior to joining IFS, Marne held a variety of senior roles, including CEO of ServicePower PLC, and CFO of Norcon PLC.
Marne holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Finance from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service with a years’ study at the London School of Economics, an MBA from Krannert School of Business, Purdue University and a Masters in International Management from ESCP-EAP.
