2024 FORGE INSTITUTE ARKANSAS
CYBER SUMMIT
Details pending
SUMMIT DETAILS
WHEN: Details pending
WHERE: Little Rock, Arkansas
HOW TO REGISTER:
Registration details pending
The summit is a groundbreaking event bringing together global leaders, innovators, and experts in the field of cybersecurity. With the goal of shaping the future of digital security, the summit provides a platform for insightful discussions, collaborative workshops, and cutting-edge presentations. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge about emerging threats, advanced technologies, and best practices in protecting critical infrastructure, data, and privacy. Visit www.forge.institute/summit to explore the event schedule, esteemed speakers, and registration details for this unparalleled gathering of cyber visionaries.
This year’s summit is jam-packed with special discussions featuring industry-leading CISOs, award winning academic researchers & educators, state and federal agency and military leaders.
Join us for topic and industry-specific breakout sessions, networking opportunities, round tables, and mind-blowing keynote presentations!
Discussions around cutting-edge cybersecurity trends, current threat landscape, collaborative success stories, and enhancing the strategic partnerships that are currently driving cybersecurity awareness, development & collaboration amongst the state & beyond.
We have so much in store- you will not want to miss out!
Note: Attendees must be US Citizens. We (along with our partners) reserve the right to deny admittance to anyone for any reason. If your registration is not approved, we will refund your ticket price.
2023 Agenda
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 • Day 1
7:00 AM Doors Open & Breakfast / Coffee / Check-in
8:00 AM Welcome by Emcees
Beth-Anne Bygum, Chief Information Security Officer, Q2 & Member, Board of Advisors, Forge Institute
Kim Ross, Field Marketing Manager, Fortinet
8:15 AM Forge Annual Report
Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
9:00 AM Smart Resilience in Turbulent Times (Gentry Intro Dane)
Dane Egli, PhD - Former Director for Counterterrorism & Global Counternarcotics, NSC
9:45 AM Geopolitical Competition & Foreign Laws
Natalie Lehr-Lopez, Ex. Director, Supply Chain & Counterintelligence Risk Management Task Force
National Counterintelligence & Security Center, ODNI
10:30 AM Networking Break
11:00 AM CCI: AI & Cyber Research to Secure the Nation’s Power Grid
Philip Huff, PhD (UA Little Rock) & Chris Farnell, PhD (UA Fayetteville)
11:15 AM CRITICAL CONSEQUENCES - Collaborations to Secure the Nation’s Power Systems
against Nation State Adversaries
Virginia Wright, Cyber-Informed Engineering Program Manager, Idaho National Laboratory
12:00 NOON Networking Lunch | Sponsor Tables Open
1:15 PM Forging Veteran Transition through the Forge Fellowship
Moderator: Kenny Willoughby, Forge Fellowship Program Manager, Forge Institute
Brenda Curtis, Senior Director Information Security Assurance, Acxiom
Anthony Biondo, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Acxiom
Seth Lujan, Information Assurance Analyst, Acxiom & Former Forge Fellow
Paul Montrose, Senior Director Information Security Architecture / Deputy CSO, Acxiom
2:00 PM Collaborations that Advance Arkansas’ Digital Workforce
Moderator: Daniel Ross, Chief Growth Officer, Forge Institute
Mike Rogers, Chief Workforce Officer, Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sajan Gautam, Chief Information Security Officer, Arvest
Beth-Anne Bygum, Chief Information Security Officer, Q2 & Member, Board of Advisors, Forge Institute
2:45 PM 15-Minute Forge Academy & SmartResume
3:00 PM Break
3:15 PM Expanding Partnerships to Drive National Defense in the Face of Great Power Competition
Moderator: Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
MG Jonathan Stubbs, Adjutant General, Arkansas National Guard
Col. (Ret.) Rob Ator, Director Military Affairs Committee, AR Department of Commerce
Lou McAlister, CEO of Broadband Development Group & Member, Board of Advisors, Forge Institute
4:00 PM Leadership During a Crisis: Ukraine Conflict, Sanctions, Collaboration & Customer Expectations
Tere Brun, Former Chief Compliance & Customer Advocacy Officer, FIS
4:45 PM Closing Remarks
Scott Anderson, Chief External Affairs Officer, Forge Institute
5:30 PM Reception Sponsored by Mainstream Technologies
John Burgess, CEO, Mainstream Technologies
Thursday, October 5, 2023 • Day 2
7:00 AM Check-In / Breakfast / Vendor Booths Open
8:00 AM Welcome / Remarks by Forge Partner
8:15 AM Keynote: Global Threat Brief
Jim Richberg, VP Information Security and Field CISO, Fortinet
9:00 AM How Arkansas Gets Collective Defense Right
Moderator: Wes Nickels, ACDC Division Lead & Security Officer, Forge Institute
Hon. Tim Griffin, Attorney General, State of Arkansas
Phil Clark, Director - Corporate Security, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation
James Gentry, Chief Information Officer, City of Fort Smith
Christian Biggs, Customer Success, Flashpoint National Security Solutions
9:45 AM Understanding and Mitigating Supply Chain Risks
Moderator: Paul Montrose, Senior Director Information Security Architecture / Deputy CSO, Acxiom
Matt Bunch, Senior Director IT/Cybersecurity, Tyson Foods
Jibran Ilyas, Managing Director, Mandiant Google Cloud
Jared Phipps, SVP, Americas Sales and Solution Engineering, SentinelOne
10:30 AM Break
10:45 AM Mission Brief: 223rd Cyberspace Operations Squadron
11:00 AM Mission Brief: NGB Professional Education Center & Cyber Shield
11:15 AM Information Warfare S&T: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities
Scott S. Shyne, Chief of Information Warfare Division, Information Directorate, AFRL
12:00 Noon Networking Lunch | Sponsor Tables Open (special lunch w/ students)
1:15 PM Panel: Cyber State of the States
Moderator: J. Foster Davis, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, BreachBits, Inc.
Gary Vance, Chief Information Security Officer, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas
Ben Cross, Judge, Pope County, Arkansas
Jeff Melton, Director, Information Technology, Arkansas Municipal League
2:00 PM Networking Break
2:30 PM Mission Brief: 188th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
2:45 PM Artificial Intelligence - Threats & Opportunities
Kyle Rector, PhD, Deputy Director, Office of Artificial Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency
3:00 PM Anvil Awards
3:15 PM Closing Fireside Chat
Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
Clint O’Neal, Executive Director, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Dept. of Commerce
3:45 PM Closing Remarks
2023 Speakers from the Following Organizations
2023 Speakers
Summit Logistics
The Venue
The 2024 event will be held in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Who may attend?
Attendees must be a US Citizen. Forge & our partners reserve the right to deny entry to any person or any reason. If we do, we will issue a full refund for the price paid for registration but not lodging.
Lodging
Convenient lodging options are available at hotels in downtown Little Rock, ensuring a comfortable stay during the summit.
Getting Around
We recommend using UBER or YELLOW CAB to get around the city. Rental cars are available at the airport. Your hotel may offer shuttle services as well.
Flights
Clinton National Airport (LIT) offers great regional access.
PRIVATE-PUBLIC COLLABORATIONS
This event is in collaboration with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and Congressman Rick Crawford.
Previous Summmits
PRIOR KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
“Arkansas is building a strategically aligned ecosystem, with purposeful collaborations that develop the workforce, accelerate innovation and support community resiliency and national defense.”
Dawn Meyerriecks, Former Deputy Director of Science & Technology, Central Intelligence Agency