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We will do this through women sharing real stories and their journeys while providing inspiration, networking, coaching, mentoring and events with knowledge/ resources designed to help women and girls from all walks of life succeed to make an impact in the world with kindness.
In this PINKK on POINT series #9, we are sharing women in our own community that are making positive change to make the world better for all of us. In the PINKK brand belief and platform we will tell stories that need to be heard from voices that need to be heard while sharing and promoting stories, and actions of these women that may inspire positive change.
We want to support a diverse community and women in the community and feature thought leaders and change agents that may disrupt the status quo and make the world a kinder more abundant place for women and for all! In this NEW series it is about women in our PINKK community.
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This is #37 in this series: FEBRUARY SPOTLIGHT (over 150 spotlights)
Meet Dawn Kristy
ONE WORD: RESILIENCE
Dawn Kristy
When you think of a cybersecurity expert, what's the picture that comes to mind? Many might envision the engineer-type guy. But we'd all miss the target on Dawn Kristy, who not only has become a cybersecurity subject matter expert but has also written the book, "33 Ways Not to Screw Up Cybersecurity." Published this past summer by Networlding, it is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. And she is a pretty blonde with a great big smile!
Double Passion
Kristy has another distinct passion, the performing arts. As a young girl, she took dance lessons, noting, "I loved both the dancing and my dance teacher. She really pushed me into advanced classes and believed in me. I certainly look at her as a mentor in my life." Kristy adds, "While dance lessons ended with changes in life circumstances, I have never lost my love of dance. In fact, I am fond of all the creative arts; dance, music, and live theater. It was so wonderful this past Christmas, now that we are pretty much past COVID, that I got to see "A Christmas Carol" on stage and attended three live Christmas concerts. If I am reincarnated, I want to come back to join the performing arts community and perhaps write songs."
Fork in the Road
This talented woman has lived all over, including overseas, but focused on her life since 2011 for this article. She shares, "In 2011, I headed back to Chicago after taking time to care for my mother in Florida until her death. Upon my return to Chicago, I received an unexpected call from a law school classmate about a job at a large Chicago-based insurance broker. Although I intended to “go west” to California, I accepted a job offer beginning the following week."
Cyber Risks
By education, Kristy is a lawyer, but her career has been corporate, focused on emerging risks and using her research, writing, and teaching skills that she learned in law school and honed during her work experience. Kristy has considerable experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry handling complex claims.
Shortly after she began her new job, Kristy's manager made an additional offer. He suggested she consider working in the cyber risk sector. During the next eight years, she pursued two tracks, one as a cyber subject matter expert and the other managing complex medical and legal professional liability claims for clients.
Hello Again Florida
In 2019, Kristy received an offer to join a start-up cyber insurance broker as the VP of Cyber Solutions. Kristy says, "This meant returning to sunny Florida. As I settled in, we had the Covid-19 lockdown. Now, the pandemic changed our lives and our business trajectory. Working from home in my new apartment in Boca Raton required virtual conferencing and learning Zoom and Teams! I discovered I was resilient and could network online to meet new contacts in South Florida!"
As the reality of the lack of new business opportunities set in, Kristy decided to move her side gig into a business. Kristy says, "Businesses sought help understanding cyber threats through training and communication. I provided training presentations for a CEO leadership group, an association, two Florida universities, and a cyber safety and education program for children. I also conducted interviews and wrote blog posts for a cybersecurity non-profit organization for women."
Road Signs
The last decade has involved life changes. Kristy's marriage ended, and she lost her mom. Her two beloved Shih Tzus, Dahlila and Harmony, passed at 12 in the same year. She says, "When I realized I wasn't going to be a mom, I knew I had to do something to help kids."
Kristy has followed that sign by mentoring young lawyers and girls looking to enter STEM fields. She states, "Many girls fall off the STEM cliff (so to speak) at about 11 years old due to a lack of encouragement or role models to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math studies. I want to support these girls so they stay in these fields. For example, we have a talent gap and a gender gap in cybersecurity. We need them! Perhaps one day, I will start an academy for girls in STEM. I envision fun, supportive programs with a curriculum addressing innovation on our doorstep, such as artificial intelligence. Allow the girls to flourish in whatever they want to do."
Sharing Wisdom
Asked what advice she would give to young women today or even her young self, she explains, "My advice is to expect the unexpected. No matter how much you plan, there are always forks in the road. You have to adjust and make a choice. It may not be the right choice, but you can always make a correction and transition to another path! Most importantly, have good strong people around you, and never stop networking. People matter at every stage of our lives!"
Full Circle
Taking us full circle to her cybersecurity passion, she says, "What you need to know is that there is hope, even if you have a cyberattack."
PINKK on POINT: "Creating safe spaces for women happens in so many ways, literally and figuratively. Let's do this together."
