first friday event when previously held at jack quinn's

A monthly networking event for IT and cyber professionals!

Join us each month to learn about what is happening in our local ecosystem related to information and cybersecurity businesses, training, and job resources. Network with others, learn about other community events, and cultivate relationships!

Cybersecurity First Friday Community Day

Welcome to the very first Cybersecurity First Friday Community Day!

This event is a dedicated one-day showcase of essential resources for citizens, local businesses, and organizations. Join us to explore key cybersecurity topics, discover career and professional development opportunities, and gain the community awareness needed to navigate the cyber threats impacting our daily lives.

Check out the special event schedule, content, and the scheduled speakers!

When: 10 July 2026
Time: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Venue: Exponential Impact and the UCCS Cyber Campus

Upcoming Cybersecurity First Friday Events

See what is coming over the coming months.

July 10

August 7

September 11

July 10

Cybersecurity First Friday Community Day

Friday, 10 Jul 2026 at 3:00pm

Vincent "Vinnie" Persichetti, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

Dr. Shawn P. Murray, Murray Security Services, AFCEA & Cyber Leaders Roundtable

Shelley R. Murray, CEO, Murray Security Services

Gretchen Bliss, Director of Cybersecurity Programs, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (Sponsor)

Jon-Michael Horst , Director of Marketing and Outreach at Exponential Impact (Sponsor)

Beth Ann Taylor, Director, Colorado APEX Accelerator

Douglas DePeppe, Special Counsel, Buchalter

Jeff Wiley , Senior Cybersecurity Analytics and Countermeasures Engineer at Noblis, Inc.

Amy Abbot, Executive Director at Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation

Ross Morrell, Director of Innovation and Growth at Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation

Emily Johnson, UCCS Student and Project TA

Tomas A. Pena, D.Sc., Executive Vice President, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter

Erica Romero, Business Relations Manager, Pikes Peak Workforce Center

John Freeburg, Founder of C Cubed Training

Robert F. McLaughlin (Bob), Executive Director, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center

Aikta Verma, Co-Founder, Cyber Leaders Roundtable

Dale Anderson, Senior Vice President of Economic and Defense Development and Government Affairs at the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

Dylan Truesdell, UCCS Alumnus and Project TA

David Hancock, UCCS Student & Technical Solutions Architect and Training Lead at Cyberspatial

Brandon C. Strubberg, Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor at University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Waldo (Rob) Martin, Founder | Koios Insights

Ryan LeVier, Social Media Coordinator, ISC2 Pikes Peak Chapter

Kelli Kocak, Vice President, STAR V Learning Centers (Sponsor)

Yemi Mobolade, Mayor, City of Colorado Springs

Xin Cindy Lee, Assistant Professor, Director of MEA Graduate Studies, Dept. Of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Jordan Scott , UCCS Student & Cyber Solutions Architect at Parsons Corporation

Anessa Funk, Vice President of Programs at Rocky Mountain Chapter of AFCEA (Sponsor)

Anna Price, Youth Career Coach, Pikes Peak Business & Education Alliance (PPBEA)

Kinzy Pearson, UCCS Aerospace Engineering Student and Junior Systems Engineer at American Systems

Hector Falcon, Watch Center, Director at the Space ISAC

Kora Gwartney, PhD student at UCCS & Cybersecurity Engineer at Outside Inc

Heather Lawrence, PhD, UCCS Alumni & Data Scientist and Owner, Atropos Insights

Matt Smith, Founder, CEO at Flex Commerce

Thomas Holt Russell , Founder/Director of SEMtech

Blake Schwank, CEO, CCS IT Pros (Sponsor)

Downloads: Cybersecurity First Friday Community Day Handout 4.49 MB

Event Itinerary and Agenda 639 KB
Event Sponsors
Date: 10 July 2026
Time: 3:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Sustaining Sponsors

Thank you to our tiered sponsors for their support!

Gold Sponsor

The Gold Sponsors are those that have committed to the success of our community and are recognized at the commendable tier of sponsorship at the $10k level.