Rocky Mountain Technology Summit Agenda

Merlin Namuth's brings over 25 years of extensive cybersecurity experience to the role, having held positions at several prominent organizations including, Tenable, Red Robin, Sports Authority, Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, and Beazley Security.
“We are thrilled to welcome Merlin to the City and County of Denver,” said Suma Nallapati, Denver’s Chief Information Officer. “His deep understanding of cybersecurity makes him an invaluable asset to our team. Under his leadership, the city will strengthen its ability to protect our data and maintain the integrity of our systems.”
As CISO, Namuth will be responsible for expanding and strengthening Denver’s information security program, ensuring it aligns with industry best practices and regulatory requirements. His key responsibilities will include strategic planning, risk management, internal trainings, and vendor and budget management.
Namuth’s extensive experience in cybersecurity, coupled with his strong leadership skills, make him an asset to the City and County of Denver. His appointment demonstrates the city’s commitment to protecting its citizens’ data and ensuring the security of its digital infrastructure.

Synopsis

More Info Coming Soon.

Dan is a highly accomplished S Cleared Technical Engineer with 20+ years of achievement building and executing strategies and tactics to grow and support businesses in enterprise accounts. He possess the Information Technology (IT) disciplines of data protection & recovery, system administration within cloud-based infrastructures, UNIX, Windows-based operating systems, and systems engineering. Handles complex long-term focused projects involving multiple disciplines and business units. Broad expertise in Cloud Computing, Information Security (IS), driving solution sales, virtualization, big data, antivirus, data loss prevention, storage, Security Incident Management (SIEM), deep packet inspection, & FISMA tools.

Speaker's Bio

Katherine is an exceptional business leader with over 20 years of experience building world class sales teams for Government, Education and Federal Account teams. She has a proven track record leading and implementing solution sales strategies at both the local and regional level as both an individual contributor and a manager. Consistently exceeded business targets including revenue growth, funnel management and profitability. Demonstrates excellent leadership through significant organizational changes including merger / acquisitions, product shifts and changing industry demands.

Synopsis

Please join our presentation to learn how Lenovo, Insight, and Intel combine world-class technology, services, and expertise to help customers across enterprises and public sector organizations succeed. Lenovo delivers cutting-edge devices and data center solutions; Insight brings deep IT services, integration, and procurement expertise; and Intel powers it all with high-performance, secure computing. Together, they enable organizations to modernize infrastructure, improve productivity, and deliver better services — from the enterprise office to city, state, and local government — with scalable, future-ready solutions. Our session will include how we can help your organization implement AI solutions at the edge and serve your stakeholders.
• We’re helping agencies enable remote work, improve digital citizen services, and deploy smart city technologies — all while maintaining security and budget control.
• Our solutions are compliant, scalable, and built to support mission-critical operations across education, public safety, and transportation.
• We support enterprise IT teams with secure, high-performance platforms for hybrid work, data center modernization, and AI adoption.
• If you're managing complex environments, we can help simplify device management, boost security, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Nader Zaveri has over 15 years in the cybersecurity industry, and holds over a dozen industry-related certifications as well as an author and a regular speaker at industry events. Specializing in incident response and remediation, particularly against complex threats like nation-states and ransomware, he's also led post-incident transformational projects in security and infrastructure. Nader's experience spans leadership roles in top cybersecurity firms and multinational organizations. Apart from his professional pursuits, he mentors young professionals and has served on the boards of various startups, contributing significantly to their growth and success.

Synopsis

In today’s enterprise environments, secure email gateways play a critical role in filtering and scrutinizing email content for potential threats. Positioned at the intersection between the public Internet and corporate email servers, these gateways become highly coveted targets for malicious actors. The recently disclosed vulnerability in the Barracuda Email Security Gateway (ESG), CVE-2023-28686, had a significant impact on organizations worldwide while providing a level of access to threat actors in an environment that significantly enabled their overall objectives.

In this talk, we will dive into first hand encounters from our investigations into these intrusions right from their infancy. We will provide an insightful walkthrough of the threat actors' playbook and attack path, explore available logs and artifacts that aid in analysis, present a comprehensive methodology to shed light on these malicious activities, and actionable remediation actions to reduce the attack surface. By the end of this session, attendees will be empowered to identify malicious activity within their secure email gateways and possess the necessary defense strategies to combat such threats.

Chris Konrad has been a transformative leader at World Wide Technology (WWT) since 2014 and currently serves as Vice President of Global Cyber. He leads WWT’s $4.5B global cybersecurity business within the Global Solutions & Architecture (GS&A) organization—driving growth, innovation, and resilience at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation.
With 27 years of industry experience, Chris has built and scaled high-performing teams across sales, services, technical architecture, Field CISOs, and business development—unifying them around a clear mission: align cybersecurity to what matters most to customers. Under his leadership, WWT’s cyber practice has become a recognized standard of excellence, delivering measurable outcomes in every major domain—Cyber, Land, Sea, Air, and Space.
Chris plays a pivotal role in shaping WWT’s global go-to-market strategy, enhancing sales enablement, strengthening strategic alliances, and accelerating innovation across the partner ecosystem. His business-first approach to security reflects a deep understanding of how cyber has evolved—from a reactive function to a proactive driver of enterprise value.
Beyond WWT, Chris is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and actively contributes to the Business Roundtable, helping shape national conversations around cybersecurity, AI, and economic policy. He has also served in public sector leadership roles, including as Team Captain for the State of Missouri's Cybersecurity Task Force, reinforcing his commitment to resilience across both public and private sectors.
Chris is a trusted voice in the industry—a leader who doesn’t just advocate for innovation but consistently delivers actionable results that help organizations grow stronger, move faster, and stay secure in a dynamic global landscape.

Synopsis

As cyber threats accelerate across digital, physical, and geopolitical domains, organizations face a perfect storm of risk, regulation, and rapid innovation. This session outlines WWT’s strategic perspective on the evolving cyber threat landscape in 2025—from AI-augmented ransomware and global regulatory shifts to emerging attack surfaces across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. We’ll share how cybersecurity must evolve from a reactive function to a core business enabler—driven by architecture, alignment, and resilience.

• Cybersecurity in 2025 is no longer confined to the digital world—it’s a force multiplier across every domain of business and conflict. This session draws from global client engagements, industry advisory boards, and real-world incidents to examine:
• The AI threat curve: how generative AI is accelerating both defense and offense
• The rise of cyber-physical warfare across transportation, aviation, maritime, and satellite systems
• Evolving regulations from the SEC, CISA, EU, and global allies—and their operational impact
• The expanding role of the CISO as a strategic value creator, not just a technical risk owner
• Key cybersecurity priorities for 2025, including secure-by-design, cyber resilience, and regulatory readiness
• (Optional) How WWT’s unique capabilities—Advanced Technology Center, AI Security Enclave, Cyber Range—are helping global enterprises reduce risk and accelerate innovation

Justin Bortnick is an accomplished professional in the field of data protection, currently serving as the Manager of Sales Engineering for Forcepoint, a global leader in data-first cybersecurity solutions. He leads a team of sales engineers who bring simple yet comprehensive data security through leadership and technology suited to the market. With over 12 years of experience in sales engineering, including a significant period at Digital Guardian, Justin has become an expert in data protection holding certifications and skills in security, SPLUNK, DLP, mobility, and web services. Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UC Santa Cruz.

Synopsis

Working from home is no longer the outlier it’s the Normal, bringing along challenges like heartache, sleep loss, and dread of missing security access in places like Starbucks or public WiFi. To tackle these issues, let’s find solutions that keep data secure everywhere.

Can AI be Secured?

Joe's Topic

Beyond the Checklist: Operationalizing Cybersecurity Compliance in the Defense Industrial Base (and other verticals)
Discussion Points:
- How can organizations move from a 'checkbox compliance' mindset to a proactie, risk-driven cybersecurity culture - especially under evolving frameworks like CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171, and DFARS?
- What are the most effective strategies for managing third-party risk and supply chain compliance in a hybrid IT environment, and how are DIB contractors navigating CUI/ITAR boundaries?

Ron's Topic

Building Resilient & Loyal Teams Through Communication

Synopsis

The executive roundtables are for attendees with VIP badges only. The roundtables are intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

Matt’s passion is the application of data analytics to drive value in the Communications and Media domains. With more than two decades of experience leveraging data analytics, Matt has served in various capacities, developing, and supporting a wide variety of network-delivered services. Matt holds an MS in computer science from George Mason University and a BS from UC Berkeley. He currently resides with his family, on Bainbridge Island, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where he takes every opportunity to get on the water, or up a mountain, or, via SeaTac, to various points around the globe.

Speaker's Bio

Wendel Wurzweiler lives in Denver Colorado and has been with Splunk now Cisco for almost 5 years. He has been an Observability Specialist responsible for supporting customers' initiatives around Observability and leading best practices for deployment.

Synopsis

Sustaining resilient systems, exceptional customer experiences and continuous innovation is increasingly difficult amid rising cyber threats, technical complexity and accelerating change. So how can organizations stay ahead? This session explores how leading organizations take a transformative approach to integrating Observability and Security to enhance resiliency, efficiency, and innovation. Learn from industry peers, discover emerging trends and gain best practices to navigate this evolving landscape. Join us for insights on building a more adaptive and secure digital future.

Dave spent the last 15 years working as a Sysadmin, Help Desk Manager, part owner of an MSP, and in technical sales roles. Working with MSPs and with SMBs up to Fortune 500 partnering to bring tech and user-friendly solutions at an affordable price.

Synopsis

In any leading security best practice framework, two core principles stand out: least privilege access and strong password management. Yet, in today’s IT landscape, managing Windows environments has become increasingly complex—resulting in admin access being at an all-time high. The reality? 9 out of 10 successful breaches stem from privilege misuse. Join us to discover a smarter, more secure approach to privilege management for Windows systems. Strengthen your security foundation, reduce risk, and even improve your cyber insurance standing—all while making privilege management easier than ever. Don’t just react to threats—stay ahead of them.

What do Zero Trust, Defense-in-Depth, & AI Have in Common?
Discussion Points:
- Roadmap & architecture considerations for your cyber resilience program
- Breaking down the silos between the "business" & GRC+SecOps Teams
- What role should automation & orchestration play in your risk management program?

Scott's Topic

Building a Great Team Through Servant Leadership
Discussion Points:
- What does servant leadership look like to you?
- When have you seen servant leadership at work?
- How have you displayed servant leadership?

Christopher's Topic

Develop, Deploy, and Manage Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems Responsibly
Discussion Points:
- What are the top AI use cases in your enterprise?
- What factors have impacted your AI implementation?
- How has AI affected revenu?
- How has AI changed the risks to your data & technology landscape?

Synopsis

The executive roundtables are for attendees with VIP badges only. The roundtables are intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

With over 20 years of experience working with power, racking, cooling, and monitoring/controls systems, Ron Tessing is a Sr. Field Sales Engineer for global strategic accounts and large enterprise customers. He works with Vertiv customers and offering management teams to solve the quickly changing needs in high-performance computing environments to maximize compute per rack and minimize risk associated with these environments. Additionally, Ron works with partners and Vertiv product management teams to incorporate new systems and designs for our hardware and software. He began his career at NER Data Products in 2004 as a Sales Engineer leading the North American power, CFD Analysis, and monitoring system design teams. In 2014 he joined the Geist team as a Sr. Sales Engineer working in rack power designs and enterprise monitoring systems designs. Ron joined the Vertive team as part of the Geist acquisition in February of 2018.

Synopsis

AI and Machine Learning applications are transforming how businesses secure data and make mission-critical decisions. But to deliver on their promise, they need more than to-compute, they need resilient infrastructure. This session highlights how purpose-built power and cooling solutions can eliminate operational bottlenecks, mitigate risks, and unlock the full potential of AI in enterprise environments. This session explores how advanced critical infrastructure, including fortified power management and precision cooling, can optimize IT environments for AI integration. Learn how smart infrastructure choices can improve security posture, maximize uptime, and reduce energy waste while supporting AI-driven business objectives.

Raymond Kirby is a Solutions Architect at TPx. Ray has worked in the IT industry for over 30 years with extensive experience in all aspects of information technologies and telecommunications systems. He has a well-rounded background with comprehensive experience in engineering, consulting, sales, operations and service roles, with a history of driving results. Ray has worked for some of the top telecommunications companies, such as TPx, Avaya, Nortel, Sonus Networks, BT Syntegra, Spectrum Enterprise and Time Warner Cable, while also supporting some of the top value-added service providers such as AT&T and Verizon. He was trained as a Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt and has achieved numerous certifications throughout his career from manufacturers such as Fortinet, Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya and Nortel. Ray has most recently acquired the CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+ industry certifications.

Synopsis

TPx is an industry leading managed services provider that offers a range of IT solutions for businesses. Their managed and advisory services include cloud communications, networking, cybersecurity, and data management. They help businesses increase productivity and resiliency with best-in-class technology and expert support. TPx explores Defense in Depth, a multi-layered cybersecurity strategy designed to protect businesses from evolving threats. Attendees will learn how combining multiple security controls—spanning network, endpoint, data, and access protection—creates a resilient defense against cyberattacks. The session will highlight key principles, real-world applications, and best practices to strengthen security posture and ensure business continuity.

Michael Soule specializes in product development and innovation for public cloud technologies at Sentinel Technologies, a nationwide managed services provider. He has extensive experience in consulting on identity, governance, and administration for a wide range of customers.

Synopsis

Ensuring a secure identity is crucial in today's cybersecurity practices, but unfortunately, traditional identity practices are outdated and not entirely secure. In this upcoming exploration, we will delve into the challenges that many encounter when attempting to adopt more modern and secure identity practices. Prepare yourself for a wealth of informative insights as well as practical and actionable guidance that can help you improve your security practices.

Sajeel is the Director of services with 15+ years of experience in planning, deploying, managing and supporting multiple projects for SMB and large enterprises. Areas of technical expertise include but are not limited to Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, Exchange (on-premises, online, hybrid), Microsoft Teams with phone system, Endpoint Manger (Intune), Microsoft security and compliance including Microsoft Defender and XDR.

Synopsis

• What challenges do small and medium businesses face in the era of AI?
• Do you have comprehensive Zero-Trust and data security?
• Do you have the right tools to fuel productivity?
• How does the Microsoft 365 Purview (Data protection) enable secure productivity while helping reduce IT cost and complexity?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is transforming the way small and medium businesses approach work by integrating AI-powered productivity with a robust Zero-Trust security model that protects your identities, devices, and data so you can embrace AI with confidence. Centralized management maximizes your IT investment, reduces complexity, and cuts costs by simplifying management from the Microsoft Cloud—enabling AI-powered productivity. The integrated best-in-class productivity apps and cloud services pave the way for faster time to value when you attach Copilot for M365.

Connor Beltran is an Enterprise Account Executive at Verkada, based in Denver, Colorado. He holds a BS in Finance from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Connor has extensive experience in cloud networking and physical security solutions.

Speaker's Bio

Anthony Magliocchino is an Enterprise Account Executive at Verkada, specializing in the Colorado SLED market. Based in Denver, he holds a degree in Finance from the University of Utah. Anthony has extensive experience in sales and security solutions and is dedicated to modernizing physical security through IoT technology.

Synopsis

In today's world, IT leaders must integrate advanced physical security while maintaining ease of management. Verkada's hybrid cloud solution offers a transformative approach, combining on-site hardware reliability with cloud flexibility. This talk will explore how Verkada's platform enhances security, featuring:

-Real-time Monitoring: High-definition cameras accessible from any device, anywhere.
-Intelligent Analytics: AI-driven insights for proactive security measures.
-Centralized Management: Simplified multi-site management via an intuitive dashboard.
-Scalability and Flexibility: Seamless scalability for organizations of all sizes.
-Enhanced Data Security: Robust protocols ensuring data protection and compliance.

Join this session to learn how Verkada's hybrid cloud solution can revolutionize your physical security strategy, offering control, visibility, and peace of mind. Perfect for IT leaders seeking modern solutions for asset protection and safety.

Communicating IT in the Language of the Business: A Critical Leadership Skill

Michael's Topic

Cyber Risk Quantification

Jesse's Topic

Mentorship Matters: Paying it Forward

Synopsis

The executive roundtables are for attendees with VIP badges only. The roundtables are intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

Veena is an accomplished C-level technology and business executive with 20+ years of experience in digital transformation, product innovation, and scaling global B2B and fintech platforms. Proven success in leading enterprise growth, optimizing operations, and driving revenue expansion across financial services, e-commerce, and technology sectors.

JP's Bio

JP is a strategic leader who successfully combines C-suite management skills with technical capability. This unique combination allows him to serve in roles ranging from Functional Executive to Technical Consultant. With experience spanning industries including Healthcare, Financial Services, Telecom, Retail & Manufacturing, JP has helped profitably grow startup companies as well as Enterprise organizations. His technical knowledge in emerging technologies such as Blockchain, AI & IOT has allowed him to create and apply successful IT strategies for immediate and long-term results.

Sundaresh's Bio

Sundaresh Sathasivan is a technology executive who is passionate about driving software engineering teams to develop impactful solutions for customers. His expertise lies in leading technology transformation for large companies that want to improve customer reach through technology. He has experience in leading teams through the entire digital transformation lifecycle, which includes strategy, organization change management, software development, DevOps, enterprise architecture, and cloud operations. He is currently VP and Chief Architect at Western Union in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Georgianna's Bio

Georgianna is a Cybersecurity Executive, Technologist, and Board Advisor, who specializes in driving innovation, risk management, and threat mitigation for national security and critical infrastructure. With extensive experience leading cyber defense initiatives, AI & quantum security strategies, and policy development, she works to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and real-world cybersecurity solutions.
In her role as Chief Technologist at the Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab (TCIL), she leads initiatives to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, ensuring they are tested, validated, and deployed effectively. As a board advisor and contributor, Georgianna engages in shaping industry best practices and advancing cybersecurity resilience.

Synopsis

This panel brings together national policy influencers, technology experts and industry leaders to discuss the evolving challenges of critical infrastructure (CI) resilience. From AI-driven threats and adversarial AI to cybersecurity and supply chain continuity, panelists will explore strategic approaches to safeguard the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, ensuring rapid recovery and operational continuity in times of crisis. The panel will discuss CI at a high level, different areas that can get impacted, and discuss a prominent local company as an example on how it can secure itself. This is a topic that touches on several areas necessary to operate in a disruptive environment.

This session will include audience Q&A.

Jonathan is an innovative executive technology leader with expertise in AI Strategy, Cybersecurity, M&A integration, and IT Transformation. Proven ability to scale organizations for rapid growth, drive EBITDA gains, and lead technology integration in Fortune 500 and mid-market enterprises and early-stage companies. Skilled in application development, IT infrastructure, IT operations, cloud architecture (AWS, Azure), ERP systems (Oracle, SAP, Acumatica), DevOps, data warehousing, and business intelligence.

Synopsis

This session will include audience Q&A.

Green Shoe Consulting (GSC) was created to help IT Security leaders find greatness. Greatness in the form of performing your best in your career, creating a healthy work life balance, building dynamic, innovative cultures, retaining talented employees and generating the confidence and trust needed to thrive.
Our founder, Steve Shelton, has decades of experience selling to IT Security practitioners with companies like Symantec, RSA, Proofpoint and Avanan (now Check Point). We leverage this knowledge with human and performance psychology to elevate IT Security practitioners to optimal performance levels.
GSC teaches skills that are scientifically tested and researched. Our mindset training has been used by the world’s top high performing leaders, from Olympians and professional athletes, to Fortune 100 executives, to A-list celebrities, and now you.

Synopsis

This presentation will explore the secrets to achieving a harmonious work-life balance. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or simply looking for ways to improve your well-being, this event is for you.
Attendees will learn the science behind stress, how it manifests into burnout, discuss the symptoms of burnout and walk away with simple (yet highly effective) skills you can begin using immediately to prevent and minimize the negative effects of significant stress and burnout. Learn from real-life stories and gain valuable insights to find the balance you deserve.
Join us in connecting with like-minded individuals, share experiences, and find inspiration.