#277 - BlackGirlsHack: Building a community and impactful legacy with Rebekah Skeete

On this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast we speak with Rebekah Skeete, Executive Director and CEO of BlackGirlsHack Foundation. Rebekah dives into how BGH is helping to increase diversity in cybersecurity by bridging the gap between what is taught in educational institutions and what is necessary for careers in cybersecurity.

For more information visit: https://www.blackgirlshack.org/Home

Rebekah Skeete is a Security Engineer with Schellman based in Dallas, Texas. As a member of the Infrastructure and Security team, Rebekah is part of a collaborative group of technology professionals serving as the primary technical resource to safeguard the organization's computer networks and systems. In her role, she is responsible for planning and carrying out security measures to monitor and protect sensitive data and systems from infiltration and cyber-attacks.

Prior to joining Schellman in 2022, Rebekah worked for the Texas Rangers in a myriad of roles, including Cybersecurity Analyst and Manager of IT Applications and Operations. During the construction of the Rangers new state-of-the-art ballpark, Globe Life Field, Rebekah assisted the Rangers IT department’s efforts to transition over 200 front office employees to their new workspaces.

Outside baseball and IT, Rebekah is also interested in politics and started volunteering for campaigns in 2008. From 2013-2016, she served as a Campaign Manager in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2015, she attended the Women’s Campaign School at Yale.

Rebekah is the COO of BlackGirlsHack, a nonprofit organization providing black women with resources, training, mentoring, and access to increase representation and diversity in the cybersecurity field. Committed to inclusion and belonging, she holds the firm belief that representation enhances the culture and community of an organization and seeks to amplify underserved voices at any table she has a seat.

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