Recorded live in Philadelphia—now streaming to your screen. Join the conversation and hear directly from security leaders as they share how they’re staying ahead of evolving threats (and opportunities) in 2026.
In this peer-driven discussion, cybersecurity leaders unpack the AI security balancing act: protecting AI systems, governing emerging risks, and building defenses that can keep pace with machine‑speed operations.
Matt Franz is the AI Security Lead at Bespin Global where he is building products at the intersection of Cloud, SecOps, and AI. With over 25 years of experience in both early-stage startups to mature enterprises, Matt blends the perspective of an executive leader with the hands-on expertise of an operator and builder. His background includes founding the Cloud Operations team for a new Cloud SIEM at a prominent cybersecurity firm, serving as VP of Production Engineering at a leading email security provider, and directing global security engineering at a major identity company, reporting up to the CISO. A former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst, Matt currently focuses on large-scale data platforms, security analytics, infrastructure automation and using generative AI for offensive and defensive use cases.
Beth Finn is a technology leader dedicated to using innovation to solve meaningful problems. She is a self-described motivator, sky reacher, and over-achiever. After studying Biochemistry and Computer Science at the University of Delaware, she embarked on a career that began with writing C++ and Java.
Today, as a Program Director for Elsevier's Health Markets division, she works with brilliant teams to build AI-driven products that empower medical professionals to make better decisions and manage patient data securely. A firm believer that AI is a powerful tool for positive change, she encourages its thoughtful and responsible use. A fierce advocate for women and girls in STEM, the brain tumor community, and the city of Philadelphia, where she lives just blocks from the Liberty Bell, Beth is passionate about building a better world through technology.
Lalit is an accomplished executive with cross functional and global experience across eight industries in Public, PE and VC backed companies of all sizes. Those have ranged from CPG and Consumer electronics companies like Sony, Altria and Harman to industrial products like Tronox and Netceed and medical devices like Orthosensor. He has also consulted with a wide variety of PE companies for due diligence and value creation projects. Lalit’s career has been at the intersection of technology and operations as either a CIO/CDO leading global technology teams or a COO/CSCO heading the operations and supply chain
function. He has used AI in several transformation projects at scale across his many roles. He currently consults on technology initiatives through his company Versento.
Lalit completed his B.Tech (Hons.) degree in Mechanical Engineering at the NIT, Calicut, followed by an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a Master’s in Supply Chain Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. He lives in Princeton, NJ and writes blogs in many business and trade journals and speaks at various industry events on IT & Supply Chain Systems.
Kristen Bender is a senior technology executive and former Chief Information Officer with deep expertise in global digital transformation. Known for building high-performing, trust-driven teams, she has successfully led organizations through ERP, cloud, and advanced analytics initiatives across manufacturing, marine, and industrial sectors. Kristen is passionate about turning complexity into opportunity—driving technology-enabled growth and operational excellence to create lasting business impact.
Steven Singer is the Chief Information Officer of Julius Silvert Inc., a century-old food distribution company serving the Mid-Atlantic. He is leading a full-scale ERP modernization, migrating from legacy S2K to Dynamics 365, with deep integration into BFC Dakota WMS, Paycom, Adobe Commerce, and Shopify Plus. Steven drives operational efficiency through IoT telemetry with Samsara, centralized analytics in Azure Data Lake/PowerBI, and GS1 Release 25.0 compliance for over 7,000 active SKUs. He is also advancing the company’s use of artificial intelligence, including AI-powered product mapping and menu intelligence to streamline ordering and enhance e-commerce accuracy. Positioned as a succession candidate for CEO, he combines technical modernization with business development leadership.
Cerulion is a cross-platform robot middleware that is redefining the developer experience for robots. Gone are the days of clunky installs, dependency management hell, or slow and finicky comms with ROS and ROS 2. Cerulion just works -- cross-platform, zero config and built for speed. Bring your robot dreams to life all the way from inception to production without skipping a beat.
The maritime industry is the backbone of global trade and is responsible for moving over 80% of the world's goods. Yet this critical sector has been plagued by a persistent data gap in asset maintenance and performance. Fleet Robotics is developing advanced autonomous robotics specifically engineered to close this information gap. Our autonomous bipedal robots make it easy to reach and monitor previously inaccessible large assets, specifically ship hulls, transforming decision-making from guesswork to data-informed strategy.
By enabling continuous access to vessel hulls while ships remain in operation, we're collecting unprecedented data on hull condition and performance. This transforms how operators maintain their vessels, moving from reactive, scheduled maintenance to proactive, condition-based optimization. In an industry where fuel represents up to 60% of operational costs, our solution drives efficiency while reducing environmental impact, demonstrating how specialized robotics can revolutionize asset management in challenging environments.
Square Robot, founded in 2016, is an innovator in the world of robotic tank inspections, providing leading edge on-stream, internal tank inspections across the globe. Through its development of autonomous, submersible robotic inspection technology, data acquisition, and processing, Square Robot is uniquely positioned to provide data driven solutions in an ever-growing range of industries, above ground storage tanks, and the products they store.
Ubiros, specializes in fully electric soft robotic grippers designed to handle delicate, irregular, and fragile items with unmatched control. Unlike pneumatic or hydraulic systems, their grippers use precision motors to adjust grip force and position in real time—no air lines, compressors, or fluids required. This all-electric design ensures cleaner operation, lower maintenance, and better adaptability across industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics where consistency and safety matter most.
Barrett Technology is a pioneering robotics company based in Newton, Massachusetts, renowned for developing advanced robotic systems that interact safely and intuitively with humans. Their flagship products include the WAM® arm, BarrettHand™, and Burt®—an FDA-registered medical device designed to promote brain plasticity during stroke recovery. These systems are powered by Barrett’s proprietary Puck® motor controllers, which are among the most compact and precise in the industry, enabling smooth and safe human-robot interactions.
When two architects from Zaha Hadid’s research lab first approached robotics, their idea was to explore applications specific to architectural engineering. But they soon discovered that modern automation wasn’t just unnecessarily complex – it was actively restricting innovation. And not just within their industry – in many others too. It was clear that robotic automation was a field where their combined experience in computational research and design could make a real difference.
Assembling a team of industry experts, Automata was founded with a clear aim: to enable new opportunities for innovation with automation.
Automata’s focus narrowed on an industry where they felt their expertise could have the most impact: the life sciences. Today, most lab automation tends to be defined by a series of very specialized benchtop instruments that are still reliant on human interaction. But Automata saw an opportunity for a new way of looking at automation in the life sciences: open, integrated automation.
That’s how they came to develop the world’s first fully automated lab bench, and its accompanying software. This enables labs to use staff and resources more effectively by ensuring total walkaway time and consistency, without compromising on valuable lab space.
Broad cybersecurity leadership experience and expertise in the financial and healthcare industries and government. 20 year track record of success in cybersecurity, systems development and integration and critical infrastructure protection, driving technical, operational and strategic initiatives. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP). Current and former industry leadership roles include: FS ISAC Board of Directors, Global Cybersecurity Alliance Strategic Advisory Committee, National Cybersecurity Alliance Board of Directors, AI Security Alliance Board, FS ISAC Threat Intelligence Committee and Fellow at the George Mason University National Security Institute.
Silas Adams is a 22-year information security veteran and currently serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Pep Boys. A former Marine, he sharpened his craft supporting missions at U.S. Cyber Command, the NSA, DIA, and (what is now) the CIA’s Directorate of Digital Innovation, and later served as a DARPA Innovation Fellow within the Information Innovation Office (I2O).
In the private sector, Silas has spent time at PwC, Cognizant, Wells Fargo, Chesapeake Utilities, RubiconMD, Oak Street Health, Lincoln Investment, and others, building cybersecurity expertise across highly regulated industries. He is known for pairing deep technical rigor with pragmatic leadership, he drives security transformations that enable business outcomes while delivering and transforming technology ecosystems that are secure, compliant, scalable, and built for speed. His risk-oriented approach to building, transforming and leading secure digital ecosystems enables organizations to seize opportunities throughout their business lifecycle, intelligently embrace risk to yield returns and cause disruptive innovation.
I lead offensive security organizations that combine engineering discipline with adversary-driven testing to improve resilience at enterprise scale.
Today I lead an organization responsible for attack emulation, penetration testing, BAS, bug bounty alignment, and control validation. My focus is risk-driven security: prioritize what matters most, test it continuously, and partner cross-functionally to drive remediation outcomes.
I’ve built and led offensive security programs across healthcare, retail, and technology environments, including high-scale cloud systems and sensitive data ecosystems. I’m especially passionate about developing high-performing teams and translating complex technical risk into clear executive decisions and measurable outcomes.
Chris Maenner is a security business leader at Ybor Technologies, where he leads initiatives of AI, cloud infrastructure, and cyber defense. As the founder of Palmtree Ventures and a lead organizer behind BSidesPhilly and Defcon Blue Team Village, he brings both executive perspective and hands-on security expertise to the conversation. Chris focuses on building intelligent, secure, multi-cloud platforms and helping organizations harness AI not just for automation, but as a strategic advantage in modern cyber defense.
