Innovate Cybersecurity: Local Chapter Events
About Innovate Nashville Peer Panel - May 7th, 2025
The panel will be featuring vendor-agnostic cybersecurity topics chosen by our CISO panelists. We encourage this to be an open discussion with all professionals in attendance for further collaboration.
This event is for cybersecurity and information security practitioners only. If you are a software vendor, please send sponsorship inquires to info@innovatecybersecurity.com
Register for Innovate Peer Panel - Nashville
5pm - 6pm
CISO Peer Panel
Join our panelists on insightful topics curated by the panel.
More About Our Speakers
Elliott Franklin
Senior VP & CISO | Fortitude-RE
Elliott Franklin is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Fortitude-RE, where he leverages over 20 years of expertise in cybersecurity, business strategy, and risk management to protect and empower his organization. Known for his ability to align technical strategies with business goals, Elliott has a proven track record of building high-performing security programs, implementing industry-recognized frameworks like NIST CSF, and earning leadership trust through measurable results. From securing systems for school districts as a teenager to transforming Fortitude-RE's cybersecurity landscape, his career exemplifies innovation and impact. A passionate leader and mentor, Elliott believes in empowering teams, fostering collaboration, and integrating security seamlessly into business operations. He is a dedicated community advocate, serving on local boards such as the Middle Tennessee ISSA as well as the RSA Security Conference Program Committee. Elliott’s engaging storytelling, humor, and actionable insights make him a sought-after speaker for conferences, where he shares practical strategies for addressing cybersecurity challenges while driving business success.
Ben Hicks
CISO | National HealthCare Corporation
Bio Coming Soon!
Barbee Mooneyhan
CISO | Uplight
Barbee Mooneyhan is a VP of Security, IT, and Privacy, intertwining her passions for helping and protecting people. While studying Psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she started her career in IT in 2002. After graduating, she continued her love of technology and making a difference in others' lives by entering the healthcare industry. She's grown her career in IT from Service, Operations, and Technical Instructional Design to finding her true passion in Information Security and Privacy. Since then, she has built and matured multiple organizations' IT Service and Operations, Privacy, Incident Response, Product Security, Threat Hunting, Vulnerability Management, Penetration Testing, GRC, and Security Awareness programs. As a leader for the WiCyS Tennessee Affiliate and the WiCyS BISO Affiliate and a mentor with WiCyS and WiTT, she finds fulfillment in sharing her knowledge and experience through allyship, mentorship, and industry education.
What is Innovate Cybersecurity?
At Innovate Cybersecurity, our mission is to deliver insightful educational content and foster a community of collaborative security professionals through our in-person conference series and online resources.
Founded in 2018 with the launch of the Innovate Cybersecurity Summit, our goal has always been to provide expert-level education in a more intimate setting that encourages meaningful networking among security professionals.
Following the success of our conferences, we expanded our mission to serve the broader cybersecurity community. Today, Innovate offers timely advisories on emerging threats and vulnerabilities, in-depth educational guides, industry insights, and candid commentary on a wide range of cybersecurity topics.
What makes Innovate unique is that it is built by security practitioners, for security practitioners. As technical security professionals, we share our firsthand experiences and industry findings to cut through the noise and deliver actionable information that IT and security teams can rely on to excel in their roles.
In 2025, we are excited to bring Innovate to local cities across the country. By building regional communities, we aim to further empower security professionals and expand the reach of meaningful collaboration and education.