2025 FORGE SUMMIT
Forging innovation & security for a resilient tomorrow!
2025 FORGE SUMMIT DETAILS
Welcome to the 2025 Forge Summit!
Main Event: September 17-18, 2025
Classified Day: September 19, 2025
Location: Central Arkansas - Exact Location will be shared via email.
Join us for a day filled with cybersecurity, emerging technology and national security insights, innovative technologies, and networking opportunities. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the field, this summit is the place to be. Learn from industry experts, engage in interactive sessions, and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of cyber & emerging technology. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!
Sponsorship Opportunities: Entities wishing to become a sponsor of this year’s event should email summit@forge.institute for more information.
Speaking Opportunities: Call for presenters
Security: Attendees must be U.S. Citizens. The event is "off the record" and closed to the press/media. Chatham House Rules Apply. We reserve the right to deny admittance to anyone for any reason. Attendees agree to follow all posted and verbal security instructions.
Clearances: Those who register for the 19 SEPT Classified day must have a final granted TS/SI/TK/NF clearance. Do not register if you don't. Additional information will be sent via email.
Other: A limited amount of scholarships are available for students. Ask our team for details.
2025 Sponsors
FIRESIDE CHAT: CYBER SURVIVABILITY
War Stories and Lessons from the Frontlines of Nation-State Attacks and Global Ransomware
In today’s digital battlefield, it’s no longer a question of if you’ll be breached—but when. For over three decades, Gregory Crabb has stood at the crossroads of cybersecurity, resilience, and public service—investigating nation-state adversaries, defending critical infrastructure, and restoring operational continuity under fire. This keynote takes attendees beyond theory into the gritty, high-stakes world of cyber survivability—a doctrine forged in real-world incidents and refined in national-scale exercises.
Drawing on three defining stories from his career, Crabb explores what it truly means to operationalize resilience in the face of evolving threats:
2014 USPS Breach: One of the earliest “living-off-the-land” cyber espionage campaigns by China targeting federal employee data. Crabb led the investigation and compares its long-term impact to the OPM breach. The lesson: you must assume breach and architect for survival, not just prevention.
Cyber Command Exercises: Over six years of participation in USCYBERCOM’s Cyber Flag exercises taught Crabb that winning in cyberspace is about planning for persistence, loss, and disruption. These exercises provided a blueprint for military-grade survivability adapted to enterprise environments.
WannaCry and FedEx: When ransomware crippled FedEx—one of USPS's most critical partners—Crabb, then CISO of the Postal Service, sprang into action. His team had patched 200,000 endpoints in days and maintained continuity. But when a partner failed, the consequences were national. The takeaway: continuity depends on the entire supply chain, not just your perimeter.
Beth-Anne Bygum, SVP, CISO, Q2 will interview Gregg Crabb. Insights from the interview will offer a pragmatic framework for “Minimum Viable Business”, risk-based restoration, fallback environment design, and how to lead decisively when your organization becomes ground zero for a cyber crisis.
Attendees will leave with:
A fresh mental model for resilience: “assume breach, ensure mission”
Actionable approaches to test, measure, and improve survivability
Hard-won lessons from global-scale incidents that reshaped federal and commercial continuity strategies
2025 Summit Speaker Lineup (More to Come)
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Jim Richberg
Head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO
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H. Beth Anne Bygum
CISO
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Cherilyn Pascoe
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Zak Morris
Founder
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Gregory Crabb
Founder / Principal Cybersecurity Consultant
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Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala
CEO
Securin -
Eric Wall
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Bill Carter
Public Sector Cybersecurity Strategist
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Tom Flak
Director, Cyber Operations
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Ramzi Harb
Senior Solutions Architect
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Andy Jones
Director, Solutions Engineering
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Tim Springston
Product Manager, ADFR & DRET
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Shane Jennings
Regional Director
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Jonathan Askins
fmr CIO
State of Arkansas
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Christian Young
AI Security Engineer
2025 Summit Agenda
September 17, 2025
08:00 AM Welcome / Forge Annual Report
Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
08:30 AM Enabling Digital Transformation
Jim Richberg, Head of Cyber Policy & Global Field CISO, Fortinet
Jim Richberg will share lessons he has learned throughout his extensive career and how he changed the way he operates. He will discuss how AI is an example of ‘the latest shiny object.
09:00 AM TBA
09:45 AM Networking Break
10:00 AM Innovation Alley Presentations
Shane Jennings, Regional Director, Forge Institute
Innovators from across the state and region will be invited to showcase their Innovations and products. They will also be available in Innovation Alley, located in the hallway outside the main room.
10:30 AM AI as an Attack Vector: Critical Infrastructure Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, CEO, Securin
Software runs the world but expands attack surfaces. AI’s unconstrained learning creates novel threats, amplified by flawed data. This keynote will explore how offensive and adversarial AI research can turn the tide.
11:00 AM TBA
11:30 AM Lunch - Presented by Semperis
1:00 PM From Chaos to Control: Rethinking Cyber Crisis Management
Tim Springston, Product Manager, Semperis
Are you confident that your cyber incident response plan can withstand the pressure of a real-world threat? Unfortunately, traditional approaches to crisis management often fall short when they’re needed most. That’s why leading organizations are transforming their response strategies before the next crisis hits.
1:30 PM Fireside Chat: From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Strategic Leadership in a Complex World
Eric Wall, CISO, University of Arkansas System & Special Guest
A fireside chat-style session exploring leadership, organizational change, and security in a complex, evolving world.
2:00 PM Networking Break
2:15 PM Panel: What’s on a CIO/CISO’s Mind?
Moderator: Jonathan Askins, former CIO, State of Arkansas
3:00 PM TBA
3:45 PM Networking Break
4:00 PM TBA
4:30 PM Closing Remarks
Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
Travel to downtown
6:00 PM Happy Hour - presented by Heartland Business Systems
Southern Tail Brewing Company
September 18, 2025
08:00 AM Welcome
Lee Watson, Chairman & CEO, Forge Institute
08:05 AM Presentation: AI in Financial Services
Christian Young, AI Security Engineer, Q2
Interviewed by: H. Beth-Anne Bygum, CISO, Q2
09:00 AM Offense Driven Defense
Ramzi Harb, Senior Solution Architect, Horizon3.ai
The core of an offense-driven strategy is to prioritize from the attacker's perspective by continuously and autonomously testing the environment to discover and verify exploitable weaknesses. Instead of just identifying vulnerabilities, this method focuses on proving their potential impact through simulated attacks that chain together multiple weaknesses to compromise critical assets.
09:45 AM Networking Break
10:00 AM Keynote: Overview of the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE)
Cherilyn Pascoe, Director, National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, NIST
Cheri Pascoe, the NCCoE Director, will provide an overview of the NCCoE and its work to accelerate the adoption of secure technology by demonstrating standards-based, end-to-end cybersecurity solutions. This presentation will include an overview of the NCCoE’s current research projects and insight into emerging cybersecurity issues for future collaboration.
10:30 AM TBA
11:00 AM Fireside Chat: Cyber Survivability: War Stories and Lessons from the Frontlines of Nation-State Attacks and Global Ransomware
H. Beth-Anne Bygum, CISO, Q2 & Greg Crabb, Founder & CEO, 10-8, LLC
Joined by the former CISO of the United States Postal Service, Greg Crabb, Beth-Anne Bygum will discuss lessons learned from attacks from adversarial nation-states and the effects of ransomware.
11:30 AM Lunch - Presented by Secure Passage
1:00 PM AI Use for Creativity
Zak Morris, Founder, Triton Studios
Zak Morris will present how AI is revolutionizing the world of creativity through exciting demonstrations.
1:30 PM TTPIA: Operationalizing the MITRE ATT&CK Framework
Bill Carter, Public Sector Strategist, Fortinet
Bill Carter is a dynamic cybersecurity leader with a passion for securing the digital world and educating others on the evolving threat landscape. He will discuss why the MITRE ATT&CK framework matters in today's digital world.
2:00 PM Use of AI & Emerging Tech to Enhance Physical Security
Andy Jones, Director of Solutions Engineering, Secure Passage
From AI analyzing the physical behaviors of people, to biometrics, AI and emerging technologies are improving the way we physically secure our assets.
2:30 PM TBA
3:15 PM Closing Remarks
September 19, 2025 * CLASSIFIED DAY
Note. Attendees must have an active, final granted TS/SI/TK clearance to attend. Select the additional ticket here.
07:00 AM Arrive / Security & Badge Pickup / Coffee & Networking
08:00 AM Housekeeping
08:15 AM Welcome Remarks: BG Chad Bridges, Adjutant General, AR National Gaurd
8:30 AM Air Force Office of Special Investigations
09:00 AM Presentation
10:00 AM National Reconnaissance Office
10:45 AM Presentation
11:30 AM Presentation
12:15 PM Closing Remarks
2024 Summit Highlights
2024’s Summit was in Collaboration with Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin
PAST SPEAKER ORGANIZATIONS
Previous Speakers
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Summit Logistics
The Venue
The 2025 Event will be held in Central Arkansas. Details provided upon registration.
Who may attend?
Attendees must be a US Citizen. Forge & our partners reserve the right to deny entry to any person or any reason. If we do, we will issue a full refund for the price paid for registration, but not lodging.
Lodging
Convenient lodging options are available at hotels in downtown Little Rock, ensuring a comfortable stay during the summit.
Getting Around
We recommend using UBER or YELLOW CAB to get around the city. Rental cars are available at the airport. Your hotel may offer shuttle services as well.
Flights
Clinton National Airport (LIT) offers great regional access.
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