About Us
We are transforming the cyber security landscape
Girls Can Hack was founded in 2014 as a pioneering organization committed to transforming the cybersecurity landscape. From the beginning, our mission has been to close the gender gap in cybersecurity and to shine a light on the systemic barriers that prevent women from entering and advancing in the information security field.
The underrepresentation of women—particularly in technical roles—has real and dangerous consequences. A lack of diverse talent weakens our collective ability to prevent and respond to cyber threats. Today’s escalating wave of successful cyberattacks is a stark reminder that our digital defenses remain incomplete without the full spectrum of voices, skills, and perspectives.
At Girls Can Hack, we believe digital security must shift from reactive to proactive—and that means investing in the diverse talent that can shape stronger, smarter solutions. Unfortunately, governments, industries, and institutions still lag in prioritizing the recruitment and advancement of women in cybersecurity roles.
By closing the gender gap, we not only work toward equity—we take a vital step toward building a safer, more resilient digital future for all.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Soledad Antelada Toledano
Meet Our Team
Emma Fuentes
Program Manager
Annie Rimmon
Security Program Manager
Our Technical Advisory Board
The Cybersecurity Technical Advisory Board for Girls Can Hack is a specialized group composed of highly skilled and experienced women professionals in the field of cybersecurity. The board's main objective is to provide guidance, mentorship, and technical expertise to support and empower young girls and women interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity through the Girls Can Hack initiative.​
Members of the advisory board are chosen based on their deep knowledge, expertise, and accomplishments in various domains of cybersecurity. They have extensive experience in areas such as ethical hacking, network security, cryptography, digital forensics, secure coding, and risk management. Their diverse backgrounds and skill sets allow them to provide valuable insights and guidance to aspiring girls and women in the cybersecurity field.
Advisory Board Members
Caroline Wong
Director of Cybersecurity, Teradata
Vanessa Sauter
Principal Solutions Architect, Prop
Apoorva Phadke
Director of Security Engineering, HPE Aruba Networking
Lindsey Whitehurst
Senior Cybersecurity Software Engineer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Meera Rao
Vice President of Information Security, F5
Spain Chapter Members
Noelia Barreiro
Profesora FP Informática, CIFP de Avilés
Claudia Sánchez
Consultora en ciberseguridad, NTT DATA Europe & Latam
Timeline of Accomplishments
2014
Founded as a grassroots effort to address the gender gap in cybersecurity.
2016-2018
Piloted first local workshops and mentorship events in San Francisco, expanding reach through schools and community centers.
2019
Launched Digital Safety Ambassador program; increased partnerships with educators and local tech companies.
2020
Shifted to online programming during the pandemic, expanding global access and developing multilingual training materials.
2021
GirlsCanHack Summit established as an annual gathering of industry leaders and aspiring cybersecurity professionals.
2022
Participated in CISA Town Hall, highlighting the role of women in combating global cyber threats and human trafficking.
2023
New chapter launched in Spain; regular participation in international cybersecurity conferences.
2024-2025
Sky Girls Kenya collaboration begins, delivering culturally contextual cybersecurity training to girls in Nairobi.
2025-2026
Developing a new partnership with Nalanda Academy, India, to provide cybersecurity education to rural and marginalized girls.