Maeve Security Podcast

Ep 3: Coleen Coolidge — Insights from a Recovering CISO

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:30:02 -0300

In this episode, Kendra sits down with Coleen Coolidge, a two-time CISO with over 25 years in tech (20 of them in security), who built security and trust programs from the ground up on the belief that great security is a team sport. Now a self-described "recovering CISO," Coleen invests in early-stage startups and works as a Field CISO at formal.ai, all while thinking hard about what AI means for both defenders and attackers.

Coleen's origin story is one many in security will relate to: she didn't choose this field, it chose her. What started as a mortgage data project in 2004 turned into a career-defining moment when a security reviewer named Ian showed up, tore the project apart, and changed the entire trajectory of her career.

In this episode, Coleen shares:

- How being "tricked" into security by a mentor led to two decades in the field

- Why the best security leaders are well-versed generalists, not narrow specialists

- The real day-to-day of being a CISO (hint: it's more politics and advocacy than pure technical work)

- Retiring, and immediately getting pulled back in by founders who wouldn't let her leave the industry alone

- Becoming a Field CISO and what that role actually looks like

- Why people skills matter more than technical expertise when it comes to getting things done

- The Security Padel community she started to get security people off their screens and away from unhealthy happy-hour culture

- The surprising parallels between sales teams and security teams, and what security can learn from GTM

- How the experience of being a woman in security has shifted since she started in 2005

This conversation is packed with hard-earned wisdom on burnout, mentorship, and building a career that outlasts any one job title.

🔗 Connect with Coleen: Find her on LinkedIn under Coleen C

Learn more about formal.ai, a protocol-aware proxy security company

Ep 2: Dawn Butler — From Soldering Circuits to Cybersecurity Governance

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:27:43 -0300

This week, the tables turn as Kendra welcomes a fellow podcast host to the show: Dawn Butler, host of Bytes, Bits, and Brilliance and a 23-year veteran of senior leadership at Citi, most recently in Global Identity and Access Management under the CISO organization.

Dawn's path into cybersecurity started far from where it ended up: an electrical engineering degree, and nearly two decades as a software engineer before pivoting into governance and policy. Her story is candid, funny, and refreshingly honest about the messier parts of a "successful" career.

In this episode, Dawn shares:

- How a college friend's phone call led her into a computer programming job she never expected to take

- Teaching herself Oracle databases in a single intense weekend

- The shift from hands-on technical work to global governance and leadership, and the mental adjustment that came with it

- Getting physically burned out early in her career (including tendonitis from overwork) and what it taught her about limits

- Getting laid off in 2024 while on leave, and the surprising relief that came with it

- From Pause to Power, the healing circle she created to support women navigating layoffs, unemployment, and career transitions

- Why representation and visibility still matter, and her call for more women and people of color to show up and be seen in this industry

This is a conversation about burnout, reinvention, and giving yourself permission to not have it all figured out, even 20+ years into a career.

🔗 Connect with Dawn: Podcast: Bytes, Bits, and Brilliance (wherever you listen)

Find her on LinkedIn Reach out directly to learn more about From Pause to Power

Ep 1: Cheryl Biswas — From Political Science to Threat Intelligence

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 21:34:54 -0300

Welcome to the very first episode of the Maeve Security Podcast! Host Kendra sits down with cybersecurity analyst and researcher Cheryl Biswas for a conversation that's equal parts inspiring, honest, and hard-won wisdom.

Cheryl's path into cybersecurity is anything but traditional. She holds a degree in political science, was once told she "couldn't learn computers," and worked her way up through help desk, admin, and mainframe roles before landing in the threat intelligence world — where she now tracks APTs, ransomware, botnets, and supply chain risks to critical infrastructure.

In this episode, Cheryl opens up about:

- Her unconventional career journey — from being discouraged in math class to becoming a leading voice in threat intel

- Getting laid off after a long career at a bank, and how she's navigating the job search with resilience

- Her passion project on critical infrastructure resilience and a talk on Arctic sovereignty and cybersecurity for Canada

- Burnout, isolation, and mental health in cybersecurity — and why checking in on people who go quiet matters

- Her work as a founding board member of The Diana Initiative, supporting women, transgender people, and neurodivergent folks in security

- The power of mentorship, community, and just saying "yes" to opportunities Whether you're new to cybersecurity, considering a career change, or just need a reminder that persistence pays off, this conversation is packed with heart and hard-earned advice.

🔗 Connect with Cheryl:

Blog: cyber-watch.ca

Find her on LinkedIn Catch her at DEF CON's Adversary Village and Hackfest

🔗 Learn more about The Diana Initiative: supporting women and underrepresented groups in cybersecurity through mentorship and an annual conference in Las Vegas.