Listen to Ashley Cook's inspiring journey as she shares how cybersecurity courses from VetsinTech have advanced her career at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Her story is not just about personal achievement; it's a clear illustration of the practical benefits of targeted education and skill-building. If you're considering a career move into cybersecurit...
This month in honor of #WomensHistoryMonth we proudly celebrate the many women veterans, milspouses and those in active duty, as continue to support them in their transition into tech as well as those involved in entrepreneurship. Learn about their journeys, challenges, success, and advice on how they landed in their roles in the tech industry and ...
We celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth by highlighting some of our past success stories featuring Veterans of color. We hope you are inspired by stories like those of Mark Anderson, Ashley Richardson, Jayden Thurston and others who have successfully made the transition into tech. At VetsInTech, we are always looking to feature our servicemen and women in ...
Chasity Wright is the founder and CEO of Infiltron, a company whose software prevents catastrophic cyber-events and security breaches before they even happen. Chasity enlisted in the USAF in 2002. As an Air Force engineer serving with her squadron in Iraq, Chasity had to respond to a cyber attack against her unit's communication systems, during which hackers launched different types of attacks against the same system, but all at once. That experience was part of the genesis behind her startup Infiltron.
Chasity is recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as a 2018 TCX Fellow, a 2020 Ada Lovelace Nominee, and a member of the inaugural class for the 2020 Google For Startups Atlanta Founders Academy and the 2020 NASDAQ Mentorship Circle for Black Founders & Entrepreneurs. Chasity has also helped co-created legislation for funding of STEM organizations in Georgia for densely populated areas of people of color.
Chasity has had a long history with VetsInTech. She has participated in many of our VetsinTech programs and networking events, and has spoken at our panels in the past. The VIT team also helped with pitch review and pitch practice for Infiltron and assisted in making investor introductions. We are honored to be a part of success story journey.
Michael Bryant served as Field Artillery Officer (Captain) in US Marines (3rd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division) with deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Bryant got out of the service in 2009 and enrolled in Vanderbilt University's MBA program using the GI Bill, and later went on to receive a Masters in Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan, also on the GI BIll. After working as Director of Investor Products at StreetShares in Washington DC for three years, Michael returned to Vanderbilt University to run their Center for Entrepreneurship. It was during this time he met his two other technical co-founders (Brad and Tim Potteriger) who were working on their PhDs at the university. They went on to start ARMS Cyber. Earlier this year, Bryant found out about the VetsinTech Pitch Contest sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. The VIT Pitch Contest gave 3 veteran, military, and spouse-owned businesses a chance to win up to $25,000. Over the years, VetsinTech has supported veteran entrepreneurs, equipping them with extensive mentorship and entrepreneurship resources to build high growth technology companies. The VIT Pitch Contest is part of VetsinTech strategy to highlight, encourage and support entrepreneurism in the veteran and military spouse startup ecosystem. Bryant took advantage of this opportunity and pitched his company, ARMS Cyber as part of the contest. After going through the evaluation process, ARMS Cyber and four other companies emerged as finalists in the contest. On June 23, 2021, Bryant and the 4 other finalists, took part in a virtual live pitching event before a panel of JPMorgan Chase executives and emerged as the winner of the contest.
"We really appreciate VetsinTech and all that they do to further veteran entrepreneurship and help veteran-founded companies get off the ground," said Bryant, “Along with JPMorgan Chase’s financial support, this award will have a big impact on ARMS Cyber, especially at this early stage.
For more information on the VetsinTech S.U.N. (StartUp Network), you can visit http://sun.vetsintech.co and find out how you can take advantage of VetinsTech’s expanded network of key partners that provide access to human, financial and professional resources to veterans and military spouse entrepreneurs and startups.
Jessica Yoo Perry served in the U.S. Coast Guard on activity duty for 11 years and 8 of those years was at sea. After leaving the military, she continued advanced studies, pursuing two graduate degrees, including an MBA from Duke University and an Industrial Engineering M.S. degree from the University at Buffalo. Upon graduating, Jessica worked for the federal government, including time as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Afterward, she joined a software company in a senior analyst role.
Shegot involved with VetsinTech through the many educational programs and special events available to veterans. Jessica bolstered her technical skills even more. She took courses in front-end development and cloud computing, which sharpened her talents ever more, enabling her to pursue more technical roles.
Meanwhile, Jessica began networking at some of our online events. After our VetsinTech Invasion, Amazon reached out to Jessica for a potential job opportunity. Although she was short-listed for Amazon’s final round of interviews, Jessica ended up accepting a full-time IT position as a cybersecurity specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Jessica Yoo Perry
Jessica Yoo Perry served in the U.S. Coast Guard on activity duty for 11 years and 8 of those years was at sea. After leaving the military, she continued advanced studies, pursuing two graduate degrees, including an MBA from Duke University and an Industrial Engineering M.S. degree from the University at Buffalo. Upon graduating, Jessica worked for the federal government, including time as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Afterward, she joined a software company in a senior analyst role.
Shegot involved with VetsinTech through the many educational programs and special events available to veterans. Jessica bolstered her technical skills even more. She took courses in front-end development and cloud computing, which sharpened her talents ever more, enabling her to pursue more technical roles.
Meanwhile, Jessica began networking at some of our online events. After our VetsinTech Invasion, Amazon reached out to Jessica for a potential job opportunity. Although she was short-listed for Amazon’s final round of interviews, Jessica ended up accepting a full-time IT position as a cybersecurity specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Ariana Ferguson
My journey to implementing self-care as a major part of my life started on the opposite side of the pendulum. My deployment to Afghanistan was a bit of a blur with minimal hours of sleep and a desk littered with energy drinks, but I can recall the moment I received a care package with a natural shampoo that had a strong tea tree and mint scent. This gift started me on a holistic path of self-healing and growth. And therein lies the foundation of Sulh, a company I founded in 2020, – to heal, love, protect, and grow by returning to nature’s gifts with whole, organic, natural formulas that are intended to nourish our vessels and our souls.
VetsinTech has been a tremendous resource in helping me establish my business and expand my entrepreneurial and technical skillset. I attended a VetsinTech Web Dev course in 2020 which gave me the skills to set up an ecommerce store that I launched a few months later. Sulh is an online store offering natural, handmade wellness and beauty products. Thanks to Vetsintech I was able to better understand fundamental business principles including the knowledge to set up an LLC. The knowledge I acquired through Vetsintech was also helpful in terms of understanding marketing and growth strategy. I am truly grateful to be a member of such a nurturing and proactive community.
Thomas Prigg
Thomas Prigg recently accepted a security engineering position at Caterpillar, working in cybersecurity and helping identify and stop intrusions by analyzing data logs using some of his skills learned through VetsinTech. Caterpillar Inc. is Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest construction-equipment manufacturer.
Prigg had grown up in poverty and credited the Army with pulling him out of that situation and putting him on a path to build a career in tech. After his military service serving as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army, Prigg went to college to pursue a career in neurobiology. Then Prigg decided to change careers and go into Cybersecurity to get more financial stability and pursue his interest in technology. “Cybersecurity pays extremely well. Don’t be surprised if your starting salary is ninety thousand dollars,” says Prigg. He contrasts the cybersecurity role to his previous position, which he characterizes as “a low paying job that was pretty boring and provided few feelings of accomplishment.”.
VetsinTech was instrumental in helping him get there. Prigg says he kept taking as many courses from VetsinTech as he could, focusing on building his cybersecurity and cloud computing skills and certifications. “Certifications are gold,” says Prigg, and encourages other VetsinTech cohorts to take projects from their VIT courses and add them to their portfolio. His coursework included SEC+, AWS Cloud, and front-end development. And he is currently improving his Python skills with VetsinTech as preparation for the VIT Machine Learning course.
“VetsinTech has been fantastic and has helped me get critical training that I needed for recruiters to even notice me,” says Prigg. To summarize his experience with the VIT Academy, “I’ve been able to fill in a lot of holes in my general knowledge that I needed.”
Thomas Prigg recently accepted a security engineering position at Caterpillar, working in cybersecurity and helping identify and stop intrusions by analyzing data logs using some of his skills learned through VetsinTech. Caterpillar Inc. is Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest construction-equipment manufacturer.
Prigg had grown up in poverty and credited the Army with pulling him out of that situation and putting him on a path to build a career in tech. After his military service serving as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army, Prigg went to college to pursue a career in neurobiology. Then Prigg decided to change careers and go into Cybersecurity to get more financial stability and pursue his interest in technology. “Cybersecurity pays extremely well. Don’t be surprised if your starting salary is ninety thousand dollars,” says Prigg. He contrasts the cybersecurity role to his previous position, which he characterizes as “a low paying job that was pretty boring and provided few feelings of accomplishment.”.
VetsinTech was instrumental in helping him get there. Prigg says he kept taking as many courses from VetsinTech as he could, focusing on building his cybersecurity and cloud computing skills and certifications. “Certifications are gold,” says Prigg, and encourages other VetsinTech cohorts to take projects from their VIT courses and add them to their portfolio. His coursework included SEC+, AWS Cloud, and front-end development. And he is currently improving his Python skills with VetsinTech as preparation for the VIT Machine Learning course.
“VetsinTech has been fantastic and has helped me get critical training that I needed for recruiters to even notice me,” says Prigg. To summarize his experience with the VIT Academy, “I’ve been able to fill in a lot of holes in my general knowledge that I needed.”
Mario Morales served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps for a little under ten years. As a USMC veteran who spent most of his military career overseas, Morales found his transition to the civilian workforce in the US even more challenging. Morales learned about VetsinTech during his transition to Austin from his end-duty station in Okinawa, Japan, and describes VetsinTech as “one of the best organizations I have seen during my transition”.
Thanks to VetsinTech, Morales was able to take advantage of free courses in both front end and full-stack immersive web development which proved foundational in building his tech career. Next Mario took both Security+ and Palo Alto Networks classes as part of VetsinTech Cybersecurity offerings and continued to broaden his knowledge with a nanodegree program - a scholarship provide by VetsinTech and AT&T
According to Morales, “All of these courses were offered at little or no cost to me and helped me stand out from the crowd.” These stepping stones led to multiple interviews and subsequent job offers from top tech companies around the country. Morales eventually accepted a position as a Production Engineer at Facebook, Inc. “Without VetsinTech, I would not be where I am in my career today.” adds Morales.
I am so thankful that Vets in Tech exist! I wish it existed back in 2010 when I first got out of service. I really felt alone, and hopeless in a world that was supposed to be home. I really had to figure things out on my own. And felt that way for the longest time until recently being more active in the Veteran Community. I was recommended to look into Vets in Tech by an Air Force Officer colleague. He talked about a community of Veterans that work in the tech industry. I thought it is great to see if I could network as I’m a Realtor who specializes in helping Vets utilize their benefits to become homeowners. My first Vets in Tech was a mixer where I got to hear CO CEO of Salesforce speak about his support in hiring Veterans. As well as other top-level execs speak about the same or other Veterans talk about their journey on how they achieved success after the Military. It was so uplifting to hear the support, and the paths of other Veterans like myself make it in Silicon Valley.
Even though I was starting to get great momentum in my Real Estate career I heard about the Vets in Tech Coding Bootcamp for Front End Web Development. Something that is still instilled with me from the Military is that the better cross-trained the individual is in taking responsibility for many hats; the easier it is for the individual to get promoted and achieve success. So I decided to take the Bootcamp to have a better understanding of my own Business Website, and have the credentials just in case I need it in the future. Coming from a business background, I honestly got overwhelmed on day 1. I thought it wasn’t for me. But through the patience and support of my instructor and Vets in Tech contacts. As well as the encouragement of my Veteran peer classmates. I was actually able to finish! I haven’t felt this type of comradery pushing me to achieve something when I wanted to ring the bell and quit since I was in the Military.
I really feel Vets in Tech helped me in so many ways as a Military Veteran Realtor. They have helped me network with other Veterans in the Tech Community. Help me strengthen my technical skills which allows me to reach out to other Veterans and potential clients via online platforms. Which allows me to help Veterans utilize their benefits to become homeowners in a not so friendly VA buyer area. Along with serving on my Non-Profit VAREP (Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals) I also was on the front lines helping the new Blue Water Navy Act VA Loan lobbied and passed in Washington DC. A bill that helps Vietnam Veterans claim benefits that have been deserved for way too long now, and Veterans in high-cost counties like the Bay Area. I’ve now helped 6 Veterans and their families become homeowners in the last year alone. It truly is my passion to continually serve the Veteran Community, and I’m so glad to be aligned with Vets in Tech.
Adam Hoek
VetsinTech Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Course , June, 2018
My name is Adam Hoek. I served in the Army infantry with assignments in the 82nd Airborne Division, and with United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. Recently, I have become interested in securing cloud applications. I learned about VetsinTech through a contact at Palo Alto Networks.
My involvement with VetsinTech has presented me with outstanding training opportunities with both Salesforce and Facebook. As a result, I have earned certifications from Salesforce.com as an Administrator and I completed the Facebook University Cybersecurity Academy. Neither would have been possible without the networking support provided by VetsinTech. Additionally, I have been able to complete training as a Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Associate. I will be assisting the next VetsinTech Palo Alto Networks cybersecurity training in February 2019.
My future goals are to continue learning cloud security and to stay involved with VetsinTech program.
Robert Wining, US Navy
VetsinTech Web Dev Fundamentals, October, 2018
My name is Robert Wining and I'm from Youngstown, Ohio. I served in the United States Navy from 2002-2006. I was an Electricians Mate and a member of the All Navy Marksmanship Team.
Upon moving recently to San Francisco, I realized the talent pool is deep. My decade of sales experience and military service may not be enough to set me apart. I enrolled in the VetsinTech Web Development Fundamentals course to learn more about front end web development and to bridge the gap between myself and other highly qualified job seekers.
Through this VetsinTech training experience, I learned more about the vast world of tech than I have in my previous 35 years on earth. This has been so incredibly beneficial to me. I wish this class was available when I got out of the service. Instead I was given my medical records and a friendly pat on the back. Classes like this should be available for each industry and economic specialization. VetsinTech is an outstanding concept that I believe can be replicated across multiple disciplines. Not only is this the best resource that has ever been available to me as a veteran, it's a phenomenal way for employers to tap into veterans that are career/education oriented. This class is filled with people that never ever want to stop learning.
Rafael Escoto Roa, US Air Force
VetsinTech Palo Alto Networks EDU 210, August 2018
I am Rafael Escoto Roa. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic where I resided until moving to the United States at 19 years old.
I joined the US Air Force shortly after moving to this great country and have served as active duty since then with duty assignments in Florida, Delaware, Korea, Texas, Spain, Germany, and California. I have deployed overseas several times. I began my military career as a Logistics Technician after which I transferred to cybersecurity. Currently I am an Air Transportation Airman serving as an Air Trans/Cybersecurity Advisor with Latin America as my area of responsibility (AOR).
Technology has been a passion all my life. The military has helped me obtain great education on this field and I have experienced plenty of hours of on the job training.
I saw some incredible fellow Airmen leave the military without a plan for a follow on career. Some struggled with the process. Observing this, I wanted to get ahead of the curve. I completed the transition program offered by DoD and I actively pursued every available resource. This is how I landed on VetsinTech. I connected over LinkedIn and enrolled in the first class I could: Palo Alto Networks EDU 210, cybersecurity training in Santa Clara, CA.
