UIC Hosts Inaugural Women in Security and Privacy (WISP) Chicago Event: Empowering Women in Security & Privacy
Women make up about 35% of the tech workforce, according to a 2024 report titled "Uncovering Trends and Unseen Data" by WomenTech Network. This is a significant improvement from the early 2000s when women only made up 9% according to the same source. Yet women continue to face challenges in a male-dominated work sector.
Supporting women in technology, in November, UIC hosted the first-ever Women in Security and Privacy (WISP) Chicago networking event, marking a significant milestone in empowering women in the information security and privacy sectors. The event was led by Shefali Mookencherry, Chief Information Security Officer at UIC, and a member of the WISP Chicago Region Board, alongside key sponsor Matt Riley, UIC’s Chief Information Officer.
The event featured an engaging panel discussion on privacy and information security, where WISP leadership and experts from various professional backgrounds shared their experiences and insights. Panelists discussed ways to build a stronger women’s community within the field and the importance of peer recognition and supportive networks in overcoming challenges in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“We provided an avenue for the women community in Chicago working in information privacy to network and get to know others in the field,” said Mookencherry. "The panel provided varied perspectives from leadership and management in legal and technical operations, representing different professional paths that women can pursue."
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The event, which attracted approximately 40 IT professionals and university students from UIC, Kent College of Law, IIT, Rush University, and the University of Chicago, was made possible by the support of sponsors Matt Riley and Shefali Mookencherry at UIC.
The panelists, including Mookencherry, Blair Dawson, JD, MS CyS, FIP, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, and Xena Olsen, DSc, MBA, shared their authentic stories and invaluable advice, inspiring the attendees. Their authenticity in every story and piece of advice made the event not just informative, but deeply impactful.
UIC CIO Matt Riley also encouraged attendees to follow their passions in IT, reinforcing the importance of pursuing one’s career goals with confidence and determination. The event provided a meaningful opportunity for networking, learning, and building connections within the field.
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It was a great inaugural event, and I would love to see more women in IT attending these events in the future, where they can learn and expand their networks.
| UIC CISO
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Mookencherry shared advice for young women entering the IT field: “The most difficult thing as a woman in information security and privacy is getting your peers to recognize that you are at the same level or above them. We should be able to talk peer to peer because we have similar experiences. Working with our allies and having their support means a lot.” She also encouraged women to build strong professional relationships: “Find one technical area you want to specialize in, and then build relationships with mentors. Those relationships will guide you and help you grow.”
The inaugural WISP event at UIC not only marked a major achievement for the organization but also provided an invaluable platform for women to connect, learn, and grow within the evolving world of information security and privacy.
Women in Security and Privacy (WISP)’s mission is to advance women and underrepresented communities to lead the future of privacy and security by providing women and underrepresented communities with opportunities for technical and professional development through events, trainings, conferences, scholarships, mentoring, and job search. Based in San Francisco, CA, with Affiliate (Local) Groups in NYC, Washington, D.C., Toronto, DACH region, and London, UK. Women in Security & Privacy (“WISP”) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Photos by Uljana Sejko.