HoCo Cybersecurity Entrepreneurs Award $1M In Grants

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The founders behind Gula Tech Adventures, cybersecurity entrepreneurs Ron and Cyndi Gula, have announced the finalists in its initial competitive grant program administered by their non-profit The Gula Tech Foundation. The foundation awards $1 million in competitive grants to cybersecurity nonprofits several times each year. The competitive grant focuses on funding non-profits with the mission to "increase African American engagement in cybersecurity," according to The Gula Tech Foundation. The top three winners will receive $500,00 for first place, $300,000 for second place and $200,000 for third place.

"We had an amazing turnout for our first competitive grant process to identify the most impactful nonprofits increasing the participation and success of African Americans in cybersecurity," Cyndi Gula, co-founder of Gula Tech Adventures and The Gula Tech Foundation, said in a statement. "As The Gula Tech Foundation Grant Advisory Board assesses the 11 candidates, we look forward to announcing the winners of this competition, as well as announcing the theme for our next grant."

The finalists include:

• America on Tech: America On Tech (AOT) is an award-winning, early pipeline technology talent accelerator on a mission to prepare the next generation of leaders by creating pathways into degrees and careers in technology.
• Aspen Institute: Aspen Digital brings substantive expertise in and a deep commitment to the issues of anti-racism, with years of experience in developing and executing programming on institutional practices and public service.
• Black Cybersecurity Association: BCA creates a multigenerational pipeline of qualified professionals to enter the workplace and has more than 2,000 cybersecurity mentors enabling a variety of programs.
• Cyber Readiness Institute: The Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) programs can help small to medium-sized businesses protect data, employees, vendors, and customers and become more secure against today's most common cyber vulnerabilities.
• CyberUp: CyberUp runs cybersecurity apprentice programs and capture the flag style games to give kids and students the confidence and experience to do cybersecurity jobs.
• Girl Security: Girl Security provides multi-disciplinary, equity-informed programming through its "SEA Model," where girls and young women are Secured, Empowered, and Advanced.
• Innovation Tech Academy: Innovation Tech Academy's mission is to engage students in a curriculum that promotes appropriate and proper technology use along with digital citizenship in an environment that fosters creativity and effective communication skills.
• International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals: ICMCP endeavors to rectify the gaps within cybersecurity by creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, targeting the underrepresented, unemployed, career changers, students, and existing professionals wishing to transition into cybersecurity.
• Mission Fulfilled 2030: MF2030's vision is to inspire, educate, and activate 100,000 African American youth. The organization launched a K-12 Young Tech Entrepreneurs Program which engages young black kids with a variety of programs featuring video games, social media and cybersecurity.
• NPower Inc: NPower's advanced Cybersecurity program is currently offered two times per year starting March or July for 100 students. The program is 14 weeks of full-time virtual classroom training followed by 12 weeks of on-the-job training and professional development through a paid internship in the cybersecurity departments of NPower's corporate partners.
• University of Maryland Global Campus Foundation: As an NSA/DHS Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education, UMGC has participated in several capacity-building grant opportunities that support enhancing the cybersecurity expertise of African American and other underrepresented populations.

"This grant process is not just about funding nonprofits. We are looking for the cybersecurity industry to also engage with these impressive nonprofits through volunteering resources, time and understanding how to make an impact in their own organizations," Ron Gula, co-founder of The Gula Tech Adventures and The Gula Tech Foundation, said in a news release. "Diversity is imperative to moving our industry forward and this cohort of finalists exemplifies organizations putting in the hard work to progress the cybersecurity industry."