Madison Horn

Biography

From the small farm town of Stilwell, Oklahoma and as a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen, Madison has built a career within cybersecurity as a respected and trusted servant-leader. She has worked her way from a place where 68% of women are unemployed, with limited access to technology, to being a global cybersecurity leader with a decade of experience. Madison prides herself on her scrappy, resourceful approach to leadership that has been cultivated over the years by beating the odds. Only 13% of children living in poverty escape it, and within cybersecurity, only 7% of women make it into leadership positions, and less than 1% lead global practices. Madison has beat these odds and is confident about her ability to continue shattering expectations.

Growing up, Madison worked multiple jobs, from working on the family farm to waitressing to tutoring. Madison developed a strong work ethic and passion for service very early, with a knack for being authentic and compassionate. When presented with an entry-level job at a small cybersecurity firm, Madison accepted the offer and quickly ascended the ranks and became well-versed in cybersecurity. Armed with confidence as a strategic thinker and an unmatched ability to gain trust with individuals, Madison quickly became a valuable asset to her colleagues and leadership.

Over a decade, Madison has built a career as a cybersecurity leader, working to defend American interests while understanding the demands of globalization and geopolitics necessary to effectively defend against foreign adversaries, nation-states, and terrorist organizations. She has worked within both the startup ecosystem and global organizations. Madison has consistently served as a catalyst leader with an entrepreneurial spirit removing barriers to effectively build, expand, and deliver elite cybersecurity capabilities, including ethical hacking, breach response, risk and threat management, security strategy, and cyber-technology. Such cybersecurity capabilities she has provided to a global clientele base, working at all levels across the private sector spanning from telecommunications, banking, media, manufacturing, and tech, with a heightened concentration on critical infrastructure.This unique mastership has allowed her to play a unique hybrid role outside of her regular duties within the private sector, from teaching and influencing educational curriculum to advising on the development of global cybersecurity standards and regulations alongside government agencies. These extracurricular opportunities have occurred as a direct response to Madison’s level of technical expertise, business acumen, interpersonal skills, and her dedication in navigating the matrix of complexities inherent in tackling difficult tasks.

In the world of cybersecurity, which can be very intense and highly technical, Madison comes well equipped with the soft people skills to build and lead complex teams of various personalities and abilities. She has frequently found herself one of the only women in the room throughout her career. In working her way up the corporate ladder, Madison became an advocate for diversifying the cybersecurity field and a leader in her company for pushing for a more inclusive future. She became involved as a dedicated mentor for women through various organizations, focusing on youth from under-resourced communities like herself. Sharing her story with individuals, being honest about her struggles, and helping others find their purpose have been some of the most rewarding experiences within her career.

Madison understands firsthand the difference that access to opportunities, effective leadership, and strong community support can make in people’s lives. Motivated by her resilience and relentless optimism for a better future, Madison is committed to working towards creating a more secure future for all Americans that embraces both the rural heartland and urban communities. Madison’s decision to run for office was born out of grave disappointment in our current political leaders and the current political landscape. Servant leaders with forward-looking experience in technology and a keen understanding of the problems of today and the future are few and far between. However, Madison knows the perspective she has gained both personally and professionally will bring something new to the political scene – something she hopes won’t end with her election. To restore trust in our government, faith in our democracy, and hope for the future, it is critical to have more leaders in government like Madison with the life experiences everyday Americans can relate to, and the skills to understand the risks and opportunities ahead. Nothing in Madison’s life has come to her without a fight, and she is prepared to do just that in the upcoming election.