Our mission is to empower and elevate women and non-binary individuals across the entire spectrum of AI security. We are dedicated to highlighting and amplifying the work of underrepresented communities in this space. By fostering a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment, we aim to break down barriers, provide access to resources, and create opportunities for personal and professional growth.
We believe that progress in securing AI and applications of AI in security cannot be achieved without diverse voices.
Through advocacy, education, and mentorship, we strive to ensure that everyone has the space and support they need to shape the development and safeguarding of AI technologies, driving innovation and promoting a more secure, ethical, and equitable future.
Join us!
Please fill out this form to receive an invite to our Discord server.
Note: At this time, membership in align is limited to women and non-binary members of the community. While progress cannot be achieved without allies, our primary goal at this time is to ensure that we are fostering a safe space. Thank you for understanding.
About Us
It started with a table.
At Blackhat 2024, we stepped into the AI track meetup not knowing what to expect. What started as a small table of a few women quickly turned into a magnet for those of us who are all too familiar with being the odd one out. After an hour of discussion and connecting, the resounding takeaway from everyone was clear: we needed this.
We now seek to carry that momentum forward and create a network of support for all women and non-binary members of our community.
There is plenty of room at the table. Join us.
The Team
Becca Lynch
Executive Director and Co-founder
Becca is an Offensive Security Researcher on NVIDIA’s AI Red Team, where she works to secure AI models and model infrastructure. Her prior work includes applied machine learning for anomaly detection at Duo Security, and leveraging data science expertise to build robust and actionable processes for threat hunting and intelligence. She earned her B.S. in Computer Science and Physics from the University of Michigan, and her M.S. in Data Science from the University of Illinois. Becca is dedicated to building community and lifting up the voices of marginalized and underrepresented groups in technology.
Amanda Minnich, PhD
Deputy Director and Co-founder
Dr. Amanda Minnich is the Principal Research Manager of the Long-Term Ops and Research Team under the AI Red Team at Microsoft. Her team conducts applied research focused on the “what’s next” of AI Safety and Security. She was an operator on the AI Red Team for 3 years before moving into this role in October 2024. Prior to Microsoft, Dr. Minnich worked at Twitter, focusing on identifying international election interference using graph clustering algorithms. She also previously worked at Sandia National Laboratories and Mandiant, where she applied machine learning research techniques to malware classification and malware family identification. Dr. Minnich received her MS and PhD in Computer Science with Distinction from the University of New Mexico.
Jessica Quiroga
Financial Director
Jessica is the Head of Engineering and Programs for the Cisco Security Business Group’s Product Assurance organization, leading a team of engineers building tools and automation to support internal security teams. Starting with Duo Security in 2018, she has worked in Support, Success, and Engineering before moving into Leadership and Product. She is passionate about working in the non-profit space, currently serving on the board for the San Francisco-based Community Music Center, and previously serving as Director of Production and Vice President of the San Francisco Pride Band, in addition to being a co-lead for Cisco’s San Francisco PRIDE chapter.
Sonal Joshi, PhD
Operations Manager
Dr. Sonal Joshi is an AI Researcher specializing in the safety and robustness. She is passionate about building secure, resilient AI systems that can withstand real-world adversarial conditions. During her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University, she contributed to DARPA-funded projects aimed at securing AI systems against real-world threats, with her defenses rigorously tested through red-teaming by Two Six Technologies, IBM, and MITRE. Her work focussed on defending against adversarial and poisoning attacks on speech technologies under worst-case scenarios. Recently, Sonal is working on evaluating large language models (LLMs) for honesty, helpfulness, and bias, while addressing hallucinations in these models.
Outside of her research, Sonal is passionate about empowering women in STEM. She has actively contributed to initiatives such as Grace JHU, Diversity in Admissions at CLSP, and GirlsWhoML. She has also served as PhD panelist at YFRSW and Interspeech, and delivered an invited talk at WiNLP. When she is not running experiments, Sonal enjoys exploring global cuisines with the same curiosity and precision she brings to her research.
Prajna Bhandary
Programming Director
Prajna Bhandary is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she researches ransomware behavior and the use of machine learning for threat detection in enterprise environments. She brings industry experience from internships in threat intelligence and security automation, and is passionate about applying academic research to practical defense strategies. Prajna is also committed to mentoring emerging cybersecurity talent and creating inclusive, hands-on learning opportunities in the field.
Preeti Ravindra
Professional Outreach Lead
Preeti is a technical leader with a successful record in developing and operationalizing AI solutions in security operations. She has experience working on enterprise security teams, security SaaS vendors and services ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Her value proposition is cutting through ambiguity and working cross-functionally with engineering, product, security and legal teams to drive business value. Preeti is currently building out a program to proactively secure AI and mitigate AI risks as the founding member of her team.
Her research areas include AI applications in security, security and safety of AI systems. A recognized voice in the industry, Preeti is a speaker at leading security conferences like BSides and serves on program committees of AI and security conferences like CAMLIS, WiCyS, Executive Women’s Forum. She is passionate about building collaborations between AI and security communities and mentoring security practitioners to advance into senior roles.
Sanjana Mishra
Community Outreach Lead
Sanjana is an AI Product Security Engineer on Palo Alto Networks’ InfoSec team, where she collaborates across teams to ensure the secure use of AI/ML throughout the company. Beyond her technical role, she serves as an HQ Lead for the company’s Early in Career organization, curating events that promote mentorship, connection, and professional growth. Sanjana holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence from Northeastern University. Dedicated to building inclusive and sustainable communities, she is especially passionate about increasing representation in the cybersecurity space.
Neha Hudait
Content Director
Neha Hudait is a Senior Security Product Manager at NVIDIA, leading the development and execution of cybersecurity strategies in collaboration with leadership. With a focus on advancing security research and strategy, Neha plays a key role in shaping the future of security in AI and accelerated computing. Neha holds degrees in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) and Business Administration from UC Berkeley, as part of the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (M.E.T.) program. Her work emphasizes technical innovation, best practices, and driving diversity and inclusion within the cybersecurity community.
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Get in touch!
alignsec@gmail.com