Dani Woolf (She/Her)

User Experience Specialist

CyberSynapse.io

CyberSynapse directly connects you and your GTM team with cybersecurity decision makers over video call, so you can get the deepest buyer insights to refine your products, sharpen your marketing, and accelerate your sales.

Co-Founder

The CyberNest

The CyberNest is a community-powered peer review and information-sharing platform for IT and cybersecurity professionals. Backed by an advisory board of leading cybersecurity experts, we deliver a private space for our community members to easily discover, review, rate, and share security resources with purpose-built tools for advanced collaboration and continuous learning.

VP of Marketing

Audience 1st

I'm removing the barrier to customer insights for go-to-market teams in growth-stage cybersecurity companies so they can scale growth and retain loyal customers.

Founder and CEO

Customer Marketing Alliance

Customer Research Certified | Masters

Nucleus Security

Director of Content Marketing

GiveIsrael.org

Community Volunteer

Cybersixgill

Director of Demand Generation

Guardicore

Digital Marketing Manager

Marketing Programs Manager

CloudShare

Senior Digital Marketing Manager

harmon.ie

Founder & CEO @ Audience 1st | Content @ Nucleus Security | Customer Research Certified

My name is Dani Woolf. 

I've spent the last 15+ years running digital marketing and demand generation departments for high-growth B2B technology startups.

In 2018, I joined the cybersecurity industry and discovered the way marketing is executed in other verticals does not work in the security space.

I realized marketers talk about pursuing customer research but don't do it, foregoing customer-led growth models which burns through budget, stunts growth, and upsets buyers.

So, I created Audience 1st, a modern customer research agency, to help customer-obsessed go-to-market teams in growth-stage cybersecurity companies quickly and cost-effectively get access to true buyer insights, cut the guesswork, gain and retain loyal customers.

Want to chat? I’d love that. 🔥

Dani Woolf

I keep hearing from clients that analysts aren't giving them the deep insight they're paying for.

Why would they?

Think about the incentive structure for a second.

An analyst at a major research firm is covering an entire market segment. 

They're tracking dozens (sometimes hundreds) of vendors. 

They're fielding inquiry calls. 

Writing research notes. 

Updating frameworks. 

Preparing for conferences.

They don't have time to go DEEP on your buyer dynamics.

So what happens instead?

The information flow runs in the OPPOSITE direction.

Let that sink in.

The analysts are taking insight FROM YOU.

They're using your briefings to understand the market. 

They're asking about your customer patterns. 

Your win/loss data. 

Your competitive intelligence.

They're extracting your hard-won knowledge and synthesizing it into their frameworks.

Then they package that synthesis and sell it...to other vendors trying to understand the market, and to buyers trying to evaluate vendors.

Think about what this actually means:

You're paying for access to buyer insight. 

That's the value proposition. 

That's what justifies the $50K+ investment.

But the analyst is extracting insight from YOU to package and sell to others.

You're not the customer.

You're the product.

I broke this down in my latest spicy rant on Audience 1st here - have a listen: https://lnkd.in/g3muP5D9

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I've now had 1000+ conversations with CISOs and security leaders.In 30 days or less, I can connect cybersecurity companies directly with dozens of the target buyers they're trying to reach - surfacing their own proprietary buyer intelligence that no one else has.

Book a call with me to accelerate revenue with CyberSynapse.io buyer intelligence: https://lnkd.in/gmpjZcZq

Cybersecurity vendor? Learn more about CyberSynapse here: https://lnkd.in/gHNfq2FC

Security practitioner? Join The CyberNest specialized expert network to leverage your expertise, expand your network, and access paid research and advisory opportunities here: https://lnkd.in/gMk7FkQj

Co-Founder @ CyberSynapse.io | Host of Cooking with CISOs | VP of Marketing @ The CyberNest | CEO @ Audience 1st

Vocal Point

Provide strategic IT and cybersecurity oversight to strengthen operational resilience, accessibility, and platform security.
Serve as a voting member on all matters impacting organizational direction, technology modernization, and community service delivery.

Board Member - Volunteer

Deque Systems, Inc

Built and led Deque’s first formal security program to support scale in a startup-like, mission-driven environment

Achieved ISO 27001 certification in under one year by aligning practices across teams and tools

Designed, built, and launched trust.deque.com, Deque’s first Trust Center, streamlining client security reviews, enabling self-service access to security documentation, and integrating CAIQ, HECVAT, and SIG frameworks

Cut customer security review response times by more than 50 percent through process optimization, automation, and RFP/RFI portal management

Created an accessible security program by design, building training, policies, and practices that supported assistive technology and inclusive adoption

Made security a sales enabler by aligning messaging with buyer expectations, improving deal velocity, and directly supporting procurement and renewal cycles

Led third-party security assessments, including external penetration tests across all products

Supported internal culture shift toward secure-by-default development through accessible training, cross-functional leadership, and clear guidance to product, engineering, and security teams

Delivered Deque-sponsored accessibility and cybersecurity sessions, including a featured panel at axe-con 2023, supporting internal culture and external advocacy efforts

Director, Head of Security

Infor

Led two security teams: one managing the FedRAMP JAB environment (phased onboarding of multiple Infor products) and another focused on internal security policy and awareness training

Managed AWS GovCloud security operations, ensuring compliance with FedRAMP, ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA frameworks

Directed a multi-million-dollar security budget, prioritizing investments in tooling, services, and personnel to maximize program effectiveness

Served as the primary security contact for internal audits, client security reviews, and third-party assessments across multiple business units

Partnered with product and engineering teams to embed security controls into development pipelines, aligning practices with FedRAMP and other compliance frameworks

Led the development and rollout of security policies and training initiatives to meet compliance goals and improve organizational security awareness

Reduced audit friction by strengthening cross-functional collaboration between security, engineering, and compliance teams

Senior Information Security Manager

DoubleDutch (now part of Cvent)

Rebuilt the company's Information Security Management System (ISMS) using ISO and NIST controls to strengthen compliance posture.

Led security policy updates and audit readiness initiatives, supporting future M&A and customer assurance.

Streamlined security questionnaire responses using cloud-based automation, accelerating sales cycles.

Information Security Manager

RevSpring

Strengthened cloud and infrastructure security, leading architecture redesign and vendor risk management improvements.

Maintained SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliance through streamlined processes and efficient risk management.

Engaged directly in client security reviews, translating technical controls into business-aligned responses.

Senior Security and Compliance  Analyst 

Symantec

Assessed internal controls across SOX, PCI-DSS, and ISO frameworks to ensure audit readiness.

Translated business and regulatory requirements into actionable technical security controls across business units.

Senior Internal Auditor

US Army

Retired after 20 years of decorated cybersecurity and IT leadership supporting mission-critical operations across global deployments, including Afghanistan, Belgium, South Korea, and the United States.

Led cybersecurity, information assurance, and IT operations in high-pressure environments, ensuring NIST-aligned security across sensitive and classified systems.

Conducted risk assessments, vulnerability audits, and compliance evaluations across 21 forward-deployed locations during Afghanistan service.

Managed over 1,000 military trainees and supervised six assistant supervisors while leading operations.

Developed and instructed advanced IT and cybersecurity courses for U.S. and international military personnel, covering Windows, Exchange, and Solaris systems.

Provided critical cybersecurity support for senior U.S. military leadership and federal agencies at the National Military Command Center (NMCC).

Held and maintained a Top Secret / SCI clearance throughout 20 years of service.

Delivered continuous improvements to security training programs, vulnerability management, and risk reporting in alignment with evolving DoD and NIST frameworks.

Consistently achieved 100% audit readiness across multiple assignments, driving operational security excellence.

Senior Cybersecurity and Information Technology (IT) Leader

I bring 28 years of cybersecurity leadership across military, government, and private sector environments. I build scalable security programs that support the whole organization, not just IT. My work protects infrastructure, enables go-to-market strategy, and strengthens trust across ecosystems. I am open to roles like BISO, Deputy CISO, CISO, Director of Security, and Head of Security.

My expertise spans cybersecurity strategy, enterprise risk, IAM, cloud security, AI governance, compliance, and GRC. I have led programs aligned to FedRAMP, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, and NIST. I work cross-functionally to align security with business outcomes and sales success.

I served 20 years in the U.S. Army leading cybersecurity and IT operations across Afghanistan, Belgium, South Korea, and the Pentagon. In the private sector, I have led programs at Deque Systems, Infor, and Symantec, maturing security while reducing friction and enabling growth.

Highlights
• Achieved ISO 27001 certification in under 12 months
• Built a public trust center that cut client review times by 50 percent
• Led security for FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB) environments
• Delivered IAM across SaaS and enterprise platforms
• Integrated AI tools into secure business workflows
• Streamlined GRC using Drata and other tools
• Accelerated RFP and security questionnaire responses
• Enabled go-to-market success through trust and transparency

I focus on accessible cybersecurity by designing policies, controls, and training that work for everyone, including those using assistive technology. Security that is not accessible is not secure.

I was elected in 2025 to the board of Vocal Point, a nonprofit serving people who are blind or have print disabilities. I provide IT and cybersecurity oversight to support inclusive access and resilient operations.

I am a published author, speaker, and mentor. Learn more at accessiblesecurity.org, co-authored with Aliyu Yisa.

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Dani Woolf

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The Battle

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dani Woolf's LinkedIn Performance

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