People person by nature, electrical engineer by training. I lead cross-functional technical teams, working directly with customers, to develop and implement innovative solutions.

I partner with small engineering firms to fuel their growth and position them for acquisition.

With 20+ years in technical and business leadership spanning DoD roles as a federal employee and private-sector small firms I bring proven expertise.  

Currently, as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Mahlet, Inc., I’m leading the charge to redefine enterprise optical network cybersecurity with full-stack, Two-System Integrity (TSI) solutions for high-threat industries.  

Off the clock I'm a fitness enthusiast, personal finance geek, and real-estate investor...on the lighter side, I love socializing with friends, the Cleveland Browns, attending festivals, hitting local breweries, and chilling with a movie and a video game (at the same time🤯).

I've moved a ton throughout my life, but currently find myself with my family in the Washington, D.C. area enjoying all four seasons in moderation.

Hit me up – I love to network & chat!

Devin@Mahlet.net

Devin Ryder

Networking at 8am is hard! 


Thank goodness they had free coffee ☕

You can't tell from the photo, but I was still sleeping.

Really informative panels this morning on email business growth and exit strategy. 

So much to learn and do!!

Engineer | People person | CSO - Redefining security for enterprise optical networks so that the good guys can start winning again

Parents of teenagers:

When asked (dramatically) if you "have ANY food in the house" 

Use this guide.

Or at least refuse to feed them garbage so that they have to drive themselves to MacDonald's and spend their own money 🍻

Pretty sure the same goes for my LinkedIn cyber security rants 🤔

241 days and costs $10.22M - this was the average duration and cost of a network breach in 2025.


And it's not just about the time and money.

It's:
 - A hit piece in the NYT
 - Sleepless nights for security teams
 - Increased regulatory oversight & penalties
 - Your team tied up in lawsuits & congressional hearings instead of your jobs

The really scary part? 
Many of these breaches leverage the very systems you've installed to manage & protect your network.

 - Zero days
 - Backdoors
 - Insider threats
 - Unmonitored Layer 1 exploits & attacks

And you won't detect it or stop it until it's too late.
Because you can't find what you're not even looking for.

We can help you see the unseen.
DM me to learn how.

"Hot take, Jason, this budget is missing some key reinvestment objectives."

Leveraging my killer LinkedIn skills in the real world, I now start every sentence in my business meetings with, "Hot take."

So far, it's quadrupled our output and quintupled revenue.

The Cleveland Browns are undefeated in 2026!!

What a nice way to end another terrible season 🍻

Cybersecurity threats that were pointed out 30 years ago are still being ignored entirely today.

It was a layer 3, or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, weakness back then.

It's a layer 1, or optical signal protocols (OTN, SDH, SONET) and Ethernet PCS, weakness now.

Covert communications channels in the 10s to 100s of Mbps that will bypass every security system in your network is just one terrifying example.

But it's not the only one.

Or the scariest.

Trusting your edge security devices to keep your network safe has become failing by default.

And it definitely ain't practicing "Zero-Trust"...

Instead, practice Two-System Integrity (TSI) across ALL protocol layers (OSI 1-7) to independently verify that these critical devices are behaving as expected, in real time, by looking directly at the data they're handling.

The Redneck Connecktor | Helping Business Owners Land Premium Clients Without Cold DMs or Pitchy Networking | Building Trust-First Businesses in a Low-Trust World | Founder of the Hounds of Business Community

Most business owners don’t fail because they’re lazy or clueless.
They fail because, in a low-trust world, they’ve been 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅.

Played by networking groups where everyone’s just waiting their turn to pitch.

Played by coaches who promise clients but never had to make payroll.

Played by “systems” that feel sleazy and suck the joy out of business.

That was me once too, all heart, no clue. Until I discovered a better way:

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝. 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭.

Because when trust becomes your strategy, clients stop hesitating, partnerships start compounding, and business finally feels right again.

Now we help entrepreneurs, coaches, and business owners:

🐺 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 on LinkedIn & YouTube without playing algorithm games.
🐺 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 without cold DMs, funnels, or fake engagement tactics.
🐺 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 & 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 that replace solo ad spend for good.

We do it through three layers:

 1️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠- my 4 C’s framework (Clarity, Connections, Community, Conversion).
 2️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲- a vetted pack of professionals who actually care about each other’s success.
 3️⃣ 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 & 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦- visibility, partnerships, and introductions most people never get access to.

The Results

🐾 1.5M+ views in 90 days
 🐾 Members going from ignored to inbound, stalled to booked, and “coffee chats” to clients
 🐾 Partnerships with Level Up Academy, Kindness Worldwide, The Connector Community, Global Tea Break Network, and more

I’m not here to sell magic buttons.
I’m here to show you the game, the rules, and how to pick the 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

If you’re serious about growing your network & net worth without chasing, pitching, or selling your soul, we should talk.

👉 Grab the free 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: https://crm.houndsofbusiness.com/master-attractor
👉 Or pull up a chair at our next 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtduGurToqHdMRgxOel3B0ItmZOiU7dxkz

Because business grows at the speed of trust.
𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬.

Mike Ashabraner

What if the most powerful part of an event isn’t the stage… but what happens after?

That’s what hit me coming home from Podfest.
The real momentum didn’t come from the mic.
It came from the quiet conversations.

The people who stayed late.
The rooms that felt intentional, not accidental.
Not every room feels like that.

And when you find one, it changes how you build.
I wrote a short reflection on what we experienced and what’s unfolding next.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
💭 Have you ever been in a room that genuinely shifted how you think, work, or lead?

What made it different?

Hounds Of Business Community

The Redneck Connecktor | Helping leaders build trust first businesses that attract premium clients without cold outreach or performative networking | Founder of the HOB, a safe community for entrepreneurs

View newsletter: How to Build a Community

We just got back from Podfest Multimedia Expo and I’m still trying to find words that don’t cheapen what it felt like. Not hype. Not hustle. Not busin

Open article: Missed Podfest? You’re Right on Time. by Mike Ashabraner • 3 min read

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The Battle

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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);}Devin Ryder's LinkedIn Performance

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