A Human Mission

As a founding member of Women in Identity, Janelle is part of a movement that’s grown to 4,000 members. This organization isn’t just about supporting women in identity careers. It’s focused on something more fundamental: creating identity systems that are inclusive to everyone.

When identity systems aren’t designed for everyone, people get left out. They can’t access services. They can’t prove who they are. They become digital ghosts.

It’s a powerful reminder that technical decisions are human decisions.

The Question of Ownership

“Your name, your address—these things define who you are, but you don’t actually own them. The government owns your name for example. You can’t just change it without their approval.”

This observation stopped me cold. She explained that our identities are composable – made of elements we don’t actually control.

In a world where AI will increasingly make decisions based on who it perceives us to be, who controls those perceptions matters more than ever.

Why she gets out of bed

Janelle sees AI transforming identity management, enabling a shift from static, one-time authentication to continuous, contextual evaluation.

“Instead of just checking credentials once, systems can analyze hundreds of signals in real-time,” she explains. “We’re moving from ‘Who are you right now?’ to ‘Does this behavior make sense for who we know you to be?'”

That shift could mean better security, fewer passwords, and smarter access controls.  

Advice Worth Taking

For women entering cybersecurity, Janelle offers this: “Let go of self-limiting beliefs. You are as equally worthy as anyone at creating the digital identity standards we rely on today.”

She also offers a favorite quote from Banksy, “When you’re tired, learn to rest, not to quit.”

Seeing the Full Picture

Somewhere in the digital spaces we live in every day, invisible systems are making decisions about us. They’re determining whether that’s really you logging in, what you’re allowed to see, who you’re permitted to be.

Most of these systems were built to protect, not to understand. To verify, not to recognize.

That’s why I’m glad I met Janelle.

She’s reimagining the relationship between humans and technology—not just by asking, “Are you who you claim to be?” but by pushing for a world where identity systems evolve to see people more fully.

Her work doesn’t promise overnight change, but it represents thoughtful evolution in a field that touches virtually every digital interaction.

The work Janelle leads isn’t revolutionary in the sense of changing everything overnight. Instead, it represents thoughtful evolution in a field that touches virtually every digital interaction.

It’s more than password systems or smoother logins. It’s about who gets to be seen online. Who gets to access services. Who gets to participate.

On this Identity Management Day, I’m struck by how rarely we consider these questions—until we meet someone who’s dedicated her career to answering them.  

One authentication event at a time.