In spring 2021, Renata Spinks-McNeal, known as "cyberbosslady" on social media, served as the featured speaker for BEYA STEM Career Day.
At that time, she was the acting senior information security officer and cyber technology officer for the U.S. Marine Corps. Three years later, CIOViews magazine named her one of the most influential people in business.
In February 2026, Renata participated as a panelist at the 40th annual BEYA STEM Conference, where she addressed topics including quantum and artificial intelligence, the responsibility gap, algorithmic bias, and quantum processing.
As a recognized expert in cybersecurity and risk management, she is scheduled to speak at the AI NEXTGEN America Conference in October 2026. There, she will join a seminar on cybersecurity, veterans, defense, and national security, focusing on whether artificial intelligence can keep America safe.
In July 2026, IBM reported that one in four malicious breaches were enabled by artificial intelligence, a 56 percent increase from the previous year. According to IBM, these breaches cost an average of $6 million, about $1 million more than the global average of $4.99 million.
In recent commentary, Renata compared the current "AI boom" to the dot-com era, noting that while both periods are transformative, the stakes for national security and resilience are now significantly higher.
Cyber talent is critical infrastructure.
She emphasized the need to secure intelligence-driven systems that outpace traditional talent pipelines and identified a critical gap in cyber talent, which she considers essential infrastructure.
Renata recommends collaboration between human resources and technology to address this gap, and highlights the importance of skills intelligence, artificial intelligence, and workforce analysis in helping leaders identify, develop, and retain talent to secure AI systems.
She stresses that organizations treating cyber talent as a strategic asset, rather than a staffing function, will be better prepared for future advancements in AI.
Renata also underscores that foundational cybersecurity—including identity and access management, secure configurations, alignment, and continuous mentoring—is vital for national resilience.
With over twenty years of combined military and federal service, she has engineered Big Data Analytics systems for research and investigations and managed business best practices.
As Senior Technical Advisor at the U.S. Treasury and IRS, she led enterprise-wide modernization initiatives, including process improvements and Cloud and DevOps Architecture. Her previous roles include serving as special assistant to the chief technology officer at the U.S. Treasury and in the Department of Homeland Security Business Intelligence.
Renata is a United States Army Medical Corps Veteran and a recognized CIAA Elite Student Athlete. She has been featured in multiple publications and has presented at several STEM conferences. Renata owns Rising Footsteps and STEAM2.0, organizations dedicated to supporting women and student-athletes pursuing STEM careers.