Security LeadHER 2026, an essential event focused on empowering women in the security sector, drew 500 leaders to the Hilton Minneapolis on June 15-16, 2026. This gathering, featuring an approximate 10% increase in attendance from the previous year, demonstrated the event’s expanding reach and influence across the security community.
Participants from across 40 U.S. states and 11 countries attended to participate in discussions and activities dedicated to advancing women in the security field. Rachael Paskvan, chair of the ASIS Women in Security community, highlighted the event's impact, emphasizing the role of mentorship and meaningful connections in shaping both careers and the broader security industry. "We are proud to partner with SIA to create a space where leaders, allies and emerging professionals can learn from one another, share experiences and drive meaningful change," she stated.
The event featured tours of prominent security sites, including the Target Corporate Command Center and the Mall of America Security Operations. Attendees observed live demonstrations of Target's advanced analytics and automation, and explored the security technologies that maintain safety for over 100,000 daily patrons at the Mall of America. These tours provided a unique perspective on large-scale security operations.
The program was highlighted by keynote speeches from experts like Alison Fragale, Ph.D., who discussed the intersection of competence and likeability for women leaders, and author Minda Harts, who shared strategies for self-advocacy. A panel on "The Power of Sponsorship and Allyship" featured industry leaders discussing career advancement through support and collaboration. Breakout sessions covered a range of topics, including executive presence, strategic networking, and addressing biases in data-driven security.
Generous support from sponsors, such as Amazon, Apple, HID, and others, was critical in delivering a comprehensive conference experience. Beyond the event, Security LeadHER aims to strengthen host communities like Minneapolis, partnering with women-owned businesses and hosting initiatives such as a clothing drive for Dress for Success Twin Cities. The event's commitment is to foster resilient communities through ongoing community investment.
Looking ahead, Security LeadHER 2027 is scheduled for June 14-15 in Austin, Texas, promising continued dialogue and progress in empowering women within the security sector.
Security LeadHER, the premier event dedicated to advancing women in the global security industry, welcomed 500 security leaders to the Hilton Minneapolis on June 15–16, 2026, for two days of connection, learning and community impact.
Presented by ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA), this year’s gathering marked a roughly 10% increase in registrations over 2025—a clear signal of the event’s growing momentum and the expanding community it serves.
Inclusive security community
From the Midwest to the Middle East, attendees traveled from 40 U.S. states and 11 nations to be part of the experience with a shared commitment to advancing, connecting and empowering women across the profession.
“The conversations, mentorship, sponsorship and meaningful connections fostered this week are not only shaping individual careers—they are helping shape the future of the security profession,” said Rachael Paskvan, chair of the ASIS Women in Security community and head of protective services at Ecolab. “We are proud to partner with SIA to create a space where leaders, allies and emerging professionals can learn from one another, share experiences and drive meaningful change across our industry. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive security community where everyone has the opportunity to grow, lead and succeed.”
Advanced analytics and automation
“Security LeadHER 2026 demonstrates the incredible momentum behind the advancement of women in the security industry. What makes this event so powerful is that it goes beyond inspiration: it creates meaningful connections, actionable insights and opportunities that continue long after the event ends,” said Candice Aragon, chair of the SIA Women in Security Forum and chief experience officer at PSA. “We are proud to see this community growing and grateful to everyone who contributed to making this year’s conference our most impactful yet.”
Attendees enjoyed exclusive behind-the-scenes tours at two of Minnesota’s most iconic destinations. At the Target Corporate Command Center—the 24/7 hub that monitors business, safety and security issues across nearly 2,000 stores and more than 60 supply chain facilities—attendees toured the center and saw a live demonstration of Target’s advanced analytics and automation.
Next-generation technology
At the Mall of America Security Operations and the Axis Experience Center, they went inside the day-to-day management of the largest mall in America, learning how the team keeps more than 100,000 daily patrons safe and the next-generation technology that makes it possible. Together, the tours offered a rare, insider look at security operations at scale.
The result is an event that brings women leaders in the security profession together with allies who champion the mission—creating space to advance, connect and empower women in the industry, present and future.
Powerful keynote addresses
The program was anchored by two powerful keynote addresses. Organizational psychologist, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor and status-and-negotiation expert Alison Fragale, Ph.D., opened the conference with “Likeable Badass: The Science of Winning the Status Game,” unpacking why women are so often forced to choose between being seen as competent and being seen as likeable and how a science-based understanding of status can change that dynamic.
On Day 2, author and workplace equity expert Minda Harts delivered “Your Voice Is Your Value,” blending her self-advocacy strategies with her “Seven Trust Languages” framework to help attendees strengthen self-trust and communicate their worth with confidence, even amid difficult power dynamics.
Difficult power dynamics
The conference closed with a leadership panel, “The Power of Sponsorship and Allyship,” in which women security leaders shared candid career stories about the advocates who opened doors, amplified their voices, and helped break down barriers.
Karen Frank, managing director and head of firm safety and security services at KPMG, moderated the discussion featuring panelists Kimberly Fearno, regional vice president at Convergint; Emy Johnson, vice president and chief security officer at Allina Health; Alaina Meyer, president of scDataCom; and Dawanna S. Witt, sheriff of Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Global security career
Beyond the keynotes, attendees chose from a unique and robust slate of breakouts, roundtables and sessions spanning the challenges and opportunities facing women in security today. Topics ranged from executive presence, confident communication and mastering hard conversations to navigating nonlinear career paths, personal branding and strategic networking for a global security career.
Sessions also tackled the field’s most pressing issues and challenges, including leading across generations in the age of artificial intelligence, recognizing bias in data-driven decision making, the role of psychological safety in high-performing security teams, women in executive protection and building the next-generation pipeline of women leaders. The breadth reflected Security LeadHER’s commitment to meeting professionals wherever they are on their leadership journey, from entry and mid-level roles to the C-suite.
Security LeadHER 2026 was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors across every tier:
- Premier Sponsors: Amazon Worldwide Operations Security, Apple and HID
- Executive Sponsors: Allegion, Axis Communications, Boon Edam, Circadian Risk, M.C. Dean, Salto, Securitas, Securitas Technology and Wesco
- Partner Sponsors: Genetec, GSA, Hanwha Vision, Inter-Con Security, Johnson Controls, Resolver, Sage Integration, Verkada and ZBeta
- Their partnership powers not only an exceptional attendee experience, but also the community investment that defines what Security LeadHER stands for.
More resilient communities
Security LeadHER is more than a conference—it’s a way the security industry contributes to building stronger, more resilient communities. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Axis Communications, Security LeadHER is proud to go beyond the event itself and invest directly in the cities that welcome it. This year, that city is Minneapolis. By partnering with women-owned businesses already making a difference in their local communities, Security LeadHER puts its values of advancing, connecting and empowering women into action.
The event is proud to stand alongside Tameka Jones, founder and CEO of Lip Esteem, in her mission of empowering women and in recognition of her local impact. This year’s conference also hosted a clothing drive benefiting Dress for Success Twin Cities, an organization supporting individuals ages 18+ with career advancement services including coaching, classes and workplace attire. Save the date for next year’s Security LeadHER event, taking place June 14–15, 2027, in Austin, Texas.
