From Fundraiser to Funder: Taylor Lewallen’s Impact at CrowdStrike

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, the need for skilled professionals has never been more pressing. Taylor Lewallen, who dedicated her career to fundraising for nonprofits, made a significant career shift in 2021 when she joined CrowdStrike as a Program Manager for Social Impact programs. This transition marked a pivotal moment not just for Lewallen, but for the many nonprofits and communities that benefit from her expertise and CrowdStrike’s corporate giving strategy.

A New Role with a Broader Vision

At CrowdStrike, Lewallen’s responsibilities extend far beyond traditional fundraising. She is now at the helm of the company’s corporate giving strategy, determining which nonprofits to support and how these partnerships align with CrowdStrike’s broader vision. “My favorite part of this role is working directly with our nonprofit partners. We have so many resources as a corporation, and I’m proud that we share those resources with our communities,” Lewallen shared.

Under her guidance, CrowdStrike has focused its corporate giving strategy on addressing the cybersecurity skills gap. With an estimated global shortage of 4 million cybersecurity professionals, the demand for skilled employees is expected to rise. Lewallen emphasizes, “Our giving is designed to help protect the future of the cybersecurity industry and build the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”

Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap

One of the key initiatives that Lewallen manages is CrowdStrike’s partnership with the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS). Established in 2001, CIAS is a Texas-based research center dedicated to cybersecurity education for students from elementary school through college. The organization conducts research to identify effective ways to introduce students to cybersecurity principles and brings that research to life through training, exercises, competitions, and educational games.

As a Titanium Sponsor, CrowdStrike supports CIAS through financial donations and volunteerism. Recently, this partnership has led to the enhancement of the Cyber Threat Defender card game, a unique educational tool designed to teach the fundamentals of cybersecurity in an engaging way.

Cybersecurity Education Through Gaming: Cyber Threat Defender

Cyber Threat Defender, created by CIAS in 2016, is a multiplayer collectible card game that gamifies cybersecurity concepts. The game allows players to create a network of assets and build defenses against opponents’ attacks, providing a fun and interactive way to learn about cybersecurity issues. With an average game lasting about 20 minutes, players are exposed to the complexities of cyberattacks and defensive strategies.

“Cyber Threat Defender gamifies cybersecurity in a way that allows anyone to learn about the complex security issues our customers deal with every day,” Lewallen explained. The game has gained popularity, with over 160,000 students in 22 countries having played it to date.

The CrowdStrike Booster Pack

To keep the game fresh and relevant, CIAS has introduced booster packs that expand on the game’s standard offerings. The newly released CrowdStrike booster pack includes 12 new game cards featuring adversaries like SCATTERED SPIDER and various CrowdStrike cybersecurity solutions. This evolution mirrors the dynamic nature of the cybersecurity industry, where new threats and technologies continually emerge.

“CrowdStrike is great at taking complex threats and illustrating them in a way that is easy for people to understand. This partnership with CIAS allows us to share our industry expertise with students to help foster an interest in cybersecurity,” Lewallen noted.

Collaboration and Community Engagement

Lewallen serves as the vital link between CIAS and CrowdStrike, ensuring that the partnership is mutually beneficial. From the outset, she worked closely with CIAS to understand its needs and how CrowdStrike could provide support. This collaboration involved bringing together designers, writers, threat intelligence experts, and executives to contribute to the project. “This effort bridged many teams at CrowdStrike, demonstrating our ‘one team, one fight’ mentality,” she said.

Get Involved: Bringing Cyber Threat Defender to Schools

CrowdStrike encourages its employees to engage with their communities through its volunteer paid-time-off benefit, allowing them to bring Cyber Threat Defender to local schools. Employees can access resources on CrowdStrike’s Social Impact CrowdConnect page to obtain the game and learn how to teach it effectively.

“We want to encourage all employees to give back in a way that’s meaningful to them. Our volunteer time-off policy gives employees the flexibility to choose how and when they support their communities,” Lewallen stated.

Thanks to sponsors like CrowdStrike, Cyber Threat Defender and other educational card games are available at no cost to K-12 educators in the U.S. Educators can request a free classroom set here.

For those interested in purchasing the game and its accessories, including the new CrowdStrike booster pack, they are available through the CIAS store.

Conclusion

Taylor Lewallen’s journey from fundraiser to funder exemplifies the transformative power of corporate social responsibility in addressing critical issues like the cybersecurity skills gap. Through her leadership at CrowdStrike, she is not only fostering a new generation of cybersecurity professionals but also creating meaningful partnerships that benefit communities and enhance education. As the demand for cybersecurity expertise continues to grow, initiatives like Cyber Threat Defender will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the industry.