Katrina (Katya) Rosseini is a visionary strategist and a key driver of cybersecurity innovation. Advising emerging tech startups, she also provides strategic insights to venture capital firms, investment banks, and capital markets, helping them identify and evaluate emerging technologies with the potential for market disruption and national significance. She was appointed to the executive board of the Civilian Cyber Reserve (CR-ISAC), where she helps strengthen the mission to protect critical infrastructure and support humanitarian cyber defense against emerging threats. As a Fast Company Executive Board member, her leadership spans business, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and innovation.

Katrina co-founded a cybersecurity company focused on securing smart devices at the chipset level. There, she led the pre-seed fundraising that contributed to the development of the MVP, culminating in winning first place in George Washington University’s prestigious New Venture Competition. Her research and leadership are central to safeguarding critical systems and driving innovation. Her work aligns with her doctoral research in cybersecurity, where she developed a formula-based methodology to address the most exploitable vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure systems, including those that monitor and operate power and essential services, to safeguard from nation-state attacks. Her efforts are dedicated to fostering resilience in an increasingly connected world, ensuring that security evolves in tandem with technological advancements.

As Head of Healthcare and Innovation at the Ascendant Group and a Founding Member of the Forbes Agency Council, Katrina offers deep expertise in healthcare, technology, policy, and governance. Her 14 years on the Board of St. Rose Hospital, where she secured $16 million in funding and played a key role in the hospital’s M&A, positions her to guide healthcare innovation at Ascendant.

Katrina’s early recognition came when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to the California Performance Review to drive government efficiencies. She later transitioned into finance at UBS and Morgan Stanley, becoming a partner managing over a billion dollars in assets. During the 2007–2008 financial crisis, she emerged as a trusted media voice, offering insights on ABC10 and NBC’s KCRA3. Today, Katrina’s commentary on cybersecurity, AI, healthcare, and quantum computing shapes public understanding of emerging technologies.

A boundless champion for innovation, Katrina partnered with Advocacy Chiefs and the Mayor’s Economic and Innovation Committee to launch a Sacramento-based program supporting SBIR-stage startups, helping to drive regional tech growth. She has advised government relations strategies for both Advocacy Chiefs and California Policy Solutions while serving as lead idea curator for 8Orcas, a woman-owned advisory group of doctorates. Her efforts have facilitated over $80 million in capital, RFPs, and revenue generation, reinforcing her reputation as an effective strategist.

Her academic background demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence across business, technology, and emerging innovation. She earned a B.A. in Business Organization Studies with a minor in Managerial Economics from UC Davis, an MBA in Finance (Summa Cum Laude) from Colorado Tech University, and participated in Harvard Business School’s Accelerating Board Diversity program. She completed the Blockchain Strategy Program at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where she led a healthcare use case focused on driving the adoption of emerging tech in an essential sector. She completed her Doctor of Engineering courses in Cybersecurity cum laude at GWU and is finalizing her dissertation for defense in July 2025.

Katrina is a results-driven C-suite leader and entrepreneur. Her strategic guidance has secured multimillion-dollar investments and driven business transformations, particularly in emerging technologies. As an advisor to startups and executives in venture capital and capital markets, she shapes decision-making, fosters innovation, and drives long-term growth across the technology sector.