The Diana Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering all those underrepresented in the field of information security, is excited to announce an excellent opportunity for security professionals.
The Diana Initiative - in partnership with DEF CON - is seeking to foster diversity and inclusion within the cybersecurity community; we are looking for mentors who have previously attended DEF CON who would be willing to support newer/first time attendees. (It's a bonus if you're attending this year as well!)
Your responses will help us match you with mentees, confirm your availability, and ensure alignment with DEF CON’s Code of Conduct and The Diana Initiative’s community values.
As a mentor in The Diana Initiative’s mentorship program, you’ll strengthen your leadership and coaching skills, expand your professional network, and stay close to emerging perspectives in security, all while giving newer attendees a softer landing at one of the biggest conferences in our field.
Dates of Commitment: June 15th through August 4th.
In this program mentors will be paired up with mentees who are receiving scholarships from TDI to attend Hacker Summer Camp in Las Vegas.
Scholarship winners are students who may not have any previous experience with Hacker Summer Camp or other Hacker/Technical Conferences.
Mentors will receive materials to share with attendees and are asked to talk to students about networking and learning opportunities at the conference and potentially talk about what the Information Technology and Security Industry is like.
Ideally we would also like to have a few mentors available during hacker summer camp (if already planning to attend) that can be there to support scholarship winners on-site.
Mentor Expectations
Mentors in this program agree to having at least three calls between June 15 and Aug 4, 2026 :
- Have prior DEF CON Conference experience and be willing to share practical, honest insights with newer attendees.
- Help the mentee set realistic goals for DEF CON (sessions, networking, side events) and revisit those goals over the three calls.
- Communicate clearly about availability, respond to messages within a reasonable time, and reschedule promptly if conflicts arise.
- Share real world insights and cater to the mentee's needs and what they want to achieve at the end of the conference
- Encouraging introductions, networking opportunities, and meaningful professional conversations
Once mentors have been accepted, received a confirmation email from the TDI team, and completed onboarding, they will be paired with mentees based on their form responses and stated preferences.
