Matt Howard on DMV Rising's Third Year: How a Regional Experiment Became a C-Suite Must-Attend

Matt Howard, Virtru CMO and conference founder, reflects on DMV Rising's journey from startup gathering to C-suite convening

Three years ago, Matt Howard and a small group of cybersecurity leaders in the Washington region took a calculated risk. Despite the DMV's abundance of tech conferences, they saw a gap – there wasn't a cyber-specific gathering where industry leaders could directly dialogue and tackle the sector's hardest problems. That observation led to DMV Rising, an experiment that has quickly evolved into what many consider the region's most meaningful executive cybersecurity conference.

As the third annual DMV Rising approaches on September 18th, the numbers tell the story: Over 350 RSVPs representing both cyber vendors and practitioners — ranging from early-stage startups to $100M+ category leaders — plus executives from the federal government, venture capital, and professional services communities prominent in the region. We sat down with Howard to discuss the journey the conference has taken thus far, and what’s ahead this year.

"Having spent many years operating in the cyber industry, I've witnessed the remarkable innovation happening right here in the DMV region," Howard reflects. "But I also know firsthand how hard it is to transform a brilliant idea into a viable cyber product—how challenging it can be to deploy solutions that deliver tangible operational value, and ultimately, how difficult it is to build sustainable value over time. It became clear that our DMV cyber community was eager for a conference where vendors and practitioners alike could connect authentically, exchange real-world insights, and learn from each other. That hunger for connection and shared experience became the catalyst for DMV Rising—we wanted to create the gathering our ecosystem needed and deserved."

From Experiment to Excellence

The inaugural event drew an engaged but diverse crowd, promising but raw. Year two marked a significant up-leveling – introducing executive roundtables, improving panel quality, and transforming the afterparty into an event unto itself with live music and networking that emulated well-known Black Hat after-gatherings.

"We didn't have executive roundtables in year one," Howard recalls. "But the feedback was clear that senior leaders wanted more intimate settings for strategic discussions. So, we added them in year two, got great feedback, and now they're a cornerstone of the experience."

As regional cyber startups scale and established companies continue to expand, there's real demand from CISOs and CIOs for authentic and executive-level dialogue about strategic challenges in both commercial and government markets.

Building Bridges

DMV Rising's unique contribution has been uniting a region that often operates in silos. The cybersecurity communities in D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia maintain separate trade associations and networking circuits. DMV Rising deliberately breaks down these barriers.

"The DMV doesn't always get the credit it deserves in cyber innovation," Howard emphasizes. "We have it all — early-stage innovators, scaling category creators, established leaders, plus the federal ecosystem, universities, and support infrastructure — but we're often operating in silos. DMV Rising aims to break down those barriers."

Having previously built the successful All-Day DevOps conference at Sonatype, Howard brought experience in creating industry communities. "I knew I wanted to create another event when I joined Virtru," he explains. "But this had to be different — not just another vendor showcase — but something that brought the entire regional ecosystem together at every level."

More Than Another Conference

"We're optimizing the event to give everyone from startup founders to Fortune 500 executives the chance to come, learn, connect, and grow," Howard explains. "This year is shaping up to be the best ever: That might sound cliche, but it's the honest truth."

This year's sponsors reflect that cross-regional appeal. Core sponsors include Virtru, JPMorgan Chase, Sonatype, Strider, SixMap, XBOW, Expel, and Threater - representing different points on the cyber growth journey. Sponsorship from venture capital firm DataTribe, and the law firm King & Spalding demonstrate the conference's relevance across the entire ecosystem. Community partners including the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Station DC, The Cyber Guild, VCDC, and DCA Live demonstrate success in bridging silos and regional boundaries.