When Stephanie Cherrin utilized her counter-terrorism credentials for a career in venture capital, she didn't just change industries, she embarked on a global journey that would reshape how major corporations approach innovation. Today, as Partner at JP Morgan Technology Ventures, she's bringing lessons learned from Tel Aviv's startup scene, Silicon Valley's risk-taking culture, and Europe's corporate innovation labs to help position the DMV as a global cybersecurity powerhouse.
At DMV Rising 2025's "Vision for Global Leadership: Channeling Israeli Cyber Culture to Strengthen DMV Industry Leadership" panel, Cherrin will share insights from a career that spans three continents and bridges the gap between scrappy startups and Fortune 500 giants. Her unique perspective on channeling international innovation models to strengthen regional ecosystems makes her an essential voice in the conversation about the DMV's cyber future.
Three reasons Cherrin brings unparalleled perspective to building global cyber leadership:
She's mastered the art of cross-border innovation transfer. Starting as a founding member of Krypton Venture Capital in Tel Aviv, Cherrin learned to help startups find product-market fit thousands of miles from their target customers. She then ran Deutsche Telekom's hub:raum Fund in Israel, bringing dozens of companies to market across Europe. At Porsche Ventures' North American arm, she pushed the automotive giant to invest in technologies that would disrupt its own industry, from mobile repair services to embedded finance. This rare ability to translate innovation across cultures, continents, and corporate structures is exactly what the DMV needs to leverage its unique assets on the global stage.
She understands both sides of the innovation equation. Unlike typical VCs who view innovation from the outside, Cherrin has operated within major corporations (Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile US, Porsche AG) while maintaining deep connections to the startup ecosystem. She knows firsthand the challenges of corporate innovation—and more importantly, how to overcome them. Her work at NFX focusing on network-effect businesses and her current role at JP Morgan Technology Ventures identifying early-growth stage opportunities gives her unique insight into building sustainable innovation pipelines that benefit both startups and established players.
She brings proven international strategies to regional development. Having built venture operations from Tel Aviv to Silicon Valley, Cherrin understands the specific mechanisms, from military tech transfer programs to risk-tolerant investment cultures, that various regions have used to build thriving tech ecosystems. Her background in counter-terrorism and international security, combined with her venture experience across multiple global tech hubs, positions her uniquely to help the DMV identify and adapt successful strategies while leveraging its own distinctive advantages like federal expertise and academic excellence.
Why This Matters for the DMV
When JP Morgan Technology Ventures, the innovation arm of America's largest bank, invests in cybersecurity, it signals market validation at the highest level. Cherrin's presence represents something bigger: recognition that the DMV has all the critical ingredients to become a global cyber leader: deep government expertise, world-class universities, and proximity to critical infrastructure. What the region needs are proven strategies for turning these assets into a thriving ecosystem, and Cherrin's international experience offers exactly that roadmap.
The panel will explore how to channel successful innovation models from around the world to strengthen the DMV's position as a cyber hub. Alongside Yossi Appleboum (CEO, Sepio) and Seth Spergel (Managing Partner, Merlin Ventures), with moderation by John Funge (Venture Partner, Data Tribe), Cherrin will tackle critical questions about talent development, technology transfer, and the cultural shifts necessary to compete globally.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from a venture leader who's not just talking about global innovation—she's lived it, built it, and invested in it across three continents. Her insights could help unlock the DMV's potential to become the world's next great cybersecurity ecosystem.
