Critical Effect 2026

Start: June 17, 2026 | 8:00 am ET / 5:00 am PT
End: June 18, 2026 | 5:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PT

Presented by ICS Village, in partnership with IST’s UnDisruptable27 project and Akin, the two-day Critical Effect conference is coming back to Washington, DC on June 17 and 18, and doors open at 8:00AM. With 2027 getting closer, we are prioritizing ideas that lead to real, actionable impact.

About Critical Effect DC

Critical Effect DC provides a unique platform for leading voices in ICS and cybersecurity to engage with policymakers, think tanks, and the media, while facilitating hands-on experiences and encouraging informed, actionable discussions. Unlike most cyber-related events, our center of gravity is zeroed in on National Security & Public Safety / Human Life. See the preview run of show.

Hosts: Presented by ICS Village, in partnership with the Institute for Security and Technology’s UnDisruptable27 project and Akin.

Venue: Akin DC, 2001 K Street NW, Washington DC, 20006

Presented by:

ICS Village is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit equipping industry experts and policymakers with tools and a trained workforce to better defend our critical infrastructure.

In partnership with:

See the Agenda

Want more updates on Critical Effect?

Cyber Policy Shark Tank

In the Cyber Policy Shark Tank, cyber policy innovators pitch solutions to Congressional staffers who have the tools, influence, and track record for putting ideas into action. The submission period closed on Monday, June 8, 2026.

See more information and rules at Hackers on the Hill.

Sponsors

Platinum Level

Bronze Level

Innovation Level

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact ICS Village.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an early bird discount available?
Yes! We have a set number of tickets available for an early bird discount – register as soon as possible to secure the discount!
Yes! The price of your ticket helps us cover the cost of food for both days of the event. We will provide breakfast, lunch, coffee, and snacks on Wednesday and Thursday.
If you are a current, full-time student or GOV/MIL employee, please register for the “free” ticket using your .gov, .mil, or .edu email address. We have a limited number of free tickets available.
In order to attend the reception, please purchase the additional ticket, titled “Reception.” We’ll gather at The Atrium for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and having a good time with your fellow Critical Effect attendees!
Select the “press” ticket option and register using your press email address. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Sophia Mauro at [email protected].

To give you a sense of the agenda, we’ve released a Preview Run of Show with the talks & tracks you can expect to see. Stay tuned for a more detailed agenda with speakers, timing, and additional details! 

Run of Show

All times Eastern. Note: Agenda is subject to change! 

CE Agenda – Day 1, Wednesday June 17
CE Agenda – Day 2, Thursday June 18

Hosts for Critical Effect 2026

Bryson Bort

CEO and Founder, SCYTHE and GRIMM; Co-Founder, ICS Village; Senior Adjunct Technical Advisor, IST

Joshua Corman

Executive in Residence for Public Safety & Resilience at the Institute for Security and Technology & Lead, UnDisruptable27

Speakers at Critical Effect 2026

Nick Andersen

CISA Acting Director

Kevin Block

Senior Counsel, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House

Mark Bristow

Cyber Infrastructure Protection Innovation Center Director, MITRE

Sergio Caltagirone

Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech's Carter School of Public Policy

Sheila Casserly

Director of Digital Policy, Americas at Schneider Electric

Johan Chamucero

Assessments and Mitigations Lead, DAF Cyber Resiliency Office for Control Systems (CROCS) | Infinity Labs

Christopher Cruz

Cyber Program Manager, Virginia Fusion Center

Dean Ford, CAP, PE

Senior Member, International Society of Automation (ISA)

Dr. Mireya Jurado

Professional Staff Member, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House

Jonathan Horowitz

Deputy Head of the Legal Department, International Committee of the Red Cross Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada

Cynthia Kaiser

Senior Vice President, Halcyon Ransomware Research Center

John Keefe

Chief Strategy Officer, Texas Cyber Command

Michael Klein

Senior Director for Preparedness and Response, Institute for Security and Technology

Bob Kolasky

Senior Vice President of Critical Infrastructure, Exiger

Andy Krapf

Director of Operations Technology, Loudoun Water

Michaela Lee

Acting Chief Cyber Officer, State of New York

Nicholas Leiserson

Senior Vice President for Policy, Institute for Security and Technology

Alan McQuinn

Professional Staff Member, Committee on Science, Space, & Technology, U.S. House

Craig Newmark

Founder, Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Niyo Little Thunder Pearson

Co-Founder, MITRE EMB3D

Stephanie Ross

Managing Program Director for Public Safety & Resilience, Institute for Security and Technology

Josh Ross

Co-founder & CEO, Ironloop

Katrina Rosseini

Founder, KRR Ventures Advisory

Oleg Shakirov

PhD student, Johns Hopkins SAIS

Lessie Skiba

Deputy Managing Director, Cyber Readiness Institute

Joe Slowik

Cybersecurity Alerting Strategy Director, Dataminr

Pedro Umbelino

Principal Research Scientist, Bitsight

Munish Walther-Puri

Head of Critical Digital Infrastructure, TPO Group

Chuck Weissenborn

Public Sector CTO at Dragos

Jeff Welgan

Chief Strategist and CEO, skillrex

Ginger Wright

Program Manager, Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Lauren Zabierek

Senior Advisor, CAS Strategies

Stay tuned: More speakers to be announced!

Panelists

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