The Gate 15 Interview: Leigh Honeywell: 🇨🇦 Hacker, Community Organizer and CEO at Tall Poppy

Please enjoy this episode of The Gate 15 Interview podcast on AnchorSpotifyAppleGoogle, as well as other locations accessible via the Anchor link or almost anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.


In this episode of The Gate 15 Interview, Andy Jabbour speaks with Leigh Honeywell, the CEO at Tall Poppy. Leigh is a Canadian hacker and community organizer currently. Leigh is the founder and CEO of Tall Poppy, where she helps companies protect their employees from online harassment. She was previously a Technology Fellow at the ACLU’s Project on Speech, Privacy, and Technology, and also worked at SlackSalesforce.comMicrosoft, and Symantec. She has co-founded two hackerspaces – HackLabTO in the Kensington Market area in Toronto, and a feminist space called the Seattle Attic Community Workshop in Pioneer Square, Seattle. She is now a member and Chief Security Officer of Double Union, a feminist hackerspace in San Francisco, and she advises several nonprofits and startups. Leigh has a degrees from the University of Toronto where she majored in Computer Science and Equity Studies. Leigh points out that the latter major is about equity as in equality, not as in finance. . To learn more about Tall Poppy, visit the Tall Poppy website and connect on Twitter and you can follow and learn more about Leigh on Twitter: @HYPATIADOTCA and LinkedIn

“tall poppy syndrome is a cultural phenomenon in which people hold back, criticize, or sabotage those who have or are believed to have achieved notable success in one or more aspects of life, particularly intellectual or cultural wealth-‘cutting down the tall poppy.’ It describes a draw towards mediocrity and conformity. Commonly in Australia and New Zealand, ‘cutting down the tall poppy’ is used to describe those who deliberately put down another for their success and achievements.”

via Wikipedia
  • Leigh’s background and the personal and professional progression that led her to found Tall Poppy
  • What Tall Poppy is doing to help protect individuals through personal digital safety 
  • Hackerspaces, equity, diversity and women in cybersecurity
  • Leadership
  • Emerging issues in information security
  • Leigh’s ever-colorful hair, CanRock, KiwiCon, and much more!

A few references mentioned in or relevant to our discussion include:

Please enjoy this episode of The Gate 15 Interview podcast on AnchorSpotifyAppleGoogle, as well as other locations accessible via the Anchor link or almost anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. 

The Gate 15 Interview is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues. Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on AnchorAppleSpotifyGoogle, as well as other locations accessible from the Anchor link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:

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  • The Gate 15 Interview, is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.

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