Speaker
Ken's Bio
Ken Barnhart brings over 30 years of expertise as a CEO, CIO, and CISO, having built and sold multiple IT companies. By the age of 30, he had already served as a CIO. With more than 40,000 hours of consulting experience, Ken has assisted companies of all sizes in designing and securing private, public, and hybrid cloud environments.
For the past eight years, Ken Barnhart has served as the Founder and CEO of Highground Cyber, continuing his dedication to national security through cybersecurity and privacy program support. The company specializes in NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, and CMMC implementations for small and mid-sized businesses. Ken also chairs the Highground Group, which invests in companies and technologies that show promise in bolstering cybersecurity for the Small and Midmarket Business sector.
US Marine Corps Combat Veteran
As a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Ken Barnhart earned his Combat Action Ribbon and other decorations while serving with HQ Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. During the Gulf War, one of his key missions was to protect his fellow Marines on the ground, a role known as "Over Watch" in the line infantry. Ken has carried this dedication to safeguarding others from the battlefield to the boardroom, continuing his mission of protection in the corporate world.
Founder/CEO of the Occam Group, Ltd
For 17 years, Ken Barnhart served as the Founder and President of Occam Group Ltd. Under his leadership, the Microsoft Gold Partner experienced a 58% compound annual growth rate and market-leading profitability. This success was achieved while earning customer loyalty and numerous industry awards, including the Microsoft International Productivity Challenge and recognition by CIO Magazine for having one of the Top 20 Cyber Security Solutions in 2015. In January 2017, Ken successfully sold his stake in Occam Group and launched Highground Cyber as a spin-off brand.
CyberSecurity Guru & Ambassador
Ken serves on numerous advisory boards, including the Global Cyber Security Summit, where he is both a board member and speaker. He is also a co-founder and Chairman of the Center for Cyber-Resilience. Throughout his career, Ken has built strong relationships with top cybersecurity leaders in both the public and private sectors. As an active practitioner, Ken serves as a fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for several mid-market organizations and advises various boards of directors in the public and private sectors. Additionally, he is the Vistage Champion for Cyber Security and has delivered over 175 Vistage keynotes worldwide. Ken is a member of the National Speakers Association and regularly speaks on cybersecurity and veteran issues, both nationally and internationally.
Giving Back
Ken is an energetic philanthropist deeply committed to supporting veterans. He actively backs the Wounded Warrior Project and has been instrumental in fundraising efforts with Team Minnesota since 2013. Additionally, Mr. Barnhart plays a pivotal role in the Minnesota Voice of the Veteran Program, serving as both a sponsor and advisor to further its mission of reconnecting the public with veterans worldwide. On an international scale, Ken serves on the Board of LeadStar University, dedicated to expanding affordable education opportunities across Ethiopia and Sub-Saharan Africa. He also volunteers as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for LeadStar TV, a service provider spanning much of the African continent. In 2016, Ken received an honorary doctorate from the LeadStar Academic and Student Congress, recognizing his extensive service and educational contributions.
Family
Ken lives in Nevada with his wife Christa and their Boxer named Sierra. Ken & Christa have three sons, Ethan, Zachary, & Joshua. We are all thriving professionals in the field of Cybersecurity and Privacy.
Speaker Introduction
As a veteran of Desert Shield\Storm, Ken Barnhart earned his Combat Action Ribbon and other decorations serving with HQ Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
Ken has carried forward his passion for the mission of protecting others from the battlefield to the board room.
On the home front, Ken has successfully built and sold multiple IT businesses with the belief that technology holds the power to educate, empower and protect. Through the years he’s consulted for the enterprise elite, designing, building and securing their global cloud and hybrid infrastructures.
As a Philanthropist and a strong advocate for Veterans, Ken is an active supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and has worked closely with the Minnesota Voice of the Veteran Program as well as the Brothers in Blue Prison Ministry. Ken serves on the Board for LeadStar University which is helping provide affordable, accessible education for tens of thousands of students in Ethiopia and Sub-Sahara Africa. For his years of service and teaching, LeadStar bestowed their first ever honorary doctorate upon Mr. Barnhart in 2016.
As an established thought leader and facilitator on various advisory boards, Ken also speaks on the topic of cyber security awareness for organizations and conferences nationally and internationally in his role as an international Vistage speaker and cyber security champion; educating Boards of Directors, CEOs, and small business owners on cybersecurity threats and the role and responsibility of business leadership.
The Marine credo “no man left behind” reverberates in Ken’s personal mission of security – to awaken, empower and preserve fellow CEOs in the small and mid market ecosystem that are now on the front lines of this sinister new battlefield of cybersecurity. This subject of protecting our nation’s SMB ecosystem is rooted in his deep appreciation for business and the risk the owners and CEOs take to stake their reputations, retirements and financial assets to provide 50% of our nation’s payroll.
AV Criteria for Events
Tech for Conference Room Setups
- Power supply or Power strip for laptop
- HDMI or USB-C connection to projector or TV screens
- Internet access in conference room
CLICK SHARE or other proprietary setups not supported
Tech for Ballroom or Keynote Setups
- Wireless Lavalier Mic
- Confidence Monitor if on Stage without podium
- Power supply or Power strip for laptop
- HDMI or USB-C connection to projector or TV Screens
- Internet access in conference room
CLICK SHARE or other proprietary setups not supported
I will not transfer PPTs to USB without prior agreement
Room set up with tables is preferable as audience is likely to take notes.
