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In the Boardroom™
Athena Security

In The Boardroom™ With...

Lisa Falzone
Co-founder, President,
Exec Chair of the Board  
Athena Security

Lisa Falzone, Co-founder, President, Exec Chair of the Board, Athena SecuritySecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thank you for joining us today, Lisa. Athena Security will soon be exhibiting some exciting cutting-edge tech at ISC West on April 9-12, in Las Vegas. But before getting into that, can you talk briefly about your background?

Lisa Falzone: I've always believed in the power of technology, and so I've built my career on leveraging technology to move industries forward. I actually started in commerce, not security. With Revel Systems, I built the first enterprise iPad cash register, and we scaled up to a 700-employee international company partnering with IBM and Apple.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: And a very successful one. You've been featured in Forbes Magazine 30 under 30, Fortune Magazine 40 under 40, Tech Crunch, Business Insider... So why the shift to security?

Lisa Falzone: The short answer is, I became a mom. Like most parents, I was dismayed by the growing problem of school shootings. I wanted to give my daughter and son a safer world, and I felt like I had the ability to do something about it. So I founded Athena Security as a way to address the issue, and use my passion for technology to address the growing need for more advanced security measures. We're creating innovative solutions like the A.I. Athena Weapons Detection Solution that I really think can make a difference and save lives.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Athena Security has recently announced the addition of an "Evasion Detection" feature, using AI to identify visitors who attempt to bypass the screening process. Care to elaborate?

Lisa Falzone: Sure. In crowded entryways, visitors sometimes try to skip the screening process for various reasons. Identifying these evasions is essential for effective security because the world's most advanced weapon detection system still doesn't work if people can just bypass it. Our latest update includes an Evasion Detection AI which automatically locates anyone attempting to get around the weapons detection portal, and notifies the guard on duty or can escalate the alert to anyone else who needs to be aware of the evasion.

I think most institutions from schools to stadiums are quickly going to realize that if you need a weapons screening portal at all, you need one with evasion detection -- and that's a feature still missing from many weapons detection systems.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: You've referred to this evasion detection as a "Homeland Security best practices feature" -- what does that mean?

Lisa Falzone: The US Department of Homeland Security publishes a best practices guide for patron screening, and we're always updating our systems to ensure they're in line with the latest recommendations. For example, we've already been using AI to ensure that things like wanding procedures comply with Homeland Security best practices. Athena's latest update has expanded our AI capabilities to ensure that we're meeting best practice benchmarks for evasion detection as well.

Of course, another key method for reducing evasion is to make the screening process as smooth as possible, which is why we continue to use CEIA OPENGATE as the foundation of the Athena Weapons Detection System. The ability for many people to pass through quickly while holding their carry-on items, along with a low nuisance alarm rate, means that there's less incentive for a non-malicious actor to try to bypass the screening because they're in a hurry.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: ISC West is this week April 9-12 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, and we see that Athena Security will be featured at Stand 29101. What can visitors expect to see, hear, and learn from your team at the show?

Lisa Falzone: Visitors to the booth can see a live demonstration of our products to gain the full in-person experience. Our team will be on-hand to answer all of the questions they may have. 

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: One question might be how you've leveraged your strategic relationships with Apple, Milestone, Avigilon and other such companies.

Lisa Falzone: One of the biggest assets in Athena Security's pocket is our integrations; we have to bring the best technology to our customers where everything is connected. I had some experience with Apple integrations back when I launched Revel Systems. But whether a user wants to use an Apple touchpad or Milestone's video management system, the Athena Security system offers a full range of API integrations to ensure it can be configured to best suit the client's needs for a comprehensive security solution.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Any success stories or testimonials you’d like to mention?

Lisa Falzone: Our biggest accomplishment is rolling out entire hospital systems nationwide. Duke Health Hospitals have deployed our weapon detection systems at all their public entrances, but we're equally proud of our work with smaller hospitals like Jefferson Regional in Arkansas, where the staff really appreciated how we integrated the weapon detection system and the visitor management system. An integrated system saves them money and time, in addition to potentially saving lives.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We certainly applaud everything about your mission to help save lives, and thank you for talking with us.

Lisa Falzone, Co-founder, President, Exec Chair of the Board, Athena Security

About Lisa Falzone

Lisa is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of disrupting out-of-touch industries. In less than a decade she built and scaled the first enterprise iPad cash register, Revel Systems to over 700 global employees and tens of thousands of installations spanning five continents. She brought on flagship customers like Royal Dutch Shell, Qantas Airlines, Cinnabon, and Estee Lauder, and led partnerships with Intuit, IBM, and Apple.

Lisa has raised over 200 million dollars from top-tier venture capitalists and private equity firms, and has received numerous government grants based on her track record of high-growth leadership. When Lisa started a family, she knew that she had to do something to address the growing problem of school shootings. She founded Athena so that her daughter could grow up in a safer world.

AWARDS:
  • 2017: Named by Business Insider as a founder of one the “The 21 Hottest Women-Founded Startups to Watch in 2017”.
  • 2016: Part of Tech Crunch’s list of “40 Female Founders Who Crushed it in 2016”.
  • 2015: Falzone was recognized by Fortune Magazine as no. 19 on the 40 Under 40 list as well as the Forbes list of Eight Rising Stars.
  • 2015: Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women, on the Business Journal Upstart 100 list, Recognized by Fortune Magazine’s list of “40 Under 40,” 
    Honored by Forbes magazine as one of the “Women to Watch – Eight Rising Stars.”
  • 2012 & 2013: Named by Forbes magazine in their “30 Under 30” awards.