The show is just one part of something bigger. These are the communities Efren is building with other people, where we lift each other up, share what we know, and grow together.
A group for people who want to understand how AI is changing security work. We share what we learn and make real connections along the way. Built together with folks across the Sacramento tech scene.
A space built so people can be a mentor, find a mentee, and help each other out. Whether you are breaking in or paying it forward, this is where the community supports its own.
Learn from someone one step ahead, then help someone one step behind. That loop is the engine of a career and a community.
Organizations and people helping us build the Wake Up X ecosystem. These are the ones closest to the community side. The full directory, including business, technology, and media partners, lives on the Partnerships page.
The AI Security Operations Council, founded by Mohana (Mo) Balakrishnan, CISSP and Eddie Lopez in Sacramento. Operators and practitioners building the control plane for AI security: no vendor pitches, no sales decks, just what actually works. Wake Up X is proud to collaborate with AISOC to unite and support the tech community.
Featured in conversation with host Michael Fierros on AspireByte, a community championing accessible pathways into tech.
The Sacramento chapter of ISACA, the global professional association for IT governance, risk, audit, and cybersecurity. Efren started as a volunteer, which grew into Chair of Communications and then a partnership with the chapter's Government and Regulatory team.
The Sacramento chapter of ISC2, the professional body behind the CISSP, growing the local cybersecurity community through education and connection.
Before Wake Up X was a movement, it was a conversation. These are the people who believed in it then: they showed up, they shared it, they cheered it on, and they helped turn an idea into something real. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Whether you want to mentor, be mentored, or just be part of a community that has your back, there is a seat for you.