From corporate professional to cybersecurity entrepreneur serving the state of California, this week's guest is proof that curiosity is the first step to building something meaningful.

A huge thank you to ISACA Sacramento for hosting an incredible appreciation event and welcoming the WakeUpX team in to capture some amazing conversations. The energy in that room was something else, packed with passionate professionals, emerging talent, and leaders who genuinely invest in this community. We walked away with outstanding interviews and video content that we can't wait to share with you. More episodes from this event are coming, so stay locked in. 🔒I sat down with Anil Reddy (Kondakrindi), founder of ARK Strategies Inc., a CMAS-certified small business IT consulting firm that works directly with state and local government agencies across California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and beyond. Anil brings over 25 years of corporate experience and 10 years of deep focus on cybersecurity, in a space that desperately needs leaders who understand both the technology and the public sector mission behind it.What started as a leap of faith during the pandemic has grown into a firm specializing in cloud security, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, security policy development, and digital transformation, powered by platforms like Microsoft Power Platform, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday.We talked about:💼 Why he left the 9-to-5 to build his own consulting firm🏛️ How he landed his first public sector engagement with zero prior policy writing experience (and scored perfectly on the CISM to prepare)🤝 Why relationships, integrity, and community are the real foundation of a consulting business🔐 How he handles the stress of security breaches at 2am🤖 His perspective on where AI is headed and what it means for security🌐 Why he's expanding ARK Strategies beyond California and what "serving the citizens" actually means to himOne moment that stuck with me, Anil said, "Don't just bring the problems. Bring the solutions." That's the entrepreneurial mindset right there.For anyone looking to break into cybersecurity, he had this to say: start with education, get certified, then go show leaders what you know. Simple. Actionable. Real.🎧 Listen on Spotify, watch on YouTube, and follow along at wakeupxpodcast.com for more conversations with CISOs, CTOs, CEOs, serial entrepreneurs, and the professionals shaping the future of cybersecurity.This is just the beginning, we have major guests coming up across tech leadership, cyber defense, and entrepreneurship. You don't want to miss what's next.👉 Connect with Anil: linkedin.com/in/anil-reddy-kondakrindi-1933891🌐 Learn more about ARK Strategies: ArkStrategiesInc.com🎙️ More episodes: wakeupxpodcast.com#WakeUpXPodcast #Cybersecurity #Entrepreneurship #PublicSector #ISACA #ISACASacramento #CyberLeaders #SmallBusiness #ITConsulting #ARKStrategies #CISM #SecurityPolicy #DigitalTransformation #CloudSecurity #SacramentoTech #CyberCommunity #PodcastAlert