Leigh Honeywell

Yo, have you heard of Leigh Honeywell? If not, you’re missing out on one of the coolest tech minds out there. This guy’s process is straight-up inspiring. Leigh’s a Canadian hacker, community builder, security whiz, and now the CEO of Tall Poppy, a company fighting online harassment. He’s not just about tech for tech’s sake, he’s out here making the internet safer for everyone.

Leigh jumped into tech early, working at giants like Slack, Microsoft, Symantec, and Bell Canada. At Slack, he handled security incident response, so, basically, he was the guy stopping the bad shit from spreading. At Microsoft, he was on the Patch Tuesday team, making sure bugs got fixed before they turned into disasters. Symantec had him analyzing malware, the real deal in cybersecurity. And he also worked at Heroku and Bell Canada, so he’s got a deep bench of experience in infrastructure and security.

But what sets him apart? It’s not just the big company creds. Leigh’s also super passionate about community and social issues. He co-founded HackerSpaces in Toronto and Seattle, places where hackers, creatives, and tech folks come together to build shit and learn from each other. He’s also the Chief Security Officer at Double Union in SF, a women-focused hackerspace, which shows his commitment to diversity and inclusion.

He’s not just about tech for the sake of it either, Leigh’s been a Tech Fellow at the ACLU, working on free speech and online safety. That’s some heavy stuff, fighting for rights and digital privacy in a world that’s getting more and more digital every day. Plus, he’s advised tons of nonprofits and startups, and jumped into accelerators like Y Combinator and Pioneer Fund, talk about being in the trenches of innovation.

His academic background? He’s got a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, majoring in Computer Science and Equity Studies. That combo? No surprise he’s all about hacking the system, not just technically but socially, pushing for equity, diversity, and inclusion in cybersecurity and tech communities.

Now, here’s the kicker: he founded Tall Poppy to tackle online harassment head-on. It’s a platform aiming to protect folks from the bullshit that’s been plaguing the internet forever. So, you see, Leigh’s process isn’t just about tech, it’s about using tech to solve real-world problems, fight for people’s rights, and build safer, more inclusive spaces online.

Bottom line: He’s the real deal, a hacker, a community builder, a social advocate, and now, a founder with a mission. His story is about taking all that experience, all that passion, and turning it into something that actually makes a difference. No Cap.