Sober in Cyber
Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led U.S. nonprofit that runs alcohol-free networking events and a 12,000-member Discord community for sober, sober-curious, and recovery-identified cybersecurity professionals at major industry conferences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersWest Hollywood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sober in Cyber does
Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led U.S. nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) via fiscal sponsorship with The Hack Foundation, EIN 81-2908499) that provides alcohol-free networking events and community resources for sober, sober-curious, and recovery-identified professionals working in the cybersecurity industry. Founded in May 2023 by Jen VanAntwerp, the organization operates a 12,000+-member Discord community as its digital backbone and runs two flagship annual events — the Sober Speakeasy at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas during Black Hat/DEF CON "Hacker Summer Camp," and Rockin' Mocktails at RSAC in San Francisco — alongside a growing calendar of satellite activations at conferences such as Identiverse, Wild West Hackin' Fest, Blue Team Con, and CyberMarketingCon.
The underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: a Discord server for community engagement, a Wix-hosted website for event registration and information, the Bonfire merchandise platform, and Hack Club Bank for donation processing under fiscal sponsorship. There is no proprietary software product, no API surface, and no app. The product portfolio consists of in-person events (flagship + satellite), online webinars and educational programming, branded merchandise, and a podcast in development. The mailing address is c/o Hack Club in West Hollywood, CA, and the organization has no paid employees.
Sober in Cyber is funded almost entirely through tax-deductible donations and event sponsorships, with tiered corporate packages (Platinum, Gold, Silver) sold to cybersecurity vendors, individual donations collected at event registration ($0–$100 tiers), and merchandise proceeds routed back to the mission. Go-to-market is event-driven: the organization captures attention at the industry's largest conferences and converts attendees into community members, repeat donors, and future sponsors. Its customer base is two-sided — sober infosec professionals as the served community and cybersecurity vendors (e.g., Intezer, JackiesInSecurity, DomainTools, ThreatLocker, Ping Identity) as the underwriting sponsors — and it operates with no disclosed revenue figures, no paid staff, and no traditional equity funding.
Sober in Cyber firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sober in Cyber
- Legal name
- Sober in Cyber
- Website
- https://soberincyber.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led U.S. nonprofit that runs alcohol-free networking events and a 12,000-member Discord community for sober, sober-curious, and recovery-identified cybersecurity professionals at major industry conferences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sober in Cyber industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Networking Events
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)
Keywords
Where Sober in Cyber is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Hollywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sober in Cyber business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: Individual and corporate donations that are fully tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor Hack Club Bank. Sponsorships from cybersecurity companies at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver) for events.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Sober Squad and Support Squad branded merchandise through Bonfire platform, with a portion of proceeds returning as donations.
- Event Donations: Optional donations during event registration ranging from $0 to $100.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One-time | Free registration with optional donation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sober in Cyber product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes and hosts in-person and virtual alcohol-free networking events for sober, sober-curious, and dry individuals in the cybersecurity industry. Its flagship offerings are the annual Sober Speakeasy event at The Mob Museum during Black Hat/DEF CON and the Rockin' Mocktails event at RSAC, supported by a Discord community of over 12,000 members, webinars, branded merchandise, and ongoing conference booth presence.
Product overview
Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization providing alcohol-free events and community-building opportunities for sober individuals in the cybersecurity industry. The core offerings include the annual flagship Sober Speakeasy events during Black Hat/DEF CON and Rockin' Mocktails at RSAC Conference, supported by an online Discord community launched in May 2023. Additional services include merchandise through Bonfire, conference booth sponsorships, webinars, and a planned podcast. The organization is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (Hack Club) and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sober Speakeasy Annual flagship alcohol-free networking event held at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas during Black Hat/DEF CON, featuring mocktails, food, museum tours, secret rooms, and professional networking with zero pressure to drink. Targeted at sober cybersecurity professionals.
- Rockin' Mocktails at RSAC Alcohol-free networking event held annually at RSA Conference in San Francisco, featuring custom mocktails, rock & roll-themed arts and crafts, DJ, temporary tattoo artist, and professional networking. Targeted at sober cybersecurity professionals attending RSAC.
- Discord Community Online community server launched May 2023 with over 12,000 members for sober cybersecurity professionals to share resources, network, and find 'sober buddies' at infosec conferences. Serves as the central hub for the Sober in Cyber community.
- Sober Squad / Support Squad Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and tanks sold through the Bonfire platform, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit mission.
- Webinars & Educational Events Online educational events including webinars on recovery, sobriety resources, and community support in high-stress careers, as well as guided meditation sessions like 'Cultivating Consciousness'.
Companies that use Sober in Cyber
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sober in Cyber technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sober in Cyber partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
28 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- JackiesInSecurityflagshipPlatinum sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026. Owned by Jackie McGuire, who is approaching a decade of sobriety in the industry.
- IntezerflagshipPlatinum sponsor for Sober Speakeasy events at Hacker Summer Camp (Black Hat/DEF CON). CEO Itai Tevet stated support for inclusive options for cybersecurity professionals.
- Write AlchemistcorePlatinum sponsor for Sober Speakeasy 2026. Also supports Locks & Mocktails event at CyberMarketingCon 2025.
- ThreatLockercoreGold sponsor for Sober Speakeasy 2026.
- Ping IdentitycoreGold sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026.
- Prophet SecuritycoreGold sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026.
- WISPsupportingSilver sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026.
- The Diana InitiativesupportingSilver sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026 and Sober Speakeasy 2025.
- EmberOTsupportingSilver sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026, Sober Speakeasy 2025, and Platinum sponsor for RSAC 2024.
- Mental Health HackerssupportingSilver sponsor for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2026 and Sober Speakeasy 2025.
- GravwellsupportingSponsor for events including Sober Speakeasy 2026.
- PhylumsupportingSponsor for events including Sober Speakeasy 2026.
- alphaMountainsupportingSponsor for events including Sober Speakeasy 2026.
- AnetacsupportingSponsor for events including Sober Speakeasy 2026.
- DomainToolsflagshipPlatinum sponsor for Sober Speakeasy 2025.
- MiscreantssupportingGold sponsor for Sober Speakeasy 2025. Also provides website hosting and domain renewal services as a website sponsor.
- NinjaProxysupportingGold sponsor for Sober Speakeasy 2025.
- Better BarsupportingExpert mixologists who created custom mocktails for Rockin Mocktails at RSAC 2024.
- Lockpickers UnitedsupportingExperts providing lockpicking training at Locks & Mocktails event during CyberMarketingCon 2025.
- Cybersecurity Marketing SocietysupportingSupported the Locks & Mocktails event at CyberMarketingCon 2025.
- CactusConsupportingPartner for mocktails at Happy Hour event, February 2026.
- Technology Education Collaborative (TEC)supportingPartner for CactusCon Happy Hour and TEC Movie Night events.
- Wild West Hackin' FestsupportingPartner for Deadwood Soda Saloon event and booth presence at WWHF Mile High 2026.
- Scottsdale Cybersecurity SummitsupportingPartner for booth presence and mocktails at welcome reception, October 2025.
- NRECA Co-op Cyber TechsupportingPartner for booth presence at Learning Village during conference, June 2025.
- IdentiversecorePartner for booth presence (Booth 917 in 2025, Booth 135 in 2026) and mocktails at welcome reception.
- The Yard Milkshake BarsupportingVenue partner for alcohol-free Sponsor Stampede option at WWHF Mile High 2026.
- Blue Team ConsupportingPartner for alcohol-free games room during opening night of conference.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sober in Cyber competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sober Grid: Mobile peer-support and sober-community platform; adjacent to Sober in Cyber's Discord community in functionality and audience overlap in sober professionals.
- She Recovers: Peer-support community for women in recovery; broader vertical than Sober in Cyber but shares the community-led, lived-experience peer-support model.
- Hip Sobriety: Peer-support community and sober-coaching resource targeting younger, high-achieving professionals; overlaps with Sober in Cyber's audience on demographics and brand voice.
- The Luckiest Club: Sober-in-tech community offering social events and meetups for tech professionals; adjacent niche with overlapping audience of high-performing professionals in recovery.
Regional players
- Blue Team Con: US-focused defensive cybersecurity conference; partnered with Sober in Cyber to host an alcohol-free games room at its opening night, sharing the infosec conference circuit.
Direct peers
- Mental Health Hackers: Nonprofit community promoting mental health awareness in cybersecurity; co-sponsors Sober in Cyber events and shares the same niche of wellness-oriented programming for infosec professionals.
- The Diana Initiative: Nonprofit running diversity-focused community events at DEF CON and adjacent infosec conferences; a listed Sober in Cyber co-sponsor (Silver sponsor for Rockin Mocktails and Sober Speakeasy) with an overlapping operating model in the same conference ecosystem.
- Tempest: Sober-in-tech membership community built around the same 'sober in [profession]' concept applied to the broader tech workforce; closest direct analog in operating model and value proposition.
- WISP (Women in Security and Privacy): Nonprofit professional community advancing women in cybersecurity; a Silver sponsor of Sober in Cyber and operates with a similar conference-driven, member-led nonprofit model.
Others
- Better Bar: Mocktail mixology service that created custom drinks for Rockin' Mocktails at RSAC 2024; functions as an enabling supplier/partner to Sober in Cyber's alcohol-free events.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sober in Cyber social profiles
Digital presenceSober in Cyber financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sober in Cyber leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sober in Cyber funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sober in Cyber M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sober in Cyber
What does Sober in Cyber do?
Sober in Cyber is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes and hosts in-person and virtual alcohol-free networking events for sober, sober-curious, and dry individuals in the cybersecurity industry. Its flagship offerings are the annual Sober Speakeasy event at The Mob Museum during Black Hat/DEF CON and the Rockin' Mocktails event at RSAC, supported by a Discord community of over 12,000 members, webinars, branded merchandise, and ongoing conference booth presence.
Is Sober in Cyber a public or private company?
Sober in Cyber is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sober in Cyber founded?
Sober in Cyber was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sober in Cyber based?
Sober in Cyber is headquartered in West Hollywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sober in Cyber make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and event Donations.
Who are Sober in Cyber's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Sober Grid, She Recovers, Hip Sobriety and The Luckiest Club. Blue Team Con is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Mental Health Hackers, The Diana Initiative, Tempest and WISP (Women in Security and Privacy). Better Bar is listed as an others.
Does Sober in Cyber have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sober in Cyber.
What industry is Sober in Cyber in?
Sober in Cyber's product category is Professional Networking Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFACAN, Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services. Its NAICS code is 81392.