Today, April 8, 2025, happens to be Identity Management Day—a perfect time to share what I learned about Cisco leader Janelle Allen, who was just named to Okta's prestigious "The Identity 25" list of pioneers shaping digital identity's future.

I met Janelle during Cisco's JUMP program. Over drinks the night before meeting everyone else, I asked what she did.

"Identity management," she replied.

Being in-person meant I couldn't Google unfamiliar terms. My mind was full of questions about AI at the time, so I reached for the nearest connection.

"I've been thinking about AI assistants," I told her, "And how they'll need to understand the different sides of us. The Mom Julie. The Work Julie. The Saturday Night Julie."

I paused. "So, like... profiles?" I ventured.

Her eyes brightened. "That's part of it. But it's so much more."

That was my first glimpse into a field that shapes nearly every digital interaction we have—but few of us ever think about until something goes wrong.

Her Work at Cisco
Janelle Allen, Senior Product Manager, leads identity initiatives for Webex. Most identity systems use an all-or-nothing approach, creating both security risks and frustrating user experiences. Janelle's team is changing that.

They’re building a role-based identity system that allows organizations to tailor access permissions with precision. Instead of granting or denying access entirely, organizations can define exactly what each role can do—enhancing both security and usability.

But the impact extends beyond Webex.

"What we've learned is informing Cisco's unified identity approach," Janelle explains. "We're creating a consistent identity experience across all Cisco products, which dramatically improves security while reducing complexity."

From Unix to Universal Access
Janelle's path to identity leadership started with Unix systems in the early days of the internet, where she became fascinated by permissions—controlling who could read, write, or execute files.

"What I love about identity is that it sits at this intersection of incredibly complex technical challenges and very human needs."

It's this intersection that drives her work both inside and outside of Cisco.

A Human Mission
As a founding member of Women in Identity, Janelle is part of a movement that's grown to 4,000 members. This organization isn't just about supporting women in identity careers. It's focused on something more fundamental: creating identity systems that are inclusive to everyone.

When identity systems aren't designed for everyone, people get left out. They can't access services. They can't prove who they are. They become digital ghosts.

It's a powerful reminder that technical decisions are human decisions.

The Question of Ownership
"Your name, your address—these things define who you are, but you don't actually own them. The government owns your name for example. You can't just change it without their approval."

This observation stopped me cold. She explained that our identities are composable – made of elements we don't actually control.

In a world where AI will increasingly make decisions based on who it perceives us to be, who controls those perceptions matters more than ever.

Why she gets out of bed
Janelle sees AI transforming identity management, enabling a shift from static, one-time authentication to continuous, contextual evaluation.

"Instead of just checking credentials once, systems can analyze hundreds of signals in real-time," she explains. "We're moving from 'Who are you right now?' to 'Does this behavior make sense for who we know you to be?'"

That shift could mean better security, fewer passwords, and smarter access controls.  

Advice Worth Taking
For women entering cybersecurity, Janelle offers this: "Let go of self-limiting beliefs. You are as equally worthy as anyone at creating the digital identity standards we rely on today."

She also offers a favorite quote from Banksy, "When you're tired, learn to rest, not to quit."

Seeing the Full Picture
Somewhere in the digital spaces we live in every day, invisible systems are making decisions about us. They're determining whether that's really you logging in, what you're allowed to see, who you're permitted to be.

Most of these systems were built to protect, not to understand. To verify, not to recognize.

That’s why I’m glad I met Janelle.

She’s reimagining the relationship between humans and technology—not just by asking, "Are you who you claim to be?" but by pushing for a world where identity systems evolve to see people more fully.

Her work doesn’t promise overnight change, but it represents thoughtful evolution in a field that touches virtually every digital interaction.

The work Janelle leads isn't revolutionary in the sense of changing everything overnight. Instead, it represents thoughtful evolution in a field that touches virtually every digital interaction.

It’s more than password systems or smoother logins. It's about who gets to be seen online. Who gets to access services. Who gets to participate.

On this Identity Management Day, I'm struck by how rarely we consider these questions—until we meet someone who's dedicated her career to answering them.  

One authentication event at a time.