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Rick Geritz is an American serial entrepreneur, cybersecurity advocate, and technology executive based in Maryland. He is the founder and CEO of LifeJourney (rebranded as MyJourney Technologies) and the chairman of the CyberMaryland initiative. In 2024, he was inducted into the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame ^[1][5].

Geritz attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he graduated in 1986 [3][8].

Geritz spent 12 years as Executive Vice President and a board member at ICARUS Corporation, an engineering simulation software firm based in Rockville, Maryland. He led the company's global product operations until its acquisition by Aspen Technology (NASDAQ: AZPN) in 2000 [3][8].

Following the acquisition of ICARUS, Geritz joined SafeNet as President and General Manager. During his tenure, he was responsible for the company's VPN software, hardware, and silicon business units during a period of significant growth for the Maryland-based security firm [3][8].

As CEO of BDMetrics, Geritz developed a patented business matchmaking technology for the trade show and events industry [6]. The platform utilized intelligent data mining to connect attendees and exhibitors. Under his leadership, the company was named the "#1 Trend in 2005" by Expo Magazine and won the "Innovation of the Year" Grand Award from Trade Show Executive in 2006 [2][4].

In 2011, Geritz founded LifeJourney, an educational technology platform that allows students to "test drive" careers in STEM and cybersecurity through virtual mentorships with industry leaders [3][8].

• NICE Partnership: Geritz collaborated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to run the early NICE (National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education) conferences from 2010 to 2014 [3][7].
• NSA Day of Cyber: In October 2015, Geritz partnered with the National Security Agency (NSA) to launch the "NSA Day of Cyber." This initiative used the LifeJourney platform to allow students to virtually shadow NSA cyber professionals, reaching over 5 million registered students by 2016 [9][10].
• SINET: Since 2011, he has served as a senior judge for the SINET16 Innovator Awards, evaluating hundreds of emerging cybersecurity startups annually [5][11].

In 2018, Geritz expanded his assessment technology into the sports sector via MyJourney Technologies. He launched AI-powered coaching platforms in partnership with 2013 Masters Champion Adam Scott (golf) and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan (soccer) [12][13][14].

• National Cyber Security Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2024 for his contributions to the cyber workforce [1].
• CyberMaryland: Serves as Chairman of the initiative to establish Maryland as a global cybersecurity hub [3][8].
• Boards: He has served on the Governor’s Cybersecurity Commission, the Cyber Incubator at UMBC, and the board of Howard County Hospital [3].
• Accolades: Named one of Baltimore’s "Top 40 under 40" and "Innovator of the Year" [3][8].

In February 2014, Geritz delivered a presentation at TEDxBaltimore (originally TEDxStMarysCity) titled "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The talk explores the power of mentorship and the concept of "virtual shadowing" to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals [15].

1. [^] 2024 Inductees, National Cyber Security Hall of Fame.
2. [^] "The #1 Trend in 2005: Matchmaking," Expo Magazine, February 2007.
3. [^] Speaker Profile: Rick Geritz, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE).
4. [^] "Innovation of the Year Grand Award: BDMetrics," Trade Show Executive, 2006.
5. [^] Judging Committee Members, SINET.
6. [^] U.S. Patent #7,000,000: Online Business Networking System (Rick Geritz).
7. [^] 2014 NICE Conference Highlights, NIST News.
8. [^] Executive Leadership: Rick Geritz, LifeJourney.
9. [^] NSA Launches Day of Cyber Platform, NSA Press Room, Oct 2015.
10. [^] Governor McAuliffe Launches Cyber Cup Using LifeJourney, Virginia Governor's Office, 2016.
11. [^] Leadership and Steering Committee, Security Innovation Network (SINET).
12. [^] Adam Scott Partners with SwingAI, Swing Index Press Release, April 2019.
13. [^] Alex Morgan Launches Digital Coaching Platform, MyJourney Soccer, 2022.
14. [^] Technology Partners, DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating).
15. [^] What do you want to be when you grow up? | Rick Geritz | TEDxBaltimore, YouTube, February 28, 2014.