CIOsurge Podcast Ep. 2: Tim Youngblood on Startups, Identity, and the CISO's Seat at the Board

Date: October 13, 2026 | Guest: Tim Youngblood | Host: Zack Tembi | About 25 minutes

Tim Youngblood has led security at Dell, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald's and T-Mobile, and has helped pick and grow security startups for more than ten years. In this episode he talks with Zack Tembi about what he has learned.

What we cover

  • How Tim ran "Shark Tank" style startup pitches inside big companies, and what he looks for in founders

  • How operators can build real relationships with the venture community

  • Meeting Wiz when it was a two-person company, and why identity is the next big wave with AI agents

  • The "meeting before the meeting," and learning to talk to boards in business terms

  • Why CISOs are moving into top technology roles, and how to prepare for a board seat

Tim's closing advice

Get out of your comfort zone. Don't just go to security events. Go where the CFOs, CEOs and investors are.

Listen

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