A crisp October evening set the stage for thoughtful dialogue hosted at SEI’s Washington, D.C. office, where members of the privacy, technology, and cybersecurity communities gathered for the IAPP DC KnowledgeNet event, “Taming the Tech Stack: Managing Shadow Tools and Smart Investments in Privacy Tech”.
Co-hosted by SEI and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the event brought together experts and practitioners navigating the fast-evolving intersection of AI governance, privacy, and technology management. The conversation explored how organizations can strike the right balance between innovation and accountability.
Centering Collaboration
Moderated by SEI’s Jade C. Williams, the panel featured three leading voices in the privacy and tech landscape: Danny Izquierdo, Matt Gimovsky, and Diya Wynn. It was a candid, insightful discussion about how to responsibly scale privacy programs, manage “shadow IT” and “shadow AI,” and make smarter, more holistic technology investments.
Wynn set the tone for the audience early on, “Responsible AI is everyone’s responsibility.” Her words made for an evening centralized on shared accountability across functions and departments.
Shadow IT, Safe Exploration, and Building Trust
“Shadow IT,” the panelists agreed, often arises not from recklessness, but from good intentions. As Gimovsky stated, “Shadow IT is often a result of people trying to do the right thing.”
The challenge for leaders, then, is not to block innovation but to create a safe environment for exploration. Wynn emphasized that privacy and security teams can foster innovation by offering sandbox-style labs where employees are empowered to test and learn within responsible boundaries. “We can’t be the barriers to people exploring and experimenting.”
Transparency and trust, she added, are the cornerstones of responsible experimentation, both internally and with customers.
When Privacy Meets Security
Izquierdo highlighted the powerful partnership between privacy and security, noting that the most effective organizations view them as mutually reinforcing disciplines rather than separate tracks.
“Security is privacy’s best friend,” Izquierdo said.
Embedding privacy reviews within security processes not only strengthens governance but also reinforces trust — a theme that resonated throughout the discussion.
Gimovsky extended the point, reminding attendees that reputation can outweigh compliance. Understanding the potential impact on an organization’s credibility can be more important than having a perfect workflow when an issue arises.
Investing in Technology & Thinking Beyond ROI
The panel encouraged organizations to broaden how they evaluate technology investments. Rather than viewing tools solely through an ROI lens, leaders should consider strategic, cultural, and ethical implications, such as enabling employee experimentation and building public trust.
Accessibility also plays a key role. Privacy and security leaders must be approachable and ready to engage with teams who are exploring new technologies or navigating gray areas in compliance.
The Human Side of Risk Management
While much of the evening focused on systems and governance, the conversation kept returning to a simple truth: risk management is a human endeavor.
Regarding third-party risk, the panel echoed a sentiment later shared by IAPP leaders: contracts and certifications matter, but relationships matter more. When challenges arise, having a vendor who will “pick up the phone and be honest with you” can be more valuable than a perfectly worded contract clause.
Proactive communication within organizations is equally vital. Building bridges between governance and engineering teams before an incident occurs helps ensure open dialogue when it matters most.
Looking Ahead
As the sun set over D.C., one thing was clear: managing privacy and technology in the era of AI requires partnership, transparency, and empathy. The evening’s conversation highlighted not just the technical side of privacy management, but the cultural shift needed to make responsible innovation possible.
SEI was honored to partner with the IAPP DC KnowledgeNet Chapter to host this important dialogue and to bring together a community dedicated to shaping a more secure, transparent, and ethical technology future. We extend our gratitude to our panelists Danny Izquierdo, Matt Gimovsky, Diya Wynn, and moderator Jade C. Williams, as well as the IAPP DC Chapter co-chairs and attendees who made the evening so engaging.
