Farzia Khan is an award-winning tech leader, cybersecurity advocate, and champion of innovation. As the Senior Manager of Information Security at TD Bank, she has spearheaded enterprise-wide cyber resiliency initiatives, strengthening defences, raising awareness, and equipping colleagues and customers with the knowledge to navigate evolving cyber threats. Farzia’s career began when she was selected as one of the Top 30 female students to advise the CEO on the Future of Work at BMO, where she helped drive impactful technology initiatives.

A passionate advocate for Women in STEM, she founded ElleHacks, Canada’s largest all-women hackathon, and Robocon, the first international hackathon focused on service robots. As the founder of NextGen Digital Defender, Farzia is dedicated to demystifying cybersecurity careers and empowering the next generation with cyber awareness through education, storytelling, and advocacy. She is also a children’s book author, using engaging narratives to teach kids about cyber safety and digital responsibility. Fluent in six languages, she provides free translation services for underprivileged immigrants and is deeply committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds—actively mentoring aspiring technologists and having established a scholarship at her alma mater.

Her contributions to STEM and cybersecurity have earned her prestigious accolades, including recognition as a Top 10 Under 40 in Canadian Security, Top Community Influencer, Top 30 Under 30 Changemaker, CILAR Aspiring Innovator Award winner and Women in Science & Engineering Champion.