Melanie Rieback

Radically Open Security’s approach has earned it recognition, including being named one of the top 50 most innovative small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in 2016, as reported in a talk about Rieback’s "Post‑Growth Entrepreneurship".[12] The company also serves as a practical demonstration of steward‑ownership and post‑growth business models, which emphasize long‑term social impact and mission integrity over rapid expansion and profit extraction.[4][12]

Nonprofit Ventures and Post-Growth Entrepreneurship

Building on the experience of Radically Open Security, Rieback co‑founded Nonprofit Ventures, an incubator for "post‑growth" startups.[4][12] The initiative supports companies that prioritize social and environmental impact, stable livelihoods, and stewardship structures over conventional growth metrics. Nonprofit Ventures encourages entrepreneurs to adopt models such as steward ownership, where control of the company is held by individuals or entities committed to its mission rather than purely financial investors.

Rieback also designed and teaches a Post Growth Entrepreneurship course at the Business School of the University of Amsterdam, where she shares insights from her experience running a not‑for‑profit security company and supporting mission‑driven startups.[4][12] In public talks, including a TED talk on post‑growth entrepreneurship, she argues that traditional profit‑maximizing paradigms are inadequate for addressing social and ecological challenges, and that alternative business structures can better align incentives with long‑term sustainability.

Her work in this area has made her an influential figure in debates about the future of entrepreneurship, particularly in technology sectors. It situates cybersecurity within a larger ethical and economic context, suggesting that how companies are owned and governed can shape their approach to security, privacy, and societal responsibility.

Awards, Honors, and Recognition

Rieback’s contributions to technology and social entrepreneurship have been recognized through numerous awards. She was named a finalist for ICT Professional of the Year by WomeninIT in 2010.[7] In the same year and again in 2017, she was listed among the Viva400, a ranking of 400 of the most successful women in the Netherlands compiled by Viva Magazine.[7]

In 2016, 2017, and 2019 she was included in Inspiring Fifty Netherlands, a list celebrating fifty of the most inspiring women in technology.[7] These repeated recognitions underscore both her technical expertise and her role as a visible advocate for women in STEM.

In 2017, Rieback received the TIM Award from CIO Magazine, honoring her as the "Most Innovative IT Leader in the Netherlands".[4][8] This award highlighted her leadership in developing unconventional, socially oriented models for cybersecurity consulting. In 2019, she was named one of the "9 Most Innovative Women in the European Union" as part of the EU Women Innovators Prize.[4] This European‑level recognition placed her among a select group of women whose innovations have had significant impact across the EU.

Her academic research earlier in her career was also honored with awards such as Mediakomeet, ISOC Award, NWO I/O Award, and Best Paper distinctions from IEEE PerCom and USENIX LISA, reflecting the scholarly and practical value of her RFID security work.[5] Collectively, these honors document a trajectory that spans both technical research excellence and pioneering social entrepreneurship.

Advocacy, Community Work, and Public Engagement

Beyond her formal roles, Rieback has been active in building communities and advocating for inclusion in technology. In 2008 she co‑founded Dutch Girl Geek Dinner, a networking event series that brings together women in technology for talks, mentoring, and community building.[5] This aligns with broader efforts to create supportive spaces for women in STEM, particularly in male‑dominated fields like cybersecurity.

She is a Fellow of the Post Growth Institute, an organization that explores and promotes economic models not dependent on continuous growth.[4] Through this fellowship and her work at Nonprofit Ventures, Rieback contributes to broader discussions about economic systems, ownership structures, and the role of business in social transformation.

Rieback regularly appears in interviews, podcasts, and conference talks to discuss topics including steward ownership, radical transparency, open source, and cybersecurity as a public good.[4][9][12][13][14] For example, an article by the Dutch organization SURF titled "Cybersecurity is not black magic" profiles her views on demystifying security and using open‑source practices to strengthen digital infrastructures.[9] She has also spoken on podcasts such as "The Secure Developer" about the case for steward ownership and open source in security work.[9]

Personal Life

Publicly available sources focus predominantly on Rieback’s professional achievements and do not provide extensive detail on her personal life such as marital status or children.[1][3][4][5] What is documented is her transnational trajectory: born in the United States, raised in Florida, and later settling in the Netherlands, where she lives and works in Amsterdam.[1][3][5][10] This international background has shaped her perspective on both American and European approaches to technology, regulation, and entrepreneurship.

Interviews highlight aspects of her personal philosophy, including an interest in spiritual exploration and identity, particularly in the context of political polarization and social change.[13] She has spoken about building bridges across divides and cultivating curiosity and connection, suggesting that her personal values strongly inform her professional choices, such as committing to non‑profit business models and steward‑ownership structures.

Legacy and Historical Impact

Melanie Rieback’s legacy in women’s history and technology can be understood across several dimensions. Technically, her early work on RFID security helped define a new class of threats associated with ubiquitous computing devices and contributed to the development of both offensive and defensive paradigms for securing RFID systems.[1][5][10] Her demonstration of an RFID‑based computer virus and her design of a personal RFID firewall were among the first to show that these embedded technologies required the same level of security scrutiny as traditional networks and operating systems.

Organizationally, Rieback has played a pioneering role in demonstrating that cybersecurity consulting can be structured as a not‑for‑profit social enterprise.[4][5][7][9] By donating profits to charitable causes, embracing radical transparency, and advocating steward ownership, Radically Open Security challenges dominant assumptions about how technology companies should be owned and operated. This has positioned her as a case study in post‑growth entrepreneurship, illustrating alternative paths for mission‑driven businesses.

From a gender and inclusion perspective, Rieback’s visibility as a woman computer scientist, security researcher, and CEO contributes to expanding the representational landscape of who leads in cybersecurity and innovation.[1][4][7] Her recognitions by Viva400, Inspiring Fifty, and EU Women Innovators reinforce her status as a role model for women entering technical and entrepreneurial fields in Europe and beyond.

Her advocacy for open source, non‑profit structures, and economic models that prioritize social impact situates her within a broader movement seeking to reshape the relationship between technology, society, and the economy. As debates about digital infrastructure, surveillance, and corporate power intensify, Rieback’s work offers concrete examples of how security expertise can be aligned with public benefit and ethical governance.

Later Career and Ongoing Work

As of the mid‑2020s, Melanie Rieback continues to serve as CEO and co‑founder of Radically Open Security and as co‑founder of Nonprofit Ventures.[4][5][9][12] She remains active as a lecturer in cybersecurity at Singularity University and teaches Post Growth Entrepreneurship at the University of Amsterdam Business School.[4] These roles allow her to influence both practitioners and future leaders in technology and business.

Her ongoing public engagements—talks, interviews, and podcasts—suggest that she is steadily expanding the reach of ideas about steward ownership, radical transparency, and post‑growth models.[4][9][12][13][14] At the same time, her company continues to perform penetration tests and security assessments, providing operational cybersecurity services that embody her theoretical commitments.

Rieback’s career therefore illustrates a rare combination of cutting‑edge technical research, hands‑on security practice, and experimentation with alternative economic and governance models. In the context of women’s history, she stands out not only for her pioneering work in RFID security but also for her role in redefining what a technology company can be when guided by ethical and social priorities.