Empowering Businesses and Building Community in Technology and Cybersecurity
SKB Cyber was founded in July 2023 by Stacy and Keith Brooks. Stacy has a background in education, while husband, Keith, specializes in IT. They launched their company with a contracting business model with two permanent contractors. Over the last year, they have expanded to nine loyal contractors. Keith and Stacy have strategically built their team to include a range of expertise with each member on board.
SKB Cyber offers a wide range of services, with the goal of beginning-to-end service lines for each client. They help businesses launch their cybersecurity journey and partner to meet their cyber needs throughout their journey. SKB Cyber also partners with existing IT teams within firms to assist on big projects or help bring in specialized skills outside the client’s current team.
The team at SKB Cyber is dedicated to providing high-quality services and educating clients. “We want to empower our clients to proactively manage their cybersecurity,” Stacy shared. “We’re all about educating the client. We want to come in and teach you and your IT team how to do what we did for them. We don’t believe in leaving our clients in the dark as a means to secure their continued business. We want to educate them but leave the door open for them to come to us if they encounter a challenge they aren’t familiar with.”
Additionally, they believe in the power of community outreach and offer free educational opportunities to help raise cybersecurity awareness. They frequently hold public Lunch and Learns, allowing the public to ask questions and address concerns while raising awareness of security threats. SKB Cyber has partnered with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to offer workshops focused on cybersecurity. They also speak at different organizations and help develop cybersecurity guides for senior citizens, often significant targets of security threats.
SKB Cyber started at Peoria Next Innovation Center in a co-working space, offering a central location with an address. As the business quickly gained traction, the team grew and moved into an office space. “Next is amazing. We’ve met so many wonderful people there,” Stacy shared. She says it has been the perfect place to launch their company because it can accommodate startups as they scale through the first few phases of their development. “It’s been great starting so inexpensively in our first year.”
SKB Cyber takes full advantage of the amenities at Peoria Next, hosting Lunch and Learns monthly and partnering with the Central Illinois Tech Group to host events that are often held there. “We love that we can host our events there. It’s a beautiful location.” Stacy comments on the visually appealing atrium and natural light that fills the shared spaces. We hosted our ribbon-cutting ceremony there, which was so wonderful.” She also shares the ease of arranging reservations for the shared spaces.
Karen Smallburger, administrative assistant at Next, is a cornerstone of the daily operations. “Karen is the cherry on top of the cake; she’s the best. Anytime you need anything, Karen makes that happen. She knows our clients, and if we aren’t in and get a visitor or important mail, she sends us an email to inform us,” she shares. As the company grows, she fears they are nearing maximum capacity for their current space. “We don’t want to leave. It’s our little community there, but our goal is to one day have our own building. When we leave, it will be because we outgrew the spaces offered and nothing less,” Stacy says.
Stacy expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the SKB Cyber team for the many individuals and organizations supporting their business. “SBDC, SCORE, Peoria Next Innovation Center, Doris Symmonds, the Chamber of Commerce, friends at Distillery Labs, National Association of Women Business Owners, Women in Leadership, and Founding Females, these are the organizations that have stood behind us and helped pave the way for us as we turn our dreams into our reality. Peoria is doing a fantastic job at fostering a supportive entrepreneurial community. Peoria Next Innovation Center and Bradley University are part of that movement,” Stacy shared.
To learn more about SKB Cyber or to schedule your free consultation visit www.skbcyber.com
