Kendra Ross 💡 — investor profile photo

Kendra Ross 💡

Co-Founder & CEO, Sydekick | NZ Cybersecurity Leader | Board Director | Speaker | Startup & Growth Strategist | Investor | Dyslexic Thinker

📍 New Zealand🔄 Updated November 2026💼 3 investments📅 10 years investing🗓 Last invested Nov 2021
Operator-angel🌍 New Zealand
3
Total investments
2
Early stage
0
Mid stage
0
Late stage
10y
Years active

Portfolio

2 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Investor
Nov 2021
Onwardly is an award-winning cyber resilience and governance SaaS startup helping small-medium businesses to confidently improve their security and privacy maturity. 🦸🌟 Bypass unnecessary cybersecurity workloads and costs with a streamlined path to continually defending what matters most. ⬇️ 🚀 Identify gaps in your cyber defence ✅ Complete tasks mapped to compliance frameworks, including ISO 27001 and PCI DSS 🤝 Prove security and privacy strength to your customers, board, investors, and auditors Book a demo or start a free trial: www.onwardly.io
Board Member
Aug 2016
Were here to build a more cyber resilient Aotearoa. By working alongside an extensive and trusted partnership network - both locally and internationally - were able to provide New Zealand businesses and organisations with timely information about potential cyber threats and offer relevant guidance on how they can protect themselves. Prevention is the best form of defence. If you experience a cyber security incident, please report to us at https://www.cert.govt.nz/individuals/report-an-issue/ In 2023 we launched the Own Your Online platform. Own Your Online is part of the New Zealand governments work to raise understanding of cyber security issues for individuals and businesses. For cyber security advice and resources please visit www.ownyouronline.govt.nz/business/
Experience · 5 entries
All (5)
Investments (3)
Founder (2)
Board (1)
2021
Investor
Nov 2021
Onwardly is an award-winning cyber resilience and governance SaaS startup helping small-medium businesses to confidently improve their security and privacy maturity. 🦸🌟 Bypass unnecessary cybersecurity workloads and costs with a streamlined path to continually defending what matters most. ⬇️ 🚀 Identify gaps in your cyber defence ✅ Complete tasks mapped to compliance frameworks, including ISO 27001 and PCI DSS 🤝 Prove security and privacy strength to your customers, board, investors, and auditors Book a demo or start a free trial: www.onwardly.io
Investment, Consultancy, Advisory & Board Work
Apr 2021
Innovative Technology for Improved Business Outcomes Sektor specialises in delivering innovative and efficient technologies for the retail, networking, security, healthcare, modern workplace and mobility markets. Our passionate, dedicated and deeply knowledgeable team is second to none, offering unparalleled industry and technology expertise to help our partners build winning solutions for their customers. Sektor has the distribution fundamentals expertly covered: • Global industry-leading vendors • Significant investment in stock • State of the art order processing system • Sophisticated online portal, where partners can buy online, manage dedicated inventory and access special pricing • Streamlined and efficient warehouse system and logistics infrastructure Our distribution expertise means our partners can be 100% confident that they’ll have the very best products, at the right price, exactly when and where they need them. But Sektor goes further – offering a wide range of distribution ‘extras’, giving our partners the opportunity to ‘Lean on us’ for additional services: • Pre-sales consultancy • Staging and configuration • Education and training • Dedicated inventory • Drop ship • Managed roll-outs Our complete portfolio of services offers 360 degree value to resellers. As a 100% channel focussed business, everything Sektor does is about delivering value to our partners. We constantly research industry and technology trends and we build trusted vendor relationships, to ensure we can bring our partners the latest and greatest – helping them to engage more deeply with their customers by delivering technology that improves business outcomes. #BetterWithSektor
2016
Board Member
Aug 2016
Were here to build a more cyber resilient Aotearoa. By working alongside an extensive and trusted partnership network - both locally and internationally - were able to provide New Zealand businesses and organisations with timely information about potential cyber threats and offer relevant guidance on how they can protect themselves. Prevention is the best form of defence. If you experience a cyber security incident, please report to us at https://www.cert.govt.nz/individuals/report-an-issue/ In 2023 we launched the Own Your Online platform. Own Your Online is part of the New Zealand governments work to raise understanding of cyber security issues for individuals and businesses. For cyber security advice and resources please visit www.ownyouronline.govt.nz/business/
Co-Founder & Director (Exited 2021-Aquired by Sektor 2019)
Jan 2016
PS Duo is a dedicated IT security resourcing firm, founded to provide companies and industries with complete security contracting capability. We’re recognised for providing superior contract services to IT service providers, enterprise, Government and small to medium business. Our expert consultants will work with you to plan, build and maintain any IT security job – large or small. PS Duo’s pool of professional services consultants can help with all your IT security design, deployment, operation and optimisation needs; throughout New Zealand. Our services include: - Architecture & Design - Implementation & Deployment - Policy & Operations - Virtual CISO We’ll find the best-fit consultant contract resource for your security job, project or initiative, nationwide. We’re firmly committed to: - Filling your skills shortage gap - Understanding your unique project requirements - Placing the best-fit candidate, skilled in security best-practice Our talent pool is made up of professional services consultants fully trained in all of the following best-of-breed products:  Check Point – CCSE certified  Fortinet Fortigate  Cisco ASA – CCSP  Cisco, Switches, Routers, PIX, - CCNA  F5 Big-IP  AWS  Juniper  AlienVault  Carbon Black  Arbor Networks  Microsoft  VMWare  Palo Alto Also Including;  Managed Services Infrastructure  Cisco routing and switching  SEIM  Linux  Unix  Active Directory  Solarwinds products  Cisco Access Control Server (ACS)  Novell  HPe Security For more information and to discuss your requirements contact: Jackie Hatchwell Phone: (04) 9393-993 Email: psduo@duo.co.nz
1996
Co-Founder / Director (Exited 2021-Acquired by Sektor 2019)
Jan 1996
At Duo, our mission is helping you secure Aotearoa. It’s that simple. And were are not your typical, “stand by and wait for the order to come in distributor”. Duo have always done things differently through our unique end-to-end engagement model and our high-integrity, high-value approach to cyber security distribution is reflected in everything we do. As well as nailing the distribution nitty-gritty, we are extremely proud of our community groups; 1st Tuesday, the largest cyber security meet-up in Aotearoa and Project Wednesday, our group for those wanting to learn about cyber security or exploring it as a career option. These groups continue to grow, and we get a real buzz out of giving back to the amazing cyber security community. For support with all things cyber, feel free to reach out to any of the Duo Team. We would love to hear from you!
Investment activity
2016–2021 · 3 investments
2016120212
Recent (last 2 years)Earlier