40 Stories: Alexis Lavi of AG Partner Group

Returning to Pittsburgh with a mission to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure, Alexis Lavi, founder of AG Partner Group, is not just building a company; she's engineering a movement. A self-proclaimed “boomerang,” Lavi grew up in Pittsburgh, left to develop her skills and expertise, and has now returned to establish AG Partner—a cybersecurity solutions firm aimed at tackling the “wonky, weird” problems that many companies face in today’s digital world. 

Her journey back to Pittsburgh, a city she believes is at the nexus of technology and innovation, is not just a personal homecoming, but a calculated move to foster growth in one of the country’s burgeoning tech hubs. In Lavi's eyes, Pittsburgh is a "cyber town" that uniquely combines deep technical roots, critical manufacturing prowess, and a history of industrial innovation—a potent combination she believes is essential for cybersecurity's next frontier.

AG Partner Group provides bespoke services, including fractional or virtual Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles for companies that don’t need or can't afford a full-time CISO. Lavi’s firm is designed to scale, offering tailored security solutions to a range of clients, from startups needing pre-launch product reviews to large enterprises in the middle of complex migrations. Her approach goes beyond basic penetration testing, diving into deep threat models and assessments to ensure that her clients' products and services remain secure well beyond day one.

What sets Lavi apart is her practical, no-nonsense approach to cybersecurity. “We over-engineer things in this field,” she admits, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and scalability in security solutions. Her goal is to help organizations avoid the pitfalls of overcomplicated systems and instead adopt pragmatic, efficient strategies that safeguard their operations without unnecessary complexity.

Her love for problem-solving comes through in her commitment to staying ahead of industry challenges, particularly those related to identity protection and zero-trust frameworks. Lavi is passionate about educating organizations on the importance of credential management and the emerging technologies that can protect companies in a world where the “perimeter” has shifted from firewalls to identities.

For Lavi, Pittsburgh offers more than just a place to set up shop—it’s a community of like-minded innovators and builders, much like herself. In her own words, Pittsburgh is a city with grit, full of underdogs that always rise to the occasion—a sentiment that seems to align perfectly with her mission at AG Partner Group.

As AG Partner Group continues to grow, Alexi Lavi is positioning herself and her company as a driving force in Pittsburgh's evolving tech ecosystem, helping businesses navigate the increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape with solutions that are as innovative as they are practical. 

"Let's make Pittsburgh weird," she jokes, borrowing from Austin’s famous slogan, but it’s clear that her ambitions for the city—and for cybersecurity—are anything but a joke. Lavi is ready to push boundaries, and she’s taking the whole city along for the ride.