SAINTCON Hallway - Luke Jenkins

Retired mini badge maker Luke Jenkins shares his journey from BBS enthusiast to DEF CON goon, highlighting the importance of meaningful conversations and the art of badge design in the InfoSec community.

Key takeaways

Luke Jenkins’ early days in the InfoSec community began with a BBS (Bulletin Board System) and text files.
He was studying computer engineering at the time and was a helpful person, which led to him being approached for help with running a project at Def Con.
His first Def Con was DEF CON 10, and he became a goon, helping with the movie channel.
He found that approaching people in the community by asking about what they’re working on rather than about themselves can lead to more meaningful conversations.
He created a hacker handle, A, for the record.
He has been making mini badges for years and was involved in the hardware hacking village at Def Con.
He believes that the art and design of badges can make them more approachable and exciting for people to work with.
He has retired from mini badge making for now, but still attends SAINTCON Hallway every year.
He credits Grifter for introducing him to the concept of mini badges.
He was involved in the production of the kitchen sink badge, which had a TFT LCD screen, buzzer, and sensors.
He later helped with the hardware hacking village at St. Con and was instrumental in creating an electronic badge for the conference.
He got involved with SAINTCON Hallway and was part of the committee that organized it.
He eventually became a goon for DEF CON, helping with the movie channel and other tasks.
He recommends that people approach others in the community by asking about what they’re working on, rather than about themselves.
He is grateful for the opportunity to share his experiences and thoughts on the InfoSec community.
He believes that the community has a unique culture that is welcoming and inclusive.

SAINTCON Hallway - Luke Jenkins

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