Dave Francisco is a Passaic, NJ native who graduated from Per Scholas’ Cybersecurity program as cohort valedictorian in December 2022.

With 17 years of experience in the culinary industry, he is now transitioning into the cybersecurity field, eager to apply his technical knowledge and previous experiences. Dave’s previous culinary workplaces span from restaurants to healthcare, including Augusta National Golf Club, Gillette Stadium, and Hackensack UMC. His most recent role was as the Culinary Director at CareOne in New Milford, NJ. Currently an engineer at Kinesys Automation in Pompton Plains, Dave contributes to the design and construction of custom automated pneumatic industrial equipment. Dave’s passion lies in information security, particularly in working with Operational Technology (OT), specifically Industrial Control Systems (ICS). Outside of work, he enjoys building watches, spending time outdoors and baking with his daughter.

Dave holds a BS in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University (Providence, RI), and is continuing to leverage Per Scholas’ resources while self-studying to attain relevant IT and cybersecurity certifications.