Disinformation, Data, and... Romance Novels? A Conversation with Dan Lowden
Wed Feb 04 2026
Episode Summary:
Dan Lowden has a pretty incredible track record—12 startups and eight exits to count—so when he talks about building a marketing engine from scratch, people listen. In this CMO Confidential segment, Dan joins Gianna and Charles to talk about his latest challenge at Blackbird.ai: defining the "Narrative Intelligence" category and helping companies fight disinformation.
They get into the real-world grit of going from leading a 70-person team back to being a solo marketer. Dan shares his "punch above your weight" playbook, including why he hired a former CBS news reporter to lead content and how he landed NATO as a marquee customer.
Listen to this episode if you are looking to make a small startup feel like an industry giant, build deep analyst credibility without a "pay-to-play" budget, or understand the next big CISO blind spot in narrative intelligence.
About Dan:
Dan Lowden is the CMO at Blackbird.ai and a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience building brands in the tech and cybersecurity spaces. A veteran of 12 startups and eight successful exits, Dan has led marketing for companies such as HUMAN (formerly White Ops), Digital Shadows, and Invincea.
He is known for his "hands-on" approach to leadership, often joining as the first marketing hire to transform complex technology into a clear, compelling story. When he isn't defining new security categories like Narrative Intelligence, Dan is an author; he wrote and published the romance novel The Met Kiss during the pandemic.
Follow Dan on LinkedIn.
Links & Resources:
Blackbird.ai: Learn more about narrative intelligence and disinformation security.
The Raven Blog: Where Dan’s team publishes primary research on narrative attacks.
The Met Kiss: Dan Lowden’s debut romance novel, written during the pandemic.
Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show.
📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com
Follow the Hosts:
Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn
Charles Gold on LinkedIn
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.
See you in the next episode!
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Episode Summary: Dan Lowden has a pretty incredible track record—12 startups and eight exits to count—so when he talks about building a marketing engine from scratch, people listen. In this CMO Confidential segment, Dan joins Gianna and Charles to talk about his latest challenge at Blackbird.ai: defining the "Narrative Intelligence" category and helping companies fight disinformation. They get into the real-world grit of going from leading a 70-person team back to being a solo marketer. Dan shares his "punch above your weight" playbook, including why he hired a former CBS news reporter to lead content and how he landed NATO as a marquee customer. Listen to this episode if you are looking to make a small startup feel like an industry giant, build deep analyst credibility without a "pay-to-play" budget, or understand the next big CISO blind spot in narrative intelligence. About Dan: Dan Lowden is the CMO at Blackbird.ai and a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience building brands in the tech and cybersecurity spaces. A veteran of 12 startups and eight successful exits, Dan has led marketing for companies such as HUMAN (formerly White Ops), Digital Shadows, and Invincea. He is known for his "hands-on" approach to leadership, often joining as the first marketing hire to transform complex technology into a clear, compelling story. When he isn't defining new security categories like Narrative Intelligence, Dan is an author; he wrote and published the romance novel The Met Kiss during the pandemic. Follow Dan on LinkedIn. Links & Resources: Blackbird.ai: Learn more about narrative intelligence and disinformation security. The Raven Blog: Where Dan’s team publishes primary research on narrative attacks. The Met Kiss: Dan Lowden’s debut romance novel, written during the pandemic. Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Charles Gold on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page. See you in the next episode!