Teressa Gehrke shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Teressa, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that is bringing me joy lately is playing the drums. I started playing seriously two years ago. I play daily and have seen myself grow creatively so much. Even though I grew up playing piano and singing, this gives me a musical freedom that I’ve never had before.
I’m working on two new albums and composing the drum parts myself has been an exciting endeavor in the creative process. I love exploring all genres of music from bossa nova to prog metal and everything in between. It’s exhilarating. Since starting, I’ve performed the National Anthem at the Colorado Rockies Game and had my first drum recital. I making my way out of the basement and being less shy. I recently joined a local town orchestra and will be playing drums and percussion in a few weeks at my first show.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Teressa Gehrke, founder of PopCykol, a company I started in 2021 to make cybersecurity and online safety fun and easy for kids and families. I noticed a major gap in how we teach children to protect themselves online, so PopCykol fills that space with engaging, kid-friendly content that turns digital safety into something exciting, not scary.
My background is a unique blend of creativity and tech. I’m an award-winning children’s music artist with a master’s degree in genetic anthropology and international development, and a cybersecurity professional with over 10 years of expertise. Through PopCykol, I combine all those worlds to help kids build smart online habits early and spark their curiosity about cybersecurity.
Since launching, I’ve been honored to be nominated for Cybersecurity Woman of the Year (Entrepreneur) and to speak at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women addressing innovation, technical change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. I was named Online Safety Education CEO of the Year 2025 for the second year by CEO Monthly Magazine.
Today, PopCykol continues to grow as a movement inspiring the next generation to be safe, confident, and cyber-smart explorers of the digital world.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My mother has taught me the most about work and ethic. She’s always been a role model. As I see her aging, it’s much more important to me to have a work/life balance. I would say neither is 50/50, but the way I see it now is different as a mom myself than when I was single and not a mom.
I have to make time for myself first, then give parts of myself to work and family. Self-care and wellness are important parts of my life to feel whole and know that not one thing gets 100%, so that the balance if off kilter.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would it be don’t give up on your creativity. Don’t stop playing piano because it’s such a great outlet to give yourself a platform to truly speak your mind and express your heart.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say that family really matters to me. When I’m with my closest friends I can be completely honest about being overwhelmed with the pressures of being a single parent and taking care of an elderly parent. I’m part of the sandwich generation and I feel overwhelmed daily. I’m lucky to have family and friends who are able to support me in so many different ways. Friends make all the difference over “followers” or “subscribers”. That superficiality is not authentic and can leave you lonely, but close friends you can laugh and cry with can make all the difference in the world.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I actually think about this a lot. I really hope that people share that I was a kind, funny, loyal friend. I hope the stories that they share bring a smile to their face and not tears because they miss me. Near my house is a memorial bench honoring someone and the metal placard has a quote from Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” The first time I saw that it brought a tear to my eye because I was thinking about how much I missed my dog, Simon Peter. He was the best! I hope the memories that people have of me are joyful and warm-spirited. Mostly, I hope people who know me professionally will see that I was really trying to make the world a better, safer place for kids.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.popcykol.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/popcykol
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@popcykol
