Mickey Boodaei is an Israeli entrepreneur and prominent cybersecurity executive. A veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces' elite Unit 8200 cyber intelligence unit, he gained early expertise in network security and intelligence operations. In 2002, he co-founded Imperva, a pioneering web application security company, and served as its CEO from inception until 2014. Under his leadership, Imperva grew rapidly, went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011 (IPO date: 2011-11-23), and became a key player in web application security. Following his tenure at Imperva, Boodaei founded ThreatX in 2015, a Boston-based company specializing in runtime application security, including API protection and bot mitigation. He has also been involved in mentoring and investing in other cybersecurity startups, contributing to Israel's robust 'Startup Nation' ecosystem. His career highlights the strong pipeline of talent from Unit 8200 into global tech leadership, with his ventures focusing on innovative defenses against evolving digital threats. He remains active in the industry, often speaking on cybersecurity trends and Israeli innovation.