Empowering Humans Through Technology: How Athena Security Is Reimagining Safety in a High-Risk World

When Chris Ciabarra and Lisa Falzone sold their previous company, Revel Systems, they could have walked away from the business world entirely. After a successful exit and a year of traveling the world with his co-founder, Lisa Falzone, they had earned it. But something deeper lingered. As mass shootings and violence played out on TV screens with disturbing regularity, Ciabarra and Falzone, both preparing for the next chapters in their lives, Lisa as a mother, Chris on the cusp of fatherhood, were struck by a simple, piercing question: Why is this still happening?

From that question, Athena Security was born, a company founded not out of ambition, but necessity. What began as a visual-light gun detection platform has grown into a full-scale AI-powered ecosystem, one that goes beyond surveillance and redefines what it means to keep people safe in high-risk public environments.

"We thought we had a solution," says Ciabarra. "But the deeper we got, the more we realized: the problem wasn't just weapons. It was outdated processes, human error, and a complete lack of real-time accountability."

Athena Security's vision is not to replace humans with machines; it's to empower them. From its roots in visual detection to its sophisticated concealed weapons platforms, the company is building the digital blueprint for modern security infrastructure.

Early on, the team realized traditional systems relying solely on human monitoring were flawed. Operators could get distracted, turn their backs, or simply miss something critical, especially in fast-paced environments like hospitals. "We saw it again and again," recalls Ciabarra. "Guards missing alerts because they were answering questions or filling out paperwork by hand that got blown away or lost."

That's when Athena shifted focus, not just to detect threats, but to digitize and enforce Homeland Security best practices. Today, the platform doesn't just alert; it tests, documents, verifies, and escalates, ensuring critical processes are followed every time.

The company's multi-layered platform covers both physical and digital security, incorporating everything from AI-powered weapon detection to visitor credentialing, automated incident reporting, and even holographic information desks through what they call the Telepresence Security Officer to streamline entry processes.

One of Athena's standout features includes automated system testing. Before use, the system automatically runs a full diagnostic across nine detection zones. If it fails, it documents the failure and requires a corrective action log, aligned with DHS Best Practice 8.2. Its Controlled Alert Distribution system helps when a threat is detected, a digital form auto-populates, ensuring no critical detail is missed, weapon type, individual ID, response outcome, fully documented for legal compliance and police handoff (DHS 14.2.1).

Athena systems have secondary screening checks that ensure that if a bag is checked, the person carrying it is also re-screened (DHS 8.5). Miss a step? The system flags it immediately. Furthermore, to ensure non-intrusive yet effective wand scans (DHS 9.2.6), AI verifies full-range motion down to the shoes and alerts managers if corners are cut. From QR codes to visitor management and ID scanning, Athena helps organizations know exactly who is entering the premises, and whether they belong there (DHS 15.4.5).

And it doesn't stop there. Athena also introduced deterrence logging, wherein a 'voluntary' or 'turnaround' button lets security staff record when individuals choose to hand over or remove weapons without alerts, finally quantifying deterrence, a long-ignored data gap. With X-ray systems, if the operator steps away, AI detects the absence and shuts down the radiation after a few seconds to protect visitors.

Additionally, Athena's AI highlights suspected concealed weapons in real-time, freeing up staff for other critical tasks. Its clear alerts from multiple sites can be routed to a central trained team, making it scalable and cost-effective for hospitals with dozens of entrances. An AI-powered virtual help desk handles FAQs and instructions for guests, freeing officers from constant interruptions and reducing errors in high-stress situations.

"It's not about removing humans from the process," says Ciabarra. "It's about removing the burden of impossible expectations. People get tired. They miss things. AI doesn't."

While Athena could have targeted schools, a logical fit, the company made a conscious pivot toward healthcare. The reasoning was practical: hospitals face 24/7 threats. "Hospitals have high foot traffic, emotional volatility, and the expectation of safety," Ciabarra explains. "They can't afford to miss a threat, and they can't afford 24/7 staff at every door without help. That's where we come in."

Athena's Video Management System (VMS) is purpose-built for this space. It works even if the server or internet goes down, prints secure badges, and provides custom workflows tailored to the hospital's policies, including personalized welcome videos for VIPs.

Recognizing the need to protect more than just physical spaces, Athena has launched a cybersecurity platform built with the same ethos of automation, validation, and real-time response.

And on the cutting edge, Athena is integrating electronic microscopy for X-rays to detect explosives and drugs, even under layers of electronics. As threats evolve, so does the technology.

What's next? Covert messaging platforms for casinos, automated mantraps, facial recognition alerts for BOLOs and VIPs, and a commitment to automating where humans simply can't scale. "We're not eliminating jobs," Ciabarra says. "We're centralizing expertise. Instead of untrained people at different gateways, you can have experts handling everything remotely and efficiently."

For Ciabarra, Athena Security is more than a company; it's a calling. "Helping others has always made me feel good," he says. "This work is saving lives. It's reducing violence. And it's giving people peace of mind when they walk through a door. That's what makes it worth it."