LockpickingDev | Lockpicking Lessons & Events - St. Louis, MO
ONLINE · ST. LOUIS, MO · TRAVEL AVAILABLE

LockpickingDev

Gateway Locksport Founder · Security Educator · Event Specialist

Private lessons, corporate team-building, and full lockpicking villages for conferences, conventions, and events. Groups of 5 to 500.

Interviewed and featured in The Seattle Times for work in the locksport community, including organizing and teaching meetups.

DEF CONMicrosoft Blue Hat Security ConferenceMicrosoft Zero Day QuestShmooConLayerOneBSides Kansas CityBSides SeattleHushCon SeattlePAX WestSuper MAGFestUMSL Women's HackathonDEF CONMicrosoft Blue Hat Security ConferenceMicrosoft Zero Day QuestShmooConLayerOneBSides Kansas CityBSides SeattleHushCon SeattlePAX WestSuper MAGFestUMSL Women's Hackathon

Who is LockpickingDev?

I'm LockpickingDev - a locksport practitioner, educator, and founder of Gateway Locksport, a St. Louis-based community centered around hands-on lockpicking and physical security.

Through my YouTube channel and in-person workshops, I've taught everyone from complete beginners to cybersecurity influencers and California State Representatives. I've also led instruction at events like DEF CON, Microsoft Zero Day Quest, and PAX West.

Everything I teach is grounded in ethical, responsible locksport, with a focus on making it approachable, practical, and fun to learn.

Quick Facts
Based inSt. Louis, MO
RoleLocksport Educator
CommunityLockpickers United
Events22+ major events
Students Taught2000+
TravelAvailable
All EquipmentProvided

Appearances & Instruction

World's Premier Hacker Conference
Security Conference · Annual
DEF CON
Las Vegas, NV

Started by teaching hundreds of attendees each year how to pick their first lock at the Locksport Village, later stepping into a leadership role helping run the village. Currently working with the Physical Security Village, teaching lock bypass techniques at one of the world's most recognized hacker conferences.

Invitation Only
Invite Only · Microsoft
Microsoft Zero Day Quest
Redmond, WA

Invited to participate in Microsoft Zero Day Quest, an exclusive, invitation-only event for top vulnerability researchers. Served as the lockpicking and key impressioning specialist, providing hands-on physical security insight alongside cutting-edge digital research.

Invite Only
100,000+ Attendees
Gaming Expo
PAX West
Seattle, WA

Presented at PAX West, one of North America's largest gaming conventions, delivering a talk on the realism of lockpicking mechanics in video games. Followed by hands-on workshops where attendees learned to pick real locks.

▶ Watch the Talk
Microsoft Blue Hat
Corporate Conference · Microsoft · Redmond, WA
Microsoft's internal security conference for their engineering and research teams. Ran lockpicking demos and hands-on workshops, giving their security professionals a real-world look at physical lock security.
ShmooCon
Security Conference · Washington, DC
One of the most respected East Coast security conferences before it concluded its run, bringing together researchers, professionals, and hobbyists. Led hands-on lockpicking instruction, helping attendees quickly go from no experience to opening their first locks.
LayerOne
Security Conference · Los Angeles, CA
A long-running, community-driven security conference with deep roots in hacker culture. Led locksport instruction and hands-on sessions, teaching practical lockpicking skills to a technically curious audience.
BSides Seattle
Community Conference · Redmond, WA
Community security conference hosted on the Microsoft campus. Ran locksport instruction for a mix of security industry veterans and curious first-timers.
BSides Kansas City
Community Conference · Kansas City, MO
Community-run security conference outside the big-budget show circuit. Ran the locksport village and taught hands-on picking sessions.
HushCon Seattle
Security Community · Seattle, WA
An intimate Pacific NW security conference where everyone in the room is passionate about what they do. Ran locksport instruction for a tight-knit community of enthusiasts.
Super MAGFest
Gaming & Music Festival · National Harbor, MD
One of the largest gaming and music festivals on the East Coast, known for its creative, maker-friendly crowd. Ran hands-on locksport workshops teaching attendees everything from picking their first lock to defeating handcuffs and escaping restraints.
UMSL Women's Hackathon
University · St. Louis, MO
Led an educational locksport workshop at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The key idea: digital security means nothing if physical security is overlooked.

Lessons & Event Experiences

Tools and practice locks are provided for use during the workshop. Lock picks and training locks will also be available for purchase for those who want to continue practicing after the session. Based in St. Louis with travel available. Travel fees may apply for events outside the local area.

🎯
Private Group
Perfect for date nights, friend groups & small celebrations
Up to 5 people
$300
  • Hands-on personal instruction
  • All picks & locks provided
  • ~2 hour session
Book Now
🏢
Large Group
Full workshop experience for corporate & bigger gatherings
16–25 people
$650+
  • Full workshop format
  • Multiple skill stations
  • ~3 hour session
Get a Quote
🎪
Convention Village
End-to-end locksport village for conferences & conventions
25+ people
Contact for pricing
  • Full lockpicking village
  • Multi-table, multi-skill
  • Custom scope & duration
Get in Touch
Location: St. Louis, MOTravel: AvailablePayment: PayPal · VenmoEquipment: All provided

Open a Session

Submit your request and I'll respond within 3-5 business days to work out the details. All sessions confirmed via email before any payment is arranged.

Payment Info
No transactions on this site.
Payment via PayPal or Venmo after confirming details by email.
June 2026
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