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ANOUSHEH ANSARI

CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, first female private space explorer

  • Currently the CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, the world’s leader in designing and operating large incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges
  • Prior to being named CEO of XPRIZE, Ansari co-founded and served as the CEO of Prodea Systems, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) technology firm
  • The first female private space explorer, first astronaut of Iranian descent, first Muslim woman in space, and fourth private explorer to visit space
  • Serves on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council and has received numerous honors, including the WEF Young Global Leader, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and STEM Leadership Hall of Fame
  • Co-founded The Billion Dollar Fund for Women

Anousheh is currently the CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, the world’s leader in designing and operating large incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Ansari, along with her family, sponsored the organization’s first competition, the Ansari XPRIZE, a $10 million competition that ignited a new era for commercial spaceflight. Since then, she has served on XPRIZE’s Board of Directors.

Prior to being named CEO of XPRIZE, Ansari co-founded and served as the CEO of Prodea Systems, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) technology firm. In 2006, she captured headlines around the world when she embarked upon an 11-day space expedition, accomplishing her childhood dream of flying to space. As a result of her mission, she became the first female private space explorer, first astronaut of Iranian descent, first Muslim woman in space, and fourth private explorer to visit space.

Ansari serves on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council and has received numerous honors, including the WEF Young Global Leader, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and STEM Leadership Hall of Fame, among others. She is a UNESCO Good Will Ambassador and serves on the board of Jabil (NYSE: JBL) and Peace First, as well as several other not-for-profit organizations focused on STEM education, youth empowerment and social entrepreneurship.

Ansari also co-founded The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, announced in October 2018 at the Tri Hita Karana (THK) Forum on Sustainable Development in Bali, with a goal of investing $1 billion in women-founded companies by 2020.  She currently works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, with organizations such as X Prize, ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation.

She believes the key to a better future for humankind is in the hands of our young generation, and it is up to us to provide them with the right tools through education and as good role models. Through it all, Anousheh continues to quote Gandhi, one of her personal he-roes, who said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

She published her memoir, My Dream of Stars, to share her life story as inspiration for young women around the world.

Ansari holds a BS in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, an MS in electrical engineering from George Washington University; and honorary doctorates from George Mason University, Utah Valley University, and International Space University.

Goals
Anousheh has always dreamed of traveling to space, and while she is extremely excited to realize this dream, she is also focused on sharing her experience with others. Her main objective for this mission is to become a Space Ambassador, and help to bring the space travel experience to others:

  • As a Space Ambassador, act as a messenger to create public awareness and stimulate grassroots enthusiasm about the virtues of space exploration;
  • To inspire youth, and especially girls, around the world to pursue their dreams; and,
  • To promote peace and understanding amongst nations as the world’s first Space Ambassador.


 

  • Future Trends
  • Space Exploration
  • Innovation
  • Technology
  • Women in Business

Entrepreneurial Success as a Woman

When Anousheh first blasted into space, she not only had to break free of the Earth, trying to hold her back, she also had to escape the thick atmosphere of her profession’s long-time gender discrimination and bias. In this presentation, Anousheh explores with her audience, the incredible journey that she has taken as an Iranian, female, self-funded astronaut, offering insights on just how she did it, and how to ensure the success of your own journey. Whether you are launching into space, or launching your own start-up, Ansari’s advice and instruction on how to achieve your goals, relates to every profession under the sun.

Anousheh understands the challenges all women face in business, as an entrepreneur, and as an “outsider.” As a teenage immigrant to the U.S., she spoke no English. After a long journey that can only be described as universally inspiring, she not only learned English, but also the language of business, and the dance of gender politics. Today, she is the co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems, co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, and she and her family are also the sponsors of the Ansari X Prize, designed to inspire individuals and individual companies to circumvent the inert, apathetic, government and take on space travel themselves – talk about the entrepreneurial spirit! As a female busi-ness owner and founder, she has seen the perceived limitations, and not only transcended them, but left them far, far behind.

Space Commercialization & Its Future

Anousheh Ansari is a pioneer in business innovation, integration, invention, ownership, and inspiration. An active proponent of world-changing technologies and social entrepreneur-ship, Anousheh’s resume is impressive, to say the least.

In this presentation, Anousheh not only shares her vast knowledge of business innovation, invention, and investment, she brings to the audience a perspective that is as rare as she. Will the Ort cloud and Kuiper belt be the next big direct manufacturers? Will the Philae probe which landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimeko, be the next revolutionary widget? We really don’t know, but neither did Sir Richard Branson, and he seems to be doing quite well in the economic space race. This keynote, which is entirely customized for any service or industry, is not just about how to breathe as a business in space…it’s about elevated, inspired thinking and ideas that create the space you need to advance and over-come your obstacles, inability to launch, and most importantly, your awareness of an in-credibly advanced way to approach personal and professional fulfillment.

Students, Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Education is a very personal subject for Anousheh. When she first immigrated to the United States, she spoke no English. She immersed herself in education, leading to fluency, as well as a bachelor's degree in electronics and computer engineering, followed by a master's degree in electrical engineering, and soon, a master's degree in astronomy as well. She brought her passion, motivation, and dreams to the table, and education did the rest. Many speakers talk about how their education helped them to find their place in the world…but how many can say, it helped them leave it? As an advocate and role model for students everywhere, there is literally no one better to explain how far education can take them.

In this presentation, Anousheh illustrates that space may just hold answers to save our planet, thus it is the logical suite for natural science education, not to mention how effort-lessly space inspires students to be more involved and go further with Science, Technology, Engineering & Math studies. Further showing her commitment, Anousheh is also a key member of the advisory board of the Teachers in Space project, and during her stay at the International Space Station, 50 million worldwide followed her blog, inspiring untold, countless students around the world to believe, really believe that education can take them any-where they dream to go.

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