Session: How to Leverage Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Vibrant Space Economy
All welcome — no prerequisites!
Space — once considered the final frontier and only accessible to a select few — is now home to the most dynamic and innovative economy on the planet. And while not every person will get to ride on a rocket, see one lift off, or build a satellite or payload, everyone — students/teachers, young leaders, entrepreneurs, small businesses and professionals — can become contributors to the $415B and growing space economy.
Despite recent excitement around the SpaceX/NASA launch, you may not be aware that the technologies that enable space access and exploration have real-world applications that shape our daily lives. In fact, every community, infrastructure, and aspect of modern life on planet Earth is dependent on space-related technologies, like accurate weather forecasting, new materials for manufacturing goods, advanced global communications, healthcare innovation, and precision farming.
Advocating for women in space, Shelli will share her personal roadmap from a military start to her role leading the Center for Innovation and Education at Space Foundation. She will highlight key opportunities in space tech innovation:
* Top technologies to watch in the space industry
* 1000’s of NASA space innovation patents waiting for commercialization
* Space commerce entrepreneurship programs
* Space tech transfer and insertion as a supplier to new space ventures
* Becoming a supplier to commercial and government enterprises
Shelli will walk you through a pragmatic Workforce Development Roadmap, comprising five core disciplines, and valuable resources that can open the door to opportunities in the space economy.
No matter what your demographic, skill set or current path, you will walk away from Shelli’s session with solid footing on how you can pursue opportunities as a job, career, innovator, supplier, grantor, funder, partner, sponsor or collaborator in the bigger mission of bringing space technology innovation to improving life on Earth.
Bio
Shelli Brunswick, COO of Space Foundation, brings a broad perspective and deep vision of the workforce development roadmap and economic opportunities available to women in the space economy — from a distinguished career as a space acquisition and program management leader and Congressional Liaison for the US Air Force — to her current role leading the Center for Innovation and Education.
Advocating for space technology innovation, Shelli collaborates with organizations around the world to advance the opportunities for entrepreneurs. She has piloted the launch of the Space Commerce Entrepreneurship Program, attended by 275+ minority small businesses across the country, and the Junior Space Entrepreneur Program that has trained its first 26 teachers from 16 states and 50 students for a Moon-to-Mars mission.
As a leading role model for women in space, Brunswick chairs the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation, hosts the Women’s Global Gathering annually at the Space Symposium, and was selected as a mentor for the United Nations Space4Women network, and she servers on the board of directors for Manufacturer’s Edge.