space Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

Astronaut, Entrepreneur and Future-Maker – Anousheh Ansari

August 8, 2024
by Claire

Ever wondered what it’s like to ride in a rocket, and we do mean literally?

Today you get to hear first hand about space travel with our guest, the 44th female astronaut in history and the first Iranian and Muslim woman in space. Astronaut and Entrepreneur, Anousheh Ansari is also only the 4th self-funded person to travel to space and the International Space Station.

We had the best time in this conversation with Anousheh, hearing her incredible stories about the experience of rocketing into orbit.

And Anousheh is so much more than an astronaut. She’s also an extremely successful entrepreneur and co-founded a successful technology company which saw her listed on Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40. Shortly after she sold that business in 2000 for around $USD 750 million.

A qualified electrical engineer, Ahousheh has been recognised for her innovation and entrepreneurialism with numerous awards including the George Mason University Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, and a Space Pioneer award from the National Space Society

These days, Anousheh is focused on solving humanity’s biggest problems, something she does as CEO of the X Prize Foundation as you’ll hear in our episode. It’s some of the most hopeful content we’ve heard in years!

In this absorbing episode you’ll also learn:

How growing up in Iran during the Revolution has impacted Anousheh’s approach to life
Why space was something that fascinated her since she was a little girl
What Anousheh believes it takes to build a successful business
How she and her family have made a massive difference to the space industry
The highs and lows of 9 months of astronaut training in Russia, and
How, with numerous X Prizes addressing Earth’s biggest issues, she’s hopeful about our future.

So buckle up and do not miss this inspiring conversation with the entrepreneurial and abundant thinker & doer, Anousheh Ansari…

Useful Links

X Prize Foundation website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – More Than an Idea .…

September 28, 2021September 28, 2021
by Claire

Welcome to another of our mini episodes where we revisit the specific pearls of wisdom that our amazing guests have shared with us.

This week we’re exploring what it takes to really innovate in a big corporate or government organisation. Because, as you’ll hear, successful innovation is about much more than having a great idea. Often the challenge really comes when you try to get that idea off the ground.

You may remember a conversation we had with Mandy Birch, an executive with quantum computing company, Rigetti Computing. Mandy also spent many years in the US Airforce in senior operational and logistics roles in the field so she knows all about innovating and getting ideas passed in large organisations.

You’ll hear how Mandy thinks about generating breakthrough ideas and, importantly, getting some of them implemented!

Enjoy this Future Proof Me episode. And if you are getting value from our show then please rate and review us on your podcast listening platform, we’d really appreciate it if you haven’t already.

Useful Links

Our full interview episode with Mandy

Mandy on LinkedIn

Rigetti Computing

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – How an Innovator Stays Creative

July 7, 2020
by Claire

Welcome to this week’s mini Future Proof Me episode all about how to stay creative in a busy world.

We loved the advice that serial Canadian entrepreneur and founder, Vicki Saunders shared with us when we spoke to her last year.

Vicki is CEO and Founder of SheEO. SheEO is an international network of women who support, finance and celebrate female innovators who run ventures solving important world problems.

As a serial entrepreneur and true original thinker, Vicki has learnt she needs to create space for ideas to flow. As you’ll hear in this episode, she’s very conscious of ensuring she has a routine and practices that give her that space and stimulus despite facing, as we all do, the demands of a hectic busy work life and all the usual stresses we all experience.

You’ll hear how Vicki carves out time in her schedule to consume a wide variety of different topics in order to fuel her creative thinking, and you’ll hear how she’s found meditating makes a big difference.

If you’re struggling to have fresh ideas or see old problems from new perspectives, then this mini episode is just what you need!

Links of interest

Our full interview with Vicki

SheEO website

Interview

Laura Anderson – On A Mission to Mars

December 3, 2019December 3, 2019
by Claire

This week’s guest has an insatiable passion for learning and the future and she has the career portfolio to prove it! We’re talking about international company director, entrepreneur and global philanthropist, Laura Anderson.

Laura grew up near Chicago in the US. She found out early on that she was good at maths and loved ideas and set about immersing herself in areas that fascinated her. As a girl she wanted to be an astronaut and to this day is convinced the Space Program is critically important. And yes, she’s passionate about humans getting to Mars!

Laura’s “why not?” attitude ultimately led her to a career in the technology industry where she worked around the world for companies such as HP, KPMG and Perot Systems, as well as starting her own successful supply chain company.

Laura is now based in Australia where she has a full and fascinating portfolio of local and international interests and directorships including being Chair of LaunchVic (a Government organisation to foster a start-up ecosystem), the Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Technology in Schools, and SVI Global Pty Ltd.

She’s also on the boards of: the Fulbright Commission, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Epworth HealthCare, the National Basketball League, and the Defence Science Institute.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Laura goes about influencing people, particularly in a male dominated environment
What tools and tactics she uses to manage her mindset
How she thinks about her global network
Her advice to entrepreneurs
And the reasons why she’s on a Mission to Mars!

Sit back, buckle up and enjoy this episode with the very accomplished and delightful Laura Anderson.

Links of Interest

Laura’s Website

Laura on Twitter

Laura on Instagram

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:28 — 34.4MB) | Embed

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Interview

Trudy Kortes – A Career in Space Exploration and…

July 30, 2019July 30, 2019
by admin

We’re excited to share this week’s episode featuring someone who’s had an extraordinary career at the cutting edge of space exploration. Trudy Kortes is the Chief of the Human Exploration and Space Operations Division at NASA. With her day job, not only is Trudy working on real ‘moonshots’ she is also developing new technologies that will undoubtedly have an incredible impact on our lives in the future.

An aeronautical engineer by profession, Trudy has spent about 30 years working for NASA focusing on helping the space agency develop many super- sophisticated technologies to explore our galaxy. Today Trudy leads a team of around 200 people working on a range of projects including advanced communications, propulsion and the crew module, to name a few.

What we love about this episode is Trudy’s ability to translate the super complex work she’s been involved with in her career to date, into easy to understand and inspiring stories about the valuable lessons she’s learnt along the way, and about what’s possible in the future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The really unusual reason why Trudy decided at high school she wanted to work for NASA
How Trudy has found her authentic and humorous self, and why it matters
What she’s learnt about having difficult conversations
What it’s like being a senior woman at NASA
And how she feels about the project she’s working on to send the first female astronaut to the moon in 2024

So click below, sit back, buckle up and enjoy fascinating stories and insights from the wonderful Trudy Kortes.

Links of interest:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:54 — 32.1MB) | Embed

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Interview

Marie Johnson – Breaking Digital Boundaries and Challenging Stereotypes

February 12, 2019
by admin

On the show this week is Marie Johnson, an Australian entrepreneur with a passion for digital and AI.

Marie’s cutting edge work today is all the more incredible when you hear her story….

She was married as a teenager, then soon found herself pregnant and living in a caravan! Despite not having the chance to take her studies further immediately after school, Marie went on to juggle motherhood and study, and earnt several degrees.

One thing led to another and Marie took on CIO and other senior technology roles, particularly in Government, and in 2006 she was named “Innovative CIO of the Year – for Australia” (according to CIO magazine).

Marie now leads the Centre for Digital Business – a company she co-founded with her husband (yes the same one she married all those years ago). She’s a passionate believer in finding ways to use digital technology including AI to make life more equal and fair for everyone.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Why you should have a long and a short game plan
What it’s like as an older woman in technology
How she copes with adversity
How she co-designed the world’s first digital human, Nadia, with the disabled community and
How her husband’s four heart operations and her grandsons are shaping the digital ventures Marie is working on now

Enjoy this episode with the forward thinking Marie Johnson.

We were amazed by this video Marie shared with us (below) showing the incredibly human conversational skills of her current project: creating a Digital Human Cardiac Coach. We think she and the team at FaceMe are doing a truly incredible job. Prepare to be blown away by AI in action: