On this year's International Women's Day, SSPI-WISE was delighted to share the insights of remarkable African women leading progress in the space and satellite industry! The opening remarks were delivered by Jane Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director and CEO of Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd. (NIGCOMSAT), focusing on the global theme of Inspire Inclusion. The panel discussion was moderated by Divya-Kala Bhavani, General Manager of PR, Communications & Marketing at Dhruva Space, and Co-Chair of the Elevating Women Working Group at SSPI-WISE.

At the February All-Members meeting of SSPI-WISE, we heard from Heidi Ann White, who joined us to discuss strategies for engaging underserved communities with STEM education opportunities.

Dr. Heidi Ann White is an Outreach Officer for the Universit￨ de Montr￨al. She is especially passionate about bringing astronomy learning to underserved and disproportionately impacted populations in Canada and around the globe, which is why she is a co-chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group today. Dr. White is a co-founder and instructor of the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers, PASEA, a bi-annual school that brings hands-on astronomy learning and research opportunities to STEM undergraduates from across the African continent. She is a core member of the Astrodigenous educational team, which has created an Indigenous Astronomy portal that supports the work of Canadian educators who aim to build mindful inclusion of ISK in their teaching.

At the January 2024 all-members meeting of SSPI-WISE, we welcomed 2023 Promise Awardee Julie Newman, to discuss her book, Pull, Don’t Push: Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead.

Julie Newman is Program Chief Engineer for Satelit Nusantara Lima N5 (SNL), a major geostationary communications satellite program. In this role, she has been instrumental in overseeing risk management and problem resolution for the satellite, particularly in the midst of a challenging shift to a different payload. Julie regularly directs and approves the work of senior engineering staff and provides recommendations to the program management office and the customer. She has also represented her executive manager in various critical functions, ranging from safety to quality assurance across Boeing’s El Segundo site and has spearheaded multiple process improvement initiatives, including major efforts to improve Boeing’s engineering training and metrics tracking systems. Julie received a Promise Award from SSPI in 2023. Learn more about Julie.

On November 16 during the November open meeting, SSPI-WISE was pleased to present a discussion on mentorship. Hear from Compliance and Regulatory Law expert Endeliza Hampton, Vinitha Lalvani of AvL Technologies, McKenzie Weeks of ATLAS Space Operations and Jennifer Dawson of Critical Reach as they explore the experience of being a mentee in the space & satellite industry and what most helped them to succeed.

On September 28 during the September open meeting, SSPI-WISE was pleased to offer a workshop on entrepreneurship. Everyone charts their own career path and for some that path is entrepreneurial. We have all heard about the challenges and successes of "running your own business," but for a first-hand look, join our panel of women entrepreneurs sharing their experiences in an interactive discussion addressing your questions on key issues including:

• Why start your own business
• How to establish Goals, Mission, and Value Proposition
• Developing Finance and other Resources

On September 7, 2023, as part of the Eternal Orbit campaign, SSPI-WISE was pleased to invite women, representing diverse companies and GEO missions, to bring us up to speed on the latest innovation in this field.

At the May 2023 Open Meeting of SSPI-WISE, Kati Dahm, Head of Marketing at Loft Orbital, gave a presentation on Building Your Personal Brand. Kati Dahm is an accomplished marketing professional and currently holds the position of Head of Marketing at Loft Orbital. With over a decade of experience, she has successfully driven impactful communications and marketing strategies for both public and private companies. Watch the meeting on-demand below!

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, SSPI-WISE's Mentorship Working Group presented a panel spotlighting the leadership of women in the regulation of space activities at a networking and luncheon event at the New York City offices of Hogan Lovells on March 8, 2023. Watch the panel on demand below!

The February 2023 meeting of SSPI-WISE featured a panel session including women of the industry discussing how the digital divide specifically impacts women around the world. Titled: “Women and the Digital Divide,” the event was hosted by the Elevating Women Working Group. Watch the session on demand below!

The November 2022 meeting of SSPI-WISE featured a panel session including women from a variety of careers in the launch side of space and satellite titled: “Women in Launch!” Watch the session on demand below!

The September 2022 meeting of SSPI-WISE featured a presentation by Lori Garver, former Deputy Administrator of NASA, and author of “Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age.” Watch the presentation on demand below!

The July 2022 meeting of SSPI-WISE featured a presentation on The Art of Negotiation by Transition Coach Julie Kramer. Watch the presentation on demand below!

At the April 2022 meeting of SSPI-WISE, the Mentoring Working Group invited the women of space and satellite to a special presentation by Mary Frost, CEO at Power to Change Us and a member of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame (inducted in 2009) on “Effective Presentation Skills.” Watch the presentation on demand below!

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