Anousheh Ansari

When Anousheh Ansari became the first female private space explorer in 2009, as well as the first Iranian astronaut, she proved that the sky was no longer the limit for anyone. A source of global inspiration, her contributions to online and aerospace technology are invaluable to humankind.

Moving to the United States from Iran as a teenager, Ansari became fluent in English in addition to French and her native Persian. Her ambition and love for education led to her attaining a degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, followed by a master's degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University. Ansari went on to co-found Telecom Technologies, Inc., which pioneered voice communication technology over the Internet. She is now the CEO, Chairman and co-founder of Prodea Systems, Inc., which aims to significantly change consumer interaction with the Internet and to integrate digital tools into everyday life.

Ansari's love for space exploration led to the creation of the Ansari X Prize, an award designed to spur spaceflight innovation in the private sector, and led to the successful launch of a reusable manned spacecraft within two weeks. The Ansari X Prize has now expanded into encouraging innovations within Genomics, the automotive industry, and technology for lunar missions.

Ansari's dream to reach the stars culminated in her visit to the International Space Station, where she also became the first person to blog from outer space at spaceblog.xprize.org, capturing international attention. She prepared for her mission by learning Russian, and proudly wore the Iranian flag's colors on her flight patch. Michael Lopez-Alegria, a NASA astronaut who worked with Ansari on her flight, stated that her presence in space "is a great dream and a great hope not just for our country but for countries all around the world."

Ansari works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, and believes the key to a better future is in the hands of our younger generations. She prides herself on living by the motto of her idol, Mahatma Gandhi, by "[becoming] the change [she] wants to see in the world."