Anousheh Ansari — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

First female private space explorer, first astronaut of Iranian descent, first Muslim woman in space, and fourth private explorer to visit space
CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, which designs and operates incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges
Co-founder and Chairwoman of Prodea Systems
Co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies Inc., a supplier of softswitch technology
Author of the memoir "My Dream of Stars," co-written with Homer Hickam and published in 2010
Serves on the board of Jabil and Peace First, as well as other not-for-profit organizations
Received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from George Mason University

Biography

Anousheh Ansari is an Iranian-American engineer, tech entrepreneur, and space tourist. She gained international recognition when she embarked on an 11-day space expedition, becoming the first female private space explorer, the first astronaut of Iranian descent, the first Muslim woman in space, and the fourth private explorer to visit space.