Entrepreneur and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe recently made history as one of the five all-female crew members aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard 31 flight. Rick Wade, the U.S. Chamber’s SVP of Strategic Alliances and Outreach, sat down with Bowe to discuss the mission, what motivates her as a CEO, and what’s next for her after traveling to outer space.
Bowe is the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a technology company, and LINGO, an educational technology company. But starting off, Bowe had no intention of pursuing anything in science or math. Her mindset shifted when she set a goal for herself early in her academic career to “quiet the noise” and focus on things that sparked her interest, no matter how unrealistic they might be.
“I remember being told that I couldn't, I shouldn't. I wouldn't. And I did,” says Bowe.
Being “totally unrealistic” at every step of the way led her to a unique path from community college to two aerospace degrees, to working at NASA, to creating two of her own companies, and going up into space.
“I truly did not think that I would not only build a company but build a company that's been recognized with an award for excellence in small business contracting and a HIRE Vets Medallion Award for our commitment to hiring veterans,” Bowe said. “I was focused on what I wanted to give to the world, and what I wanted to leave, which was excellence.”
Bowe signed on to the Blue Origin mission in 2022 to conduct botany research in partnership with Winston-Salem State University and help NASA gather biometric data on how humans respond to space flight by wearing a “bio button” that tracked her physiology.
But Bowe says what sticks with her the most from her experience is the legacy she was able to help lead. Having “the opportunity to carry the American flag into space” was a defining moment.
Now she’s turning her focus back to students with the goal of providing 1 million students with STEM skills that they can leverage in the space industry. As part of the mission, she developed two hands-on, project-based STEM lessons that are now being rolled out in schools.
“I want to bring space to earth in classrooms, to high schoolers, and give people the skills that they need in a fun and exciting way to be part of the industry,” Bowe said. “I think space and innovation is truly what business is about and where it's going in the future.”
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David Eller
David Eller is an intern on the Communications team. He is a current senior at the University of Maryland studying business and finance.
