Anousheh Ansari

Anousheh Ansari brings more than two decades as a successful serial entrepreneur to Prodea Systems, where she serves as Chairman.

Anousheh is capturing headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. On Sept. 18, she will blast off for a 8-day mission aboard the International Space Station. She will be a member of the primary crew of the Soyuz TMA-9, which will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Her fellow crew members will include NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.

Anousheh will be the fourth private space explorer to visit space, and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. She spent more than six months preparing for the journey at the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre in Star City, Russia, and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, USA.

An active proponent of world-changing technologies, Anousheh has dreamed of space exploration since childhood. Her family provided the title sponsorship for the Ansari X-Prize, a $10 million cash award for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. This feat was accomplished by legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan in 2004.

Prior to Co-Founding Prodea Systems, Anousheh served as Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board for Telecom Technologies, Inc. Founded in 1993, the company experienced rapid growth and profitability before successfully merging with Sonus Networks, Inc., in 2000.

A living example of the American dream, Anousheh Ansari immigrated to the United States as a teenager who did not speak English. She immersed herself in education, earning a bachelor's degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, followed by a master's degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University. She is currently working toward a master's degree in astronomy from Swinburne University.

Anousheh is a member of the X-Prize Foundation's Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees. She has received multiple honors, including the Working Woman's National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, George Mason University's Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, George Washington University's Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Southwest Region. While under her leadership, TTI earned recognition as one of the Inc. magazine “500 fastest-growing companies” and the Deloitte & Touche “Fast 500 technology companies.”

In addition to her business achievements, Anousheh actively pursues ways to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally. She works with a number of other non-profit organizations, including the Ashoka Foundation in its support of social entrepreneurs. She has served on the boards of directors for Make-a-Wish Foundation of North Texas and Collin County Children's Advocacy Center.