Speakers & Breakout Presenters

Ellen Ochoa is a STEM speaker for our generation. She’s a history-making astronaut, a brilliant inventor, a gifted corporate leader who left her mark on the culture of NASA, a role model for women executives, a hero of the Hispanic community, and a lodestar for discussions about females and minorities pursuing scientific and technical fields. On stage, she brings it all together—draws lessons from her life—in a down-to-earth style that has engaged hundreds of audiences across the country. 

In 2013, Ochoa was named the 11th Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, becoming the first Hispanic and the second female director to hold this prestigious position; she retired in 2018. An active astronaut since 1991, two years later, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discover. In total, she has flown in space four times, logging nearly 1,000 hours, leading onboard scientific activities, and serving as flight engineer during the launch, rendezvous, and entry phases of the mission. Ochoa is the recipient of many honors, including NASA’s highest awards, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Presidential Distinguished Rank of the Senior Executive Service. Read her full bio here.