Anousheh Ansari is serial Tech Entrepreneur, astronaut, Change Maker, and published Author and speaker.  Ansari is currently the CEO of XPRIZE, the world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges. The first female private space explorer and first Muslim woman in space, she is a global presence in future-positive tech markets and a resonant voice for women within STEM, business, and the entrepreneurial industries. 

Ansari and her family sponsored XPRIZE’s first venture in 1994: the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE that ignited a new era for commercial spaceflight. She began serving on its Board of Directors and became CEO of XPRIZE in 2018, leading and scaling the foundation to its highest impact period in its history. To date, XPRIZE has launched 30 prizes offering over $500 million in prize purses, hosting over 35,000 innovators from around the world to participate in its competitions.