Not So Hidden Figures

Though Silicon Valley and other STEM-dominated industries suffer from a glaring lack of gender diversity and often exude a toxic bro-y corporate culture, women have attained impressive leadership roles across one of the more classically macho industries of them all: aerospace. More than one-third of NASA’s active astronaut roster are women, and women CEOs run four of the five largest aerospace and defense companies.

Join Future Tense and some remarkable leaders in our quest to explore space to discuss what obstacles they faced as women in the field, how these obstacles can be overcome, and whether their experiences offer lessons to address the overall tech industry’s poor diversity record.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University.

Participants:

Catherine “Cady” Coleman, @Astro_Cady
Colonel, USAF (ret.)
Former NASA astronaut

Ellen Stofan, @EllenStofan
Director, National Air and Space Museum
Former Chief Scientist of NASA

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, @ltelkins
Principal Investigator, NASA Psyche mission
Director, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University

Moderator:

Liza Mundy, @lizamundy
Senior Fellow, New America
Author of Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Codebreakers of World War II

Follow the conversation online using #NotSoHiddenFigures and following @FutureTenseNow.