Anousheh Ansari
First Female Private Space Explorer
Chairman and Co-founder, Prodea Systems, Inc.
On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. She also earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. This was the accomplishment of a lifelong dream for her.
Back on Earth Anousheh returned to her job as co-founder and chairman of her latest technology company. Prodea Systems, a company that will dramatically alter the nature of the in-home technology experience. An active proponent of world-changing technologies and social entrepreneurship, 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. With the success of the X Prize competition, Anousheh had helped launch a new era in private spaceflight.
In 2001, Anousheh served as co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Telecom Technologies, Inc. After earning three key U.S. patents and growing the company to 250 employees with 100 percent sequential growth since inception, the company merged with Sonus Networks in a deal worth approximately $750 million dollars.
Anousheh 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 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2007, 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.
Anousheh currently works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, with organizations such as ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation.
Gordon Bowker
Gordon Bowker is a start-up entrepreneur and advisor to early-stage businesses based in Seattle. He is a co-founder of Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ SBUX); Redhook Ale Brewery (NASDAQ HOOK), and The Seattle Weekly. He began his career as a journalist, and in 1971 co-founded the communications design and marketing firm Heckler, Bowker. He is a member of the board of directors of Peet's Coffee and Tea (NASDAQ PEET). He lives with his family in Seattle and Honolulu, where he records and produces traditional Hawaiian and slack key guitar music. He is not Gordon Bowker, the esteemed Scottish biographer.
David Biar Gak
Youth Venturer
Founder of Ayual Community Development Association
Undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University
David Biar Gak is from Southern Sudan. He is one of the "Survivors of the Sudan post conflict (Lost Boys of the Sudan)" who fled war-torn Sudan. He was born in Patient village in southern Sudan. He came to America on his own just under six years ago and has been working to help others ever since.
Gak arrived at Philadelphia International Airport in November 2000 knowing only his brother and the other Sudanese who were on the trip with him. He was among 3,600 Sudanese resettled in America by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the U.S. State Department. Upon arriving, he set up a home for himself, his brother and two other "Lost Boys" and start exploring ways of achieving a better life.
Mr. Gak is currently a graduating senior at Pennsylvania State University, where he is majoring in Health Policy and Administration (HPA). Gak helped found a national nonprofit (begun as a Youth Venture) called the Ayual Community Development Association (ACDA) to aid displaced Sudanese now living in the United States, provide refugee education, and support their home-Southern Sudan. He was a president and a director for a Sudanese community association. He volunteers now as an adviser for ACDA.
His primary interests are in public health policy and hospital administration, including such topics as health education, global health policy development, and global health equity. He is also committed to community development and helping youth to realize that they are powerful agents of change. He is very involved with a number of international and youth organizations that focus on civic education, health and behavioral safety education, and leadership approaches.
He has overcome many hardships and become actively involved in numerous local, national, and international programs, David has made a tremendous impact in the community around him.
He often tells people that no matter what happens in life they need remember that "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."
Daniel H. Schulman
Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Mobile USA
Dan joined Virgin Mobile USA in September 2001 and brings a record of high performance in the consumer-marketing arena and almost two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry to VMU. He has led the company from its concept stage with 10 employees to one of the nation's top 8 wireless carriers, and among the fastest growing wireless company with over four million net subscribers and over $1B in annual sales, since its national launch in July 2002. Virgin Mobile was recently named by JD Powers as the highest ranked prepaid carrier in the U.S. in overall customer satisfaction.
Dan has also served as the chief executive officer of priceline.com, where he established one of the most popular and recognized brands on the Internet, and was a primary architect in driving the company to profitability. Prior to joining priceline.com, Dan served more than 18 years at AT&T, rising to become the youngest member of the company's most senior executive team, the AT&T Operations Group. He was the president of the $22 billion core consumer long distance business. Dan was recently named by Business Week as one of the top 20 people to watch in the media industry. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Symantec (SYMC-NASDAQ) and is chair of their compensation committee. He was also elected to serve on the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University.
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