“Ellen was the first Hispanic woman to go to space, ushering in a whole new age of space exploration and what it means for every generation to reach for the stars.”—President Joe Biden
Lavin speaker Ellen Ochoa just received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is awarded to Americans who represent “the pinnacle of leadership in their fields.” It honors leaders who “built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better.” Ellen is one of only 19 recipients this year—the star-studded list includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry, and “grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee.
Ellen grew up without role models in STEM who looked like her. But that didn’t prevent her from climbing from engineer to inventor and finally to astronaut, making history as the first Latina in space.
And she didn’t stop there. As the first Latinx (and second female) director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, she transformed its company culture to welcome diverse voices, making it possible for people of all backgrounds to contribute and thrive there. Her work championing psychological safety at NASA was profiled in Adam Grant’s bestseller Think Again as an example of how to build a culture of inclusion and innovation.
In talks, Ellen draws on her groundbreaking story to encourage us all to work together, break barriers, and aim for the stars.
