Get ready for Day 2 of #BlackSpaceWeek – starting with the #SpaceEntrepreneurship panel, featuring @JaneyaGriffin, @deschzunell, Kaylon Paterson, and @JasmineMLeFlore!
@JaneyaGriffin @deschzunell @JasmineMLeFlore First, what is the new space economy? @JaneyaGriffin explains that this is the translation of economies – just like the tourism, medicine, etc we have on Earth – to envision a future inhabiting other planets in space
This is a budding, trillion dollar industry! 🤑
We think about space as far away and separate from life here on Earth (e.g. *outer* space), but it's not really that distinct! Basically every company and service we have on Earth can be space enabled – we need to start shifting our mindsets toward this future
@JasmineMLeFlore explains how engineers and scientists can easily pivot/transfer their experiences and skills into the business sphere
As @JaneyaGriffin put it, entrepreneurship does not require an unattainable, foreign set of skills – many of us already engage in "intrapreneurship", managing teams, etc like a business everyday
Kaylon Paterson describes his path into starting Paterson Aerospace – he attended management school to pick up the business skills and bridge the gap from his technical background
As a Trinidadian immigrant, he faced lots of adversity in becoming an aerospace engineer and founder, seeing very few people like him around him – he emphasizes the importance of representation in demonstrating that these careers are viable for anyone
@JaneyaGriffin explains that Black folks "need to have the *audacity*" to believe that the space industry is for them and that they don't need to get permission from anyone
She echoes Kaylon's words about representation, emphasizing that it's going to take the intentional work of those already integrated in the field to help bring space into the conversation for Black folks who may not be exposed to the field
@JasmineMLeFlore describes how we can incorporate the work of historical Black thinkers, such as W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, to understand the role of Blackness in the space industry today
Kaylon Paterson explains how we can bring space into the conversation in places like the Caribbean, for example, by presenting it as a tool to track environmental trends that effect both livelihoods and the economy
@JaneyaGriffin describes how important it is to bring traditionally non-space industries into the conversation around the space economy – the conversations and ideas resulting from a diversity of thought will help us reach previously-unimaginable frontiers
@JaneyaGriffin explains that there is no right or wrong way to get into business, again you just need to "have the audacity" to do what needs to be done
To raise capital and be successful, she highlights the importance of having – and placing value in – intellectual property (IP) around which you can build and market your business
Kaylon Paterson's keys to raising capital: bootstrap, build your product first, and find a strong team
Kaylon Paterson describes how he leveraged his experience in grad school to jump into the business world
He also emphasizes the importance of protecting yourself – citing his experiences with IP theft, he describes that you should be careful with how you share your ideas
Both he and @JaneyaGriffin recommend looking at the contracts and documentation around IP ownership rights at your institution and having the audacity to advocate for yourself and renegotiate your position
@JaneyaGriffin describes that one source of funding can be Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, which come through a variety of organizations
@JasmineMLeFlore describing her current projects – with @greaterthantech she's working on a variety of initiatives to help bring women into the engineering and business spheres – reach out to her on LinkedIn if you are interested in getting involved!
Kaylon Paterson's company, Paterson Aerospace, are working on space debris collection projects – look to his website (patersonaerospace.com) for more details!
@JaneyaGriffin describing the new #MelaninOnMars campaign to educate Black folks about the contributions that they have made to – and around – the space industry, hoping to bring more Black folks into the new space economy!
@deschzunell describing the work of the @equityinspace to bring equity to the space industry!
That's all for the #SpaceEntrepreneurship panel – join us at 3 pm EDT to hear about #SpaceLawandOrder as we continue our coverage of #BlackSpaceWeek!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
