From 2010 (YouTube Version): Imagine... Be The Change... Inspire

One of the more unusual phone calls I have ever received occurred a few years ago... from Anousheh Ansari... long distance.

About as long-distance as it gets, these days, as Anousheh was calling from the International Space Station where she was plainly having the time of her life.

You see, on September 18, 2006, the truly amazing Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. Anousheh earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.

Anousheh is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a company that will unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumer’s digital living experience.

Prior to founding Prodea Systems, Anousheh served as co-founder, CEO and chairman of Telecom Technologies, Inc.  The company successfully merged with Sonus Networks, Inc., in 2000. 

To help drive commercialization of the space industry, Anousheh and her family provided 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.

She currently works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, with organizations such as X Prize, ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation.

FMI: www.xprize.org, www.anoushehansari.com, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews