Northwood Space is a startup that prides itself in its innovative approach to satellite technology. They changed their perspective and asked: What if we built space communication technology from the ground up? The answer: Accessible, available, and mass-produced ground stations. Northwood will be manufacturing antennae, or ground stations, for the data highway between Earth and space.
The co-founder, as well as CEO of Northwood, is Bridgit Mendler. If that name sounds familiar, you might know her from the Disney Channel show "Good Luck Charlie". Mendler rose to fame as an actress and continued her career in the entertainment industry with music. Later, she started her education at the University of Southern California (USC). Before the completion of her degree, she dropped out. Despite this decision, she moved on to complete her master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) while taking part in research at MIT Media Lab. She is currently on track to obtain her PhD from MIT as well. Mendler will also receive her JD (Juris Doctor) from Harvard Law School this year, where she served as Co-President of the Space Law Society.
With the rapid growth in the space industry, the amount of data traveling to and from satellites reaches unimaginable quantities. Mendler's technology aims to produce fast and flexible solutions to earth-space information exchange. The startup's first test, connecting to an in-orbit spacecraft, will be conducted this year.
" ...the actual exercise of sending data to and from space is difficult. You have difficulty finding an access point for contacting your satellite," Mendler told CNBC. Seeing an opportunity and a problem to be resolved, Mendler developed a solution. She has joined the 31% of female CEOs worldwide but more importantly, has set an incredible example for aspiring female engineers and businesswomen worldwide. Mendler has shown multidisciplinary excellence, demonstrating experience in the social sciences, law, engineering, and business. We look forward to hearing more about her remarkable achievements, and ongoing contributions to STEM.
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