Not So Hidden Figures

Though Silicon Valley and other STEM-dominated industries suffer from a glaring lack of gender diversity and often exude a toxic bro-y corporate culture, women have attained impressive leadership roles across one of the more classically macho industries of them all: aerospace. More than one-third of NASA’s active astronaut roster are women, and women CEOs run four of the five largest aerospace and defense companies.

On December 11, Future Tense and some remarkable leaders met to discuss our quest to explore space, what obstacles they faced as women in the field, how these obstacles can be overcome, and whether their experiences offer lessons to address the overall tech industry’s poor diversity record.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University.

Featuring Catherine “Cady” Coleman, Colonel, USAF (ret.), Former NASA astronaut; Ellen Stofan, Director, National Air and Space Museum, Former Chief Scientist of NASA; and, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Principal Investigator, NASA Psyche mission, Director, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University. Moderated by Liza Mundy, Senior Fellow, New America, Author of Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Codebreakers of World War II.