Anousheh Ansari Fact Sheet
Personal: Anousheh Ansari was born in Tehran, Iran. She moved to the United States at age 16. She has been married to Hamid Ansari since 1989, and the couple lives in Plano, Texas. Anousheh turned 40 years old while in quarantine preparing for her trip into space.
Education: Anousheh earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University in 1989 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University in 1992. She is currently working toward a master’s degree in astronomy from Swinburne University.
Professional: She launched her career at MCI. In 1993, Anousheh convinced her husband that they should quit their jobs, cash in their savings and create a telecommunications startup. They founded telecom technologies, inc., in Richardson, Texas. The company created a product called a “softswitch” that allowed voice communications over the Internet. By 2001, Anousheh had helped tti earn three key U.S. patents. The company had grown to 250 employees and experienced 100 percent sequential growth year over year since its inception. In 2001, the company successfully merged with Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS), a provider of IP-based voice infrastructure products, in a deal worth approximately $750 million.
Today, Anousheh serves as co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems. The company was founded in 2006 with the goal of helping customers unleash the power of the Internet and realize the full potential of their digital homes. The solution is both cost-effective and complete, enabling consumers to: - Personalize and simplify their home multimedia network - Securely access their content from anywhere, at any time - Talk, chat and share media - Protect and secure valuable personal digital assets and home components
Space travel: Anousheh and her family members made a major impact on the future of commercial space travel by providing title sponsorship for the Ansari X Prize. This $10 million cash award was earmarked for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. This feat was accomplished in 2004 by legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan. Anousheh is a member of the X Prize Foundation’s Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees.
Anousheh then signed up to become a private space explorer. In February 2006, she was asked to serve as the backup for Daisuke Enomoto, a private space explorer from Japan who had been slated for the trip in September. Anousheh agreed and dedicated herself to an intensive six-month training course in Star City, Russia, as well as cross- training at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
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In August 2006, just a few weeks before the scheduled flight, Enomoto was medically disqualified. Anousheh immediately was elevated to the primary crew of the Soyuz TMA-9 as a replacement. On Sept. 18, she blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin. That day, Anousheh became the world’s first female private space explorer. She was just the fourth private explorer to visit space, and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.
After two days orbiting the Earth, Anousheh and her fellow crewmembers docked with the International Space Station. She spent the next eight days on board as an active member of the crew, participating in experiments and enjoying the weightlessness of space. Anousheh wrote a blog at spaceblog.xprize.org that invited readers to share her experience. The blog captured international attention. Between her personal web site (www.anoushehansari.com) and the blog, there were more than 50 million hits from readers around the world.
Awards: Anousheh has been honored with several awards, including: − Working Woman’s National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award − George Mason University’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Award − George Washington University’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award − Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Southwest Region
While under her leadership, tti earned recognition as: − one of Inc. magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies − one of Deloitte & Touche’s Fast 500 technologies companies − a Dallas 100 high-growth company for the four years before it sold
Social change: Anousheh is dedicated to helping organizations that want to bring about radical, positive social change. These include: − ASHOKA, which supports social entrepreneurship around the world, including the Middle East and Central Asia − PARSA Community Foundation, which promotes strategic philanthropy and social entrepreneurship among the global Iranian community − Make-a-Wish Foundation of North Texas, where she serves on the board of directors − Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center, where she serves on the board of directors
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