Cady Coleman

Brainstormer, Change Agent, Connector, Educator/Teacher, Engineer, Explorer, Global soul, Musician, Parent, Public servant, Scientist, World traveler

Dr. Cady Coleman is a chemist, a retired United States Air Force Colonel, and a former NASA Astronaut with more than 180 days in space, accumulated during two space shuttle missions and a six-month expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). She acted as the Lead Robotics and Lead Science officer during her tenure aboard the ISS, performing the second-ever robotic capture of a supply ship from the station. During her time on the ground at NASA, Cady was the lead astronaut for the integration of supply ships from NASA’s commercial partners, Space X and Northrup Grumman. Her work paved the way for commercial spaceflight collaborations that are now commonplace. Before retiring from NASA, she led open-innovation and public-private partnership efforts for the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters. Currently, Cady is a public speaker, advocating for inclusion in STEM and STEAM fields and on teams everywhere. She is the Global Explorer for the Arizona State University Interplanetary Initiative and is a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab. She serves on several boards: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Earthrise Media, Dent the Future, Skycatch and Greenfield Community College. Cady lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Josh Simpson, a glass artist, and their two sons. She is an amateur flute player, best known for her “Space Duet” with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and her work from space with the acclaimed Irish band, The Chieftains. She coached actress Sandra Bullock from the ISS in preparation for Bullock’s astronaut role in the movie “Gravity.”

Using my experiences as an astronaut for “The Power of Good”: Making sure that everyone has a seat at the table — especially with respect to women and minorities in STEAM and STEM.

Take the extra step to showcase images, stories and points of view that are different than your own. Simple steps can mean everything for inclusion and diversity.

I was lucky enough to give the TED 2011 Intro from the International Space Station- but this is the first time I've attended TED. Can't wait!