This present day final week, I used to be standing on a stage at CES. That’s brief for the Shopper Electronics Present, which is the biggest commerce present on the earth, held yearly in Las Vegas.
I used to be there to assert what has been an absolute honor — an inaugural spot within the Ladies in Rising Aviation Applied sciences Corridor of Fame. I wrote extensively about what this award means to me right here — and why it’s simply as a lot an award with your title on it as mine.
However as a result of CES is a trade-only occasion and isn’t open to most people, many people who may need needed to attend in any other case couldn’t. Thus, I’m bringing you the highlights proper right here.
Subsequent week, I’ll offer you a glimpse at among the most enjoyable non-drone encounters I had at CES. However for at the moment, I needed to concentrate on the actual motive I got here (and probably the most inspirational, standout element of the entire journey): the 2023 Rising Aviation Applied sciences Thought Leaders’ Summit.
The summit kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 5 with a chat run by MatrixSpace Chief Income Officer Lori DeMatteis discussing the place we at the moment are, and what the chart for the longer term is ready to appear to be. Different Thursday dialogue subjects included BVLOS and a chat on drone sports activities that includes Electrical Flying Automotive Racing Pilot Lexie Janson and Drone Soccer’s Nationwide Engagement Technique Chair, Dr. Renee Welch.
Sadly I didn’t arrive in Vegas till Friday, however I nonetheless bought to expertise loads of great things. I landed on the airport, dropped off my bag and took the shuttle to the Las Vegas Conference Heart, the place the primary merchandise on my agenda was attending the three p.m. Ladies in Rising Aviation Applied sciences Awards ceremony.
However as a result of I had a while, I took a fast browse of the cubicles. I’ve spidey senses for drones as a result of — even sans map — the Autel sales space was one of many first ones I discovered.
I discovered just a few different smaller firms that I’d by no means heard of, however that made drones.
The time flew by and I then headed to the award ceremony, which is the place the magic actually occurred. The ceremony was held in one of many Las Vegas Conference Heart ballrooms, and it was brimming with the highest folks in drones — of us from the FAA, from NASA, of us who’re entrepreneurs, scientists and business celebrities. And most of these folks have been ladies.
Previous to final week’s 2023 Rising Aviation Applied sciences Thought Leaders’ Summit, I had by no means been in a room with so many sensible, feminine minds targeted on the drone business. A lot of these minds obtained well-deserved recognition. There have been a slew of awards dole out, together with the annual Ladies to Watch winners and the companies being acknowledged within the Prime Corporations for Ladies awards. The ceremony culminated with the naming of the first-ever Corridor of Fame inductees.
And after the awards got out and lots of pictures have been taken, all of us headed over for a reception. There, I bought to reunite with some outdated associates, and meet loads of new ones. What’s superb whenever you put so many passionate, feminine dronies in a room is the standard of conversations you had.
Enterprise whiz Fiona Lake informed me why she doesn’t trouble with inventory images. Joanna Steidle of Hamptons Drone Pictures informed me why one in all her prime digital camera drones is a semi-dark horse within the drone images world, the DJI Avata. NASA’s April Lanotte informed me about her ambitions to make aerospace science extra accessible to all educators and college students. Hitomi Uematsu gave me the inside track on her drone gentle exhibits (her firm, SKYMAGIC, ran the world cup drone gentle exhibits).
Concepts have been exchanged, and new ones have been generated. On this place, the dialogue was real. The spirit was on hearth. And don’t fear — I’ll share their tales with you on my web site quickly.
The following day, we headed to a collection to file video clips for what might flip into an extended documentary concerning the drone business. I heard from most of the prior night time’s honorees, together with NASA Ames Analysis Heart Director of Aeronautics Huy Tran discussing her upbringing in Vietnam and escape through boat after the autumn of Saigon, in addition to Joanna Steidle speaking about what she seems to be for in her artwork (and what qualities make it stand out from all the opposite aerial photos).
I spoke about how I bought into drones (which as you possible know was accidentally in faculty), which you’ll be able to see a clip of right here:
I share how my weblog began:
Dished my ideas on communication expertise:
And regarded towards the longer term:
And whereas I didn’t fly out till Sunday (and I spent that day doing loads of nice Vegas issues, like seeing the Bellagio and consuming at Eataly), there may be nothing else just like the Rising Aviation Applied sciences Summit. I want you could possibly be there — solely to assured stroll away a minimum of half as impressed as I did.
I’ve been to many tech conferences the place I’m the one feminine speaker, or one in all only a handful of girls in attendance. I’m grateful for this previous weekend’s summit for displaying me that there isn’t any scarcity of sensible ladies who can share huge concepts. For those who construct it, they may come. That’s precisely what the Ladies and Drones Rising Aviation Applied sciences Summit did.
For those who’re desirous about much more pictures, try my Instagram and Fb pages.
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