At the present time final week, I used to be standing on a stage at CES. That’s quick for the Client Electronics Present, which is the biggest commerce present on this planet, held yearly in Las Vegas.
I used to be there to say 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 identify on it as mine.
However as a result of CES is a trade-only occasion and isn’t open to most of the people, many of us who may need wished to attend in any other case couldn’t. Thus, I’m bringing you the highlights proper right here.
Subsequent week, I’ll provide you with a glimpse at a few of the most enjoyable non-drone encounters I had at CES. However for at present, I wished to deal with the true cause I got here (and probably the most inspirational, standout part 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 long run is about to seem like. Different Thursday dialogue matters 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 acquired to expertise loads of good 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 individuals in drones — people from the FAA, from NASA, people who’re entrepreneurs, scientists and trade celebrities. And most of these individuals 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 good, feminine minds targeted on the drone trade. A lot of these minds acquired 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 High Firms 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 images have been taken, all of us headed over for a reception. There, I acquired to reunite with some previous pals, and meet loads of new ones. What’s superb if 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 pictures. Joanna Steidle of Hamptons Drone Pictures informed me why one in all her high digital camera drones is a semi-dark horse within the drone pictures 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 news on her drone gentle reveals (her firm, SKYMAGIC, ran the world cup drone gentle reveals).
Concepts have been exchanged, and new ones have been generated. On this place, the dialogue was real. The spirit was on fireplace. And don’t fear — I’ll share their tales with you on my web site quickly.
The subsequent day, we headed to a set to report video clips for what might flip into an extended documentary concerning the drone trade. I heard from lots 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 by way of boat after the autumn of Saigon, in addition to Joanna Steidle speaking about what she seems for in her artwork (and what qualities make it stand out from all the opposite aerial photographs).
I spoke about how I acquired into drones (which as you doubtless know was by chance in school), which you’ll be able to see a clip of right here:
I share how my weblog began:
Dished my ideas on communication abilities:
And regarded towards the long run:
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’s nothing else just like the Rising Aviation Applied sciences Summit. I want you would be there — solely to assured stroll away at the very least 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 ladies in attendance. I’m grateful for this previous weekend’s summit for displaying me that there isn’t a scarcity of good ladies who can share massive concepts. In case you construct it, they may come. That’s precisely what the Ladies and Drones Rising Aviation Applied sciences Summit did.
In case you’re involved in much more images, try my Instagram and Fb pages.
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