In this episode, we're joined by Colleen McLeod Garner, Marketing and BD Capture Manager at Paragon Space Development Corporation and a University of North Dakota PhD candidate. Colleen walks us down her unconventional path from the wine and spirits industry into the space sector, sharing how her graduate studies at the Thunderbird School of Global Management fueled her curiosity of space business and policy. Grab a drink and settle in to talk astronaut psychology, AI bartenders, and following your passions!

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Where to find Colleen:

Linkedin

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

We’re joined by Dr. Erika Wagner, Lead of U.S. Business Development at The Exploration Company. Erika walks us through her journey from a space-obsessed kid to earning her PhD at Harvard/MIT and helping lead the MIT Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program. She shares how her career has evolved through innovation work at the XPRIZE Foundation and more than a decade at Blue Origin, where she supported research payloads and emerging commercial space markets. Erika also talks about her newest chapter at The Exploration Company, her passion for expanding access to space, and the role mentorship and representation have played throughout her career.

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Where to Find Erika:

Linkedin
The Exploration Company

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

We're joined by Sirisha Bandla, commercial astronaut, aeronautical engineer, and advocate for the next generation of space professionals. Sirisha walks us through following her dream of going to space from earning her degree at Purdue University, persevering through early career rejections, to finally launching to space with Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 mission. She also talks through navigating life after achieving your dream, and her newest endeavor, her own podcast, Star Tales & Cocktails, with co-host Jackie Cortese.

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Where to find Sirisha:

Instagram
Linkedin
Star Tales & Cocktails Podcast

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Shawn is joined by Amber McIntyre, Senior Director of Civil Space at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Amber shares her journey from a career in diplomacy and public service to shaping U.S. and international space policy at NASA, the State Department, and the White House. She discusses her work on the Artemis Accords, the importance of collaboration across agencies and nations, and how space exploration represents the best of humankind.

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Sharon Caples McDougle shares her journey from the U.S. Air Force to becoming the first Black woman suit technician, Crew Chief, and Manager in NASA’s Crew Escape Equipment department. She opens up about suiting up Dr. Mae Jemison for her historic 1992 mission, leading the first all-female suit tech crew, and breaking barriers throughout her career.

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Where to find Sharon:

Instagram
Linkedin
Facebook
TikTok
Youtube
Twitter
Sharon's Website
The Wise Channel

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

CEO of Stellar Solutions and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Janet Grondin shares her path from small-town Iowa to leading a woman-owned small business. She reflects on pivotal moments such as growing up watching her father build a plane in their shed, her early work on the Delta rockets and GPS modernization, and her transition to industry.

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Where to find Janet:

LinkedIn
Stellar Solutions

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Caroline Massey, Vice President, Civil Space Portfolio, at PTX, LLC, shares her 30+ year journey from portfolio management at NASA Goddard and Wallops to shaping civil space operations in the private sector. Caroline breaks down the business of space, explaining how contracts and partnerships drive NASA’s missions, why recompetes matter, and the evolution of the space industry's ecosystem.

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Astrophysicist and University of Arizona professor Dr. Erika Hamden joins Shawn to talk about her lifelong passion for space, her path from Harvard and Columbia to leading cutting-edge telescope missions, and why resilience is key in science. She shares stories from balloon-powered telescope missions like Fireball, her upcoming NASA Pioneer mission Aspera, and her work training the next generation of scientists. Erika also discusses science funding challenges, the every day impact of space research, and her science communication efforts from hosting AZPM’s New Frontiers to her new book, Weird Universe.

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Where to find Erika:

Instagram
TikTok
www.ehamden.org/

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Hosted by Shawn Linam
Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz

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Supported by Qwaltec

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Find In Her Orbit on:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook