As a Woman Entrepreneur Craig succeeded in a Male-dominated Industry serving as a Role Model
Entrepreneur Carol Craig will share her story that includes her passion for working in the aerospace industry when she is the featured speaker at the Junior Achievement (JA) National Convention on July 27, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Craig launched her first company in 1999, founding Craig Technologies that specializes in aerospace systems engineering and other services. In 2019 she founded Sidus Space, Inc., based in Cape Canaveral, Florida that is a NASDAQ listed Space and Defense-as-a-Service satellite company which she helms as CEO.
Craig’s career is an inspiration for JA’s young attendees, particularly as a woman entrepreneur who succeeded in a historically male dominated industry when she began her career almost 25 years ago. She is speaking as part of the Sidus Serves Initiative that promotes volunteerism, combining love of Space with the desire to “leave Earth better than we found it”. Her involvement in JA over the past 15 years includes serving as Board Chair, classroom volunteer, and speaker for the female-focused STEM initiative.
“At Sidus Space, we firmly believe that it is our responsibility to give back to our community and we are committed to providing opportunities for our neighbors and educating the next generation of leaders,” said Craig.
The Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility program supports four pillars that are foundational to Sidus’s strategic objectives: Educational and STEM-focused programs, Military and Veteran Affairs, Environmental Initiatives and Health & Human Services.
Anne Conroy-Baiter, President, of Junior Achievement of the Space Coast, recognizes the breadth and depth of Carol’s support of JA over the years, particularly noting her support during difficult times that have occurred in the aerospace industry and global economy. She was honored as an entrepreneur and for her range of work in 2015 when she was inducted into the JA Space Coast Business Hall of Fame as Laureate.
“During the downturn of the Space Coast economy, Carol helped stabilize the organization, and her ongoing and consistent support–more than $170,000 since 2008–has allowed JA Space Coast to thrive and grow into one of the most highly regarded nonprofits in the region, said Conroy-Baiter. “Her most important contribution, however, has been as a classroom volunteer. Despite her skyrocketing career, she is consistently one of the first people to answer a call for volunteers and has lent her talents to Be Entrepreneurial, JA-in-a-Days, and most recently JA GLOW: Women in STEM…”.
When Craig addresses the Junior Achievement audience she will speak to an upcoming generation about her success as an entrepreneur and a business executive. She will share how she accomplished so much, and for some, she may be a role model for their own dreams— absorbing the passion she has for entrepreneurship and the space industry.
