Cosmic Girls Foundation CEO and Founder Dr. Mindy Howard is making several dreams a reality, at once.

As a future astronaut, she’s fulfilling her lifelong career aspirations.

Through her Netherlands-based company, Inner Space Training, she’s training commercial space travelers to optimize this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As an author and speaker, she’s using what she’s learned, in training as an astronaut, to help her readers train for success. (Check out her book, Blast Off! Train Like an Astronaut for Success on Earth, as well as her TEDx Talk!)

But most of all, with her nonprofit Cosmic Girls Foundation, she’s empowering young women, globally, to pursue their dreams of a career in our future space economy.

World-class empowerment

Through their virtual community, Cosmic Girls Foundation provides girls, ages 14 through 19, with STEM education and a network that can pave the way for future careers as astronauts, aerospace engineers and astrophysicists.

With their free Cosmic Forum, they offer a virtual space for girls to connect over their shared interests in aerospace, astrophysics and related topics.

Mindy explains that the forum is a collaborative, rather than competitive, space, in which the girls help and guide one another by providing answers to such questions as, “What telescope should I buy (for) stargazing?”

“It’s almost like a sisterhood,” Mindy says, as she shares the surprisingly-mature insights she’s seen 15-year-olds sharing with their peers.

Members of the Cosmic Forum are also eligible for virtual training through Cosmic Girls’ worldwide program partners.

Skills learned can include virtual astronaut training, as offered by the new MMARS program; hands-on research, as listed in the Habitat Marte curriculum; and machine learning, listed by Womenovate.

However, like any space program, Cosmic Girls Foundation is reaching goals–then traveling beyond them.

Destination: spaceflight

Just recently, Cosmic Girls Foundation offered their 6 Girls 6 Continents Competition.

Recruiting girls from all over the world, they offered a chance for six finalists to receive astronaut training. The goal: one girl from each continent, gets to train.

And the grand-prize winner, funding permitting, will receive a free suborbital spaceflight!

Mindy says that, since the Foundation is still securing funding for the competition, they may soon re-open it to additional entrants. Here’s the link to watch, for updates!

Mindy talked about her journey as a space professional and future astronaut, shared the story of Cosmic Girls Foundation and offered a preview of what may be next!

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Mindy first discovered her dream of becoming an astronaut;

• Her journey to becoming an astronaut trainer and future astronaut;

• How her early training as a future astronaut led her to create her company, Inner Space Training;

• Her invitation to go to space!;

• Some of the programs of Cosmic Girls Foundation;

• An update on the 6 Girls 6 Continents Competition;

• How Cosmic Girls Foundation reaches out to girls from cultures where women are encouraged to “play small”;

• What Mindy finds especially inspiring about the girls’ communication with one another on the Cosmic Forum;

• What the finalists of the “6 Girls 6 Continents” competition will experience;

• Mindy’s vision for Cosmic Girls Foundation in 2026;

• The possibility of more STEAM-oriented opportunities, in the future, for more arts- and humanities-oriented participants;

• Her advice to anyone who’s pursuing a dream–space-related or not!