Staff
Advisors 
Partners

Staff

Mike Simmons is wearing a green polo shirt and smiling in in this head and shoulders photo. There is plant and tree foliage in the background.

Mike Simmons
Founder and CEO

Mike has forty years’ experience leading and founding astronomy programs and organizations. He launched Astronomy for Equity as part of the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science outreach team. Read more… 

 

 

Inara Tabir
Development Officer

Inara is an influential figure within the space community, serving on various boards of prominent space organizations and working
towards making humanity a multiplanetary
spacefaring civilization. Read more… 

Advisors

 

Jeff BennettAstronomer and Author
A4E Advisor

Jeffrey holds a B.A. in Biophysics from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He specializes in mathematics and science education for audiences ranging from elementary school children to college faculty. Read more…

Astronomy for Equity. Former NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott is smiling and wearing a blue jumpsuit that has many patches on it including the American flag and NASA patches. She is standing in front of a blue-green background.

 

Nicole Stott – Astronaut and Artist
A4E Advisor

Nicole is an astronaut, aquanaut, artist, mom, and author of Back to Earth ~ What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It.  She combines the awe of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s role as crewmates on Spaceship Earth. Read more…

Astronomy for Equity. Frank White is smiling for this headshot portrait of him against a dark background. Frank is wearing a light blue collar shirt.

 

Frank White – Author
A4E Advisor

Frank has authored or coauthored numerous books on topics ranging from space exploration to climate change to artificial intelligence. His best-known work, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space exploration. Read more…

Nancy Atkinson – Science Journalist
A4E Advisor

Nancy is a science journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She has written for Universe Today for almost 20 years, and also writes for The Planetary Society and for Ad Astra, the magazine of the National Space Society. Read more…


Sina Bahram – Accessibility Expert
A4E Advisor

Sina is an accessibility consultant, researcher, speaker, and entrepreneur. He founded Prime Access Consulting (PAC) in 2012 to support building a more inclusive world. Read more…

William Bloomfield – Social Entrepreneur
A4E Advisor

Bill is the author and principal investigator/senior staff for dozens of applied research, evaluation, and program grants. His publications include social policy, school improvement, program/project management and implementation, and economic development. Read more…

Luci Prosapio – Social Impact Expert
A4E Advisor

Luci is a humanitarian, social justice advocate, and yogi who has spent the last decade in the human rights and international development fields.
Read more…


David Levy – Astronomer and Author
A4E Advisor

David is a Canadian astronomer and science writer who has co-discovered many comets including Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 in 1993, which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994. Read more…

Susan Murabana – Social Entrepreneur
A4E Advisor
Susan is CEO of The Traveling Telescope. She is also the President of the African Planetarium Society and serves on the board of the International Planetarium Society.
Read more…

Daniel “Chu” Owen – Producer
A4E Advisor
 Chu is the Chief Technical Director of The Traveling Telescope. He is a music producer, performer, photographer and artist and with ample experience in telescope operations and astrophotography.
Read more…

Scott Roberts – CEO, Explore Scientific
A4E Advisor
Scott is a designer and marketer of amateur astronomy equipment. He is also a supporter of educational outreach in astronomy and space exploration, and popularizer of amateur astronomy. 
Read more…

Partners

Atiyah Alhasadi – Astrophysicist
A4E Partner

Atiyah is an astrophysicist, cultural manager, and STEM blogger. He is the cofounder and CEO of Roaya for Astronomy and Space Applications Foundation. Atiyah is a social activist – for more than 10 years he led and participated in many projects related to humanitarian work. He advocates for children, women, immigrants, and refugees. Read more…