Why We Go -- Leaving Our Beautiful Home and Exploring Outer Space: Will Pomerantz at TEDxPCC
Channel: TEDx Talks
Date: 2014-01-31

William Pomerantz is the Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Galactic. William's thrilling answer to the question, "Why is it worth it to explore outer space?" leaves every audience member with a zero-gravity buzz!

Will is a graduate from Harvard University, the NASA academy, and the International Space University. Some of the 'Special Projects' Will has worked on are the LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle and the use of SpaceShipTwo as a research platform, among others. Will is a Trustee of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), the world's largest student space organization. He is also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Operations & Support Technical Committee. From 2005 - 2011, he worked at the X Prize Foundation, the world-leading incentive prize organization. As Senior Director of Space Prizes, he served as the primary author and manager of the $30 million Google Lunar Prize and the $2 million Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander X CHALLENGE. Will has also worked at Harvard and Brown Universities, the Futron Corporation, and the United Nations.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)