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Kara Cunzeman
"The Multidisciplinary and Aeronautical and Astronautical engineering educational experiences gave me the tools for critical thinking and problem solving that is a key foundation to what I practice every day. Foresight is inherently multidisciplinary. I was taught it was not only okay to ask questions but to lean into my curiosity and see connections across disciplines. Those questions have allowed me to find and cultivate the leader within to do some pretty extraordinary things so far. Not being afraid to take on big questions has empowered me to not only thrive in the corporate workforce, but to also lead with boldness that enable much needed improvement and transformation for the nation. I have also demonstrated incredible grit as I understand most things don't come easy or happen on the first attempt... my engineering education taught me to never give up! I have taken risks because I know doing things different than the status quo is required to move ahead and build a better future."
Kara Cunzeman | Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering & Multidisciplinary Engineering
Director of Strategic Foresight, The Aerospace Corporation
Over the last seven years, Kara Cunzeman has helped lead, champion, and co-found the Strategic Foresight Directorate
within the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation. Rapidly ascending from senior project
leader to director, she currently heads up an "A team" of thinkers proactively and innovatively shaping the future
through approaches across strategy, acquisition, science, technology portfolio management, policy, and operations. Her
work is critical to the nation's ability to make sound strategic choices for space and broader U.S. leadership. She
spearheaded a year-long pilot program, Project North Star, facilitating more than 50 diverse voices across the nation to
systematically think about aspirational futures and assess possible options across a range of scenarios.
Kara's work has directly impacted national policy, reaching policymakers at the White House, senior officials in the
Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, and the Administration at NASA. Kara co-founded the Federal Foresight
Advocacy Alliance which aims to establish a U.S. Office of Foresight. Kara has also been an advocate for scaling futures
literacy across the U.S. in K-12, university, and in professional education programs. Cunzeman's office has served over
20 U.S. government offices, including the U.S. Space Force, NASA, and the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence. She is frequently invited as a guest speaker, has been featured on numerous podcasts, and authored a
variety of thought leadership pieces. Kara most recently authored the introduction to the Center for Space Policy and
Strategy's Space Agenda 2025, where she boldly messages the need for a national space futures strategy.
She is also a proclaimed Army TRADOC "Mad Scientist." In 2023, she designed and facilitated the entire opening program
for AIAA's flagship conference, illuminating diverse voices often not included in space discussions and interviewing
astronauts on the International Space Station in front of a live audience.