Scott Parazynski
Dr. Scott Parazynski is an accomplished astronaut, physician, author, and tech CEO.
Why you should book Scott Parazynski for your next event
- His experiences, such as performing multiple spacewalks and leading a challenging mission, are truly remarkable, and he is skilled at sharing these experiences in an engaging and meaningful way.
- With an unique perspective on topics such as innovation, risk management, and leadership, allows him to connect with audiences from a variety of industries and backgrounds. He can bring a diverse range of insights and experiences to the table, making him a valuable addition to any event.
- Whether he's sharing stories about his time in space or discussing the latest developments in technology, he is sure to captivate and engage attendees. As a speaker, he can help to energize and motivate your audience, leaving them with a lasting impression of your event.
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly accomplished physician, astronaut, best-selling author, and tech CEO. He flew five Space Shuttle missions, conducted seven spacewalks, and climbed Mount Everest. He is a sought-after keynote speaker on topics such as innovation, risk management, and leadership under extreme adversity.
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Keynotes
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: Leadership under extreme adversity, on and off the planet
Scott has brought diverse teams together, challenging enormous odds on, well above and underneath the earth's surface. Drawing on his lessons learned from the harsh vacuum of space, the route to the summit of Everest, and within tense operating rooms and board rooms, he relates attributes of situationally appropriate leadership and company culture that have yielded enormous successes over many years. Punctuated by great storytelling, breathtaking imagery and a self deprecating good humor, his style is relatable and inspirational to all audiences!
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: Murphy's law on the final frontier: You'd better be prepared!
Dr. Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet.
He derives lessons from a wide range of spaceflight missions and mountaineering expeditions where in-depth preparation saved the day, and often much more. A focused approach to preparation for critical tasks leads to success, even if via unforseen "detours."
He derives lessons from a wide range of spaceflight missions and mountaineering expeditions where in-depth preparation saved the day, and often much more. A focused approach to preparation for critical tasks leads to success, even if via unforseen "detours."
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: The road less traveled: Finding your way towards really making a difference
Dr. Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet.
He derives lessons from an international upbringing in war-torn Beirut and Tehran, from those who inspired him to pursue his passions, and from "the view from the top of the planet," which he attained via rocket as well as on foot... As he says: "Life's greatest lessons come from outside the classroom" - based on the people we meet, the experiences we pursue, and having an openness to new challenges. Through perseverance, rigorous preparation and a willingness to fail every once and awhile, enormous rewards often ensue... He shares his path through life with stunning imagery, good humor and relatable anecdotes. Your employees will see their own pathways towards making a difference!
He derives lessons from an international upbringing in war-torn Beirut and Tehran, from those who inspired him to pursue his passions, and from "the view from the top of the planet," which he attained via rocket as well as on foot... As he says: "Life's greatest lessons come from outside the classroom" - based on the people we meet, the experiences we pursue, and having an openness to new challenges. Through perseverance, rigorous preparation and a willingness to fail every once and awhile, enormous rewards often ensue... He shares his path through life with stunning imagery, good humor and relatable anecdotes. Your employees will see their own pathways towards making a difference!
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: Managing risk vs. "taking risk."
Scott has zoomed down luge tracks at breakneck speeds, flown high performance supersonic aircraft, walked in space at considerable peril, summited Mount Everest after rupturing a lumbar disc on his first attempt, performed a scientific dive in the world's highest lake and faced myriad other technical challenges in the planet's most extreme environments - but he is no daredevil. He prepares for work in these challenging realms by exhaustive study, training, previsualization (of success as well as overcoming obstacles) and having a backup to the backup plan. Knowing how complex systems work and how they might fail is one of many skills in his toolkit, and his lessons learned are imminently relatable to all industries. An approachable storyteller, he warmly shares his experiences in a way that leaves audiences knowing they can translate them into their own lives.
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: The opportunity & the obligation to innovate
The Requisite Innovator's Mindset: Open-mindedness and the relentless hunt for problems that need to be fixed.
For a company to be truly disruptive and grow, it must create an environment wherein every employee is not only allowed to contribute to the advancement of the mission, they feel a deep-seated Obligation to Innovate. That's the kind of environment and work ethic Scott has spent a lifetime advancing: from developing tools and techniques to recover from the Space Shuttle Columbia accident to developing innovative medical devices and enhancing safety on the slopes of the world's highest mountains, he draws on his background working in extreme environments as a catalyst for innovation in daily life. He can transfer this mindset to your workforce with powerful examples from aerospace, medicine, mountaineering and everyday life with engaging, relatable stories and good humor!
For a company to be truly disruptive and grow, it must create an environment wherein every employee is not only allowed to contribute to the advancement of the mission, they feel a deep-seated Obligation to Innovate. That's the kind of environment and work ethic Scott has spent a lifetime advancing: from developing tools and techniques to recover from the Space Shuttle Columbia accident to developing innovative medical devices and enhancing safety on the slopes of the world's highest mountains, he draws on his background working in extreme environments as a catalyst for innovation in daily life. He can transfer this mindset to your workforce with powerful examples from aerospace, medicine, mountaineering and everyday life with engaging, relatable stories and good humor!
Keynote by Scott Parazynski: Tenacity redefined: Achieving the summit of Everest from space & on foot!
Scott first read of the early heroic and sometimes tragic conquests of Everest as a young boy, but it wasn't until he ogled it from 250 miles straight up - from the overhead windows of Space Shuttle Atlantis - that he really committed to getting there on foot one day. His path to the physical summit was zig-zagged but unwaivering. He tells his tales with self-deprecation and good humor, fighting back after a serious back injury high on the mountain to return the next year a half inch shorter but twice as committed...! This is an exciting and inspirational story of tenacity and teamwork that appeals to a wide range of corporate clients.
Scott Parazynski
Join Dr. Scott Parazynski on an incredible journey through space, medicine, and innovation
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, best-selling author (“The Sky Below”) and tech CEO. He is a widely sought after keynote speaker on innovation, risk management, mentorship and leadership under extreme adversity.
Scott has lived and traveled all over the world, spending many of his grade school years in places such as Senegal, Lebanon, Iran and Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard and in Denver for a career in emergency medicine and trauma. In 1992 he was selected to join NASA's Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn's crewmate and “personal physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.
In October 2007, Scott led the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and Space Station era's “Apollo 13 moment.” He was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016.
In addition to being a diver and accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a commercial, instrument, multi engine and seaplane-rated pilot. On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague set the first bootprints adjacent to the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
He is a prolific inventor/product developer, and serves on the Boards of several companies. He is Founder and CEO of Fluidity Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move through physical and virtual space. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer of Community Wellness, delivering state-of-the-art remote patient monitoring and wellness coaching to aging adults.
Scott has lived and traveled all over the world, spending many of his grade school years in places such as Senegal, Lebanon, Iran and Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard and in Denver for a career in emergency medicine and trauma. In 1992 he was selected to join NASA's Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn's crewmate and “personal physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.
In October 2007, Scott led the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and Space Station era's “Apollo 13 moment.” He was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016.
In addition to being a diver and accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a commercial, instrument, multi engine and seaplane-rated pilot. On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague set the first bootprints adjacent to the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
He is a prolific inventor/product developer, and serves on the Boards of several companies. He is Founder and CEO of Fluidity Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move through physical and virtual space. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer of Community Wellness, delivering state-of-the-art remote patient monitoring and wellness coaching to aging adults.
Scott Parazynski speaks about these topics
Scott Parazynski at TEDMED 2010
Watch Scott Parazynski in action
