Carol Craig

Carol Craig is a pioneering entrepreneur and engineer in the aerospace industry. In 1999, she founded Craig Technical Consulting, Inc., an aerospace and defense manufacturing firm, and later spun off Sidus Space in 2012. Under her leadership, Sidus Space became the first female-founded space company to go public in 2021. The company recently launched its first 3D-printed, AI-enhanced satellite, part of the LizzieSat constellation, delivering innovative space-based data solutions.

Craig graduated from Knox College with a BA in computer science and a BS in computer science engineering from University of Illinois. She also has a MS degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is pursuing a PhD in Systems Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Craig is a former U.S. Navy flight officer and one of the first women eligible to fly in combat. She has served on over 30 boards that include educational, aerospace and defense industry and non-profit organizations. She is a sought-after speaker on topics such as innovation, performance, and inspired leadership.

Craig has received numerous awards and recognition from organizations such as the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, and the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, including the title of Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Florida and South Florida District and the National Defense Industrial Association's Kathleen P. Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year. She was the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and named by Forbes in their 2024 50 Over 50: Innovation list.

Craig is dedicated to giving back to her community through her support of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research and the Danny Craig Foundation as well as numerous organizations within Brevard County, Florida which help children and families.