Chiara Chiesa, an adviser in international public relations and space technology commercialization transfer, spoke during our “Stellar Women in the Space Industry” panel at this month’s Amplifying Her Voice “In Moms We Trust” global summit, where she focused on the importance of creating opportunities and empowering the next generation—something she is uniquely positioned to accomplish.
Chiesa helps to infuse space technology into the commercial sector—connecting people, startups, companies, and institutions in aerospace and the commercial space sector. She is a PR expert and co-founder of INTERSTELLARS, a not-for-profit association focused on space tech transfer and dissemination linked to Sustainable Development Goals. Chiesa is also a sales adviser for Graphene-XT and PR adviser for several other startups, and serves as a mentor and role model for Space4Women, inspiring girls and women to pursue STEM and space careers. A TEDx speaker, she was also honored by the Million STEM campaign and listed by StartupItalia as one of 1,000 “Unstoppable Women” changing Italy through innovation.
Here, she shares her thoughts about empowering women to focus on both their families and careers, who has inspired her, the importance of relying on yourself and others, and more.
What inspired you to join Amplifying Her Voice for Mother’s Day?
An event where motherhood is welcome and understood is something I felt was missing. I hope to share with the world that being a mother is the most important role and challenge.
What most drives and motivates you each day?
The will to build a better present for youth.
Who is your role model, and why?
One of my role models is a character of Dune, Lady Jessica Atreides, the protagonist’s mother. She wisely leads her son, Paul Atreides, through difficulties to the final victory: the role of mothers in ancient Greece.
What cause, company, group, or movement are you a part of that you would like to share with us?
I am part of Space4Women Network mentors, an initiative by UNOOSA to inspire boys and girls to study STEM subjects and pursue a career in space, and I’m also part of NASA Space Apps Challenge, a global hackathon. I organize it for my city, Brescia.
What do you think are some of the most pressing issues facing moms, families, and caregivers today?
Work-life balance, quality time to dedicate to our kids—it always seems is not enough!
How do you think issues like poverty, violence, racism, oppression, and inequality intersect with motherhood and with being a woman?
Women are very often the victims suffering more of poverty, racism, oppression and inequality for many reasons. Even if we have access to equal education (and this happens only in a few countries) then comes the dilemma: to become a mother or to grow in a career. Choosing sometimes is not possible, and what happens is that you have to give up one or the other—or keep both, but this means that you need another woman to trust and leave your child to. Big families were designed to support this, but with the disgregation of society everything becomes difficult.
How do you feel being a mother is different now than it was in the past? What do you hope will change in the future?
In the working sector sometimes being a mother is seen as something that might prevent presence or consistency in duties. [You feel the need to hide this side of your life] and you know they will ask you “Are you planning to have children? Do you already have them?” I guess the best thing to do is to be brave enough to open a startup or work independently so you can manage your time. For the future, I hope for more family cohesion and support.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Look at future markets; leave old dead markets behind.
What is something you would like to share with the next generation?
Don’t be afraid to grow. You will become what you really are, and it will be a wonderful, unexpected journey.
Who inspired you as a child or young person, and how do you work to inspire the next generation now?
I got inspiration from my family members, my mother, my sister, my grandmothers. They were perfectly at ease with their role inside the family and I used to wish to have the same attitude. Today, I work to show the next generation that your passion never betrays you and to seek for the new, implementing it by drawing on your roots.
What do you think is the most important thing for women to keep in mind in terms of caring for themselves?
Learning to trust yourself: the most difficult thing to achieve.
What are your views on “work-life balance” for women? How should women handle the obligations of both professional and family life, and what messages does it send to the next generation?
Work-life balance for a woman is very hard, reachable only when the kids are grown, yet they will need our advice indefinitely. I think there should be a moment in the life of a woman when she could be sustained by the family and also by the government to stay with her child and grow him knowing that it will take some time to get back to work—but also knowing that she will have developed so many other valuable skills, with less anxiety for everyone involved, most of all for the child.
What advice would you like to share with girls and women looking to achieve their dreams and lift up one another?
For the few people who will want to stop you or drag you down, you will find hundreds ready to help. Never fear to ask, and you’ll be given help.
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We are inspired by the drive, curiosity, enthusiasm, expertise, and journey of Chiara Chiesa—as well as the other women on the “Stellar Women in the Space Industry” panel and all the amazing women who spoke at Amplifying Her Voice! We’ll keep sharing exciting initiatives, expert advice, and inspiring words from women around the world: from our “In Moms We Trust” summit, our upcoming “Stronger Together” summit, and more!
