about us

 

What is Space Prize?

Space Prize is a global contest to promote the advancement of women in STEAM, specifically in aerospace.

Mission

Catalyze innovation and accelerate a more hopeful future by stimulating curiosity and inspiring young women to pursue careers that benefit themselves and humanity.

Vision

A more balanced representation of leaders in the space industry, where talent is matched with opportunity.

"Human spaceflight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women."

— cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina made history as the first woman in space. In 1963, she piloted the Vostok 6 spacecraft around Earth, alone, orbiting our planet for 48 hours.

Meet the Team

  • Roman Chiporukha

    CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    “I am passionate about this project because…”

    Roman Chiporukha is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Roman & Erica, Inc, a lifestyle management and luxury travel firm with decades of experience and offices located in New York, Aspen, Miami and Rio De Janeiro. An exclusive membership-based firm, Roman & Erica combine the services of a respected concierge, luxury travel consultant, and top-level personal assistant.

    Guided by the mantra that one’s leisure time is your only non-renewable asset, Roman, who previously worked with hospitality companies and the ultrawealthy for more than two decades, and his team succeed in delivering seamlessness to the travel and lifestyle needs of their esteemed clientele.

    Roman has been involved in private astronaut initiatives since 2018 and his direct efforts led to the purchase of one of only three private astronaut tickets for Axiom Space’s 10 day mission to the International Space Station scheduled for January, 2022, making the Ax1 mission possible.

    Roman lives in NYC with his wife and two children, and is passionately dedicated to the advancement of humanity’s unity in space exploration.

  • Eddie Miller

    CO-FOUNDER & CSO

    “I am passionate about this project because…”

    Serial entrepreneur Eddie Miller is the founder and CEO of WeSell.com, a disruptive commercial real estate technology firm. For 15+ years, Miller and the WeSell team have built and operated over 150+ digital first enterprises.

    Miller began his career ticketizing the nightlife industry at the beginning of the century, creating and building out infrastructure which powered tens of thousands of events, holiday celebrations, and pub crawls. As founder of NewYearsEve.com and PubCrawls.com, he is no stranger to creating marketplaces for tickets. Why not tickets to the Moon or Mars?

    Miller is a prolific participant in the burgeoning legal Cannabis Industry in the United States, with three dozen category-defining companies including GreenRush.com and Toast. Miller is also considered a cannabis industry pioneer, through his many efforts to digitize the market.

    He has also contributed to several national media outlets such as Forbes, Techcrunch, USA Today, and ABC. With multiple successful exits under his belt, another burgeoning vanguard opened up. Selling tickets to space was a frontier he could not resist.

    We are creating the first transparent marketplace for space experiences. In 2020, it sounded crazy! Now, with rocket launches happening 3 - 4 times a week globally, Miller and team believe they are positioned to guide the creation of the private space travel market.

  • Susanne Moore

    CO-FOUNDER & COO

    “I am passionate about this project because…”

    Prior to co-founding SpaceVIP, Susanne Moore worked in hedge fund and real estate investment, real estate development, and family office management. Susanne believes that the New Space Industry and space-based technologies are uniquely positioned to advance health, education, and economic development on Earth over the next several decades.

    Susanne has an undergraduate Degree from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Susanne currently lives in NYC.

  • Sabina Vakhovsky

    CHIEF BRAND OFFICER

    “I am passionate about this project because…”

    Sabina Vakhovsky is the owner and lead designer of the design firm Sabina V. The firm is a one stop shop for all branding and design-build needs specializing in a wide range of design including Architecture and Interior design, furniture, logo, infographic and web design.

    Sabina is also an artist and avid traveler, which translates into her evergrowing designs and process. She has long term experience in painting, ceramics and sculpting, and furniture design & build. In her current pursuits, she is studying to become a contractor so she can have a more hands on approach to her build outs, which she looks at as works of art.

    Sabina has always been a fan of the exploration of space. Nature is the best designer there is, and we mimic it in everything we build. Helicopters resemble dragonflies, planes resemble birds, etc. She has always wanted to participate in the development of space vehicles and further exploration of nature and the beyond.