Liz Kennick has directed the Teachers in Space (TIS) program since 2011, initially as a project manager for the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF). In 2014 Liz and her management team incorporated TIS as an educational nonprofit organization in the state of New York.

A member of SFF’s Board from 2009-2013, Liz was previously Vice President of Client Technology at Morgan Stanley with a $2M annual budget for 1700 software users. She holds degrees in Information Systems / Operations Analysis, English, and Education and is certified as a Project Management Professional and as a Network Engineer. Liz is co-founder of NYC’s Software Process Improvement Network and has produced Yuri’s Night NY, a space-themed party for 200+ guests, annually since 2008, and TEDxMidTownNY, as space-themed speaker series, in 2010-2011.

Liz created the Space Frontier Foundation’s Business Plan Bootcamp for the 5 finalists in the foundation’s 2011 Business Plan Competition, and was a judge at the 2011 SEDS Student Business Plan Competition. She created Escape Guesthouse LLC, a boutique bed and breakfast in Brooklyn, New York in 2006 and sold it in 2013 for 3 times purchase price.

She has flown on ZeroG, experienced centrifuge and hypobaric chamber training, scuba dived to 70 feet, and climbed Cotopaxi, Earth’s highest extinct volcano. Liz is a frequent speaker on The Space Show, The Invisible World, Rotary Club and TEDx events, and at conferences such as NewSpace, SpaceVision, Project World and the International Space Development Conference (ISDC). Her 2014 TEDx presentation “Gimme Some Space!” can be seen at: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Space-adventures-get-real-Eliza