The exclusive Women Leaders by the Circle boardroom luncheon, held in partnership with Dr Catherine Ball, brought together senior women leaders for an inspiring conversation with Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation. Drawing on her extraordinary journey as an entrepreneur, engineer and space explorer, Anousheh shared reflections on resilience, innovation, visionary leadership and breaking barriers.

The conversation explored Anousheh’s path from immigrating to the United States as a teenager to building a successful technology business and becoming the first female private space explorer and first Iranian in space. She reflected on the importance of bold ambition, perseverance, inclusion and creating opportunities for women and minorities, alongside her work at XPRIZE addressing some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

The luncheon provided a powerful forum for senior women leaders to exchange perspectives on leading through adversity, pursuing transformative ideas and using innovation to create meaningful impact.