Aisha Bowe (born November 4, 1986) is a Bahamian-American aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, space tourist, and STEM advocate. She is the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a tech company recognized on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list for its rapid growth, and also the founder of LINGO, an educational tech startup that offers hands-on learning kits and online tutorials, including collaborations with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace.
Raised in a working-class family in the United States, Bowe was initially advised by a high school counselor to pursue cosmetology. However, after enrolling at Washtenaw Community College and taking a math course at her father’s suggestion, she transitioned into engineering. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 2008 and a master’s in space systems engineering in 2009, both from the University of Michigan. Her interest in science fiction and mentorship from professor Thomas Zurbuchen led her to a career at NASA.
At NASA’s Ames Research Center, Bowe worked on developing algorithms for Air Traffic Management in the Flight and Fluid Mechanics group. In 2012, she received the National Society of Black Engineers’ award for Outstanding Technical Contribution for her research on fuel-efficient aircraft maneuvers. While at NASA, she also mentored students through the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Program.
Bowe has delivered international lectures through the U.S. State Department Speaker Program, visiting countries such as South Africa, Israel, and Kuwait. She is committed to inspiring more Bahamians to enter science and technology fields.
In 2024, she received several accolades, including STEM FOR HER’s Woman of the Year, Black Enterprise’s Luminary Award, and a spot on Essence Magazine’s POWER 40 list. In 2025, Bowe made history by flying on Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission, becoming the first Black woman confirmed to fly with the company and the sixth Black woman to cross the Kármán line into space. She flew alongside Gayle King, Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn on April 14, 2025. In a notable moment, Bowe shared that she once mentored a 13-year-old girl who now works as an aerospace engineer at Blue Origin on the very rocket she flew on.
Bowe also contributed to the development of space protocols in The Bahamas. In February 2025, she attended a special event hosted by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism following the landing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster off the coast of the Exumas.
She appeared at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, where Vice President Kamala Harris received the Chairman’s Award. Bowe is a certified Program Management Professional, an SSI scuba diver, and an avid mountain climber. Through her second company, LINGO, founded in 2022, she provides project-based learning kits for kids in over 10 countries. The kits teach coding and hardware design, with the first kit, In the Driver’s Seat, focusing on building a backup sensor for autonomous vehicles. The lessons are designed to be completed at each student’s own pace.
