Dr. Shawna Pandya is a highly sought-after speaker who captivates audiences with her passion for humanity’s resilience and potential to thrive in extreme conditions. Dedicated to advancing technological innovation and addressing humanity’s grandest challenges, Dr. Pandya combines her groundbreaking achievements with compelling storytelling to inspire and empower.
After transitioning from her career in neurosurgery, Dr. Pandya overcame profound self-doubt to embrace a renewed sense of purpose. Through her transformative journey, she delivers powerful talks on resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning, sharing insights from her unique experiences with Navy SEALs, sociopaths, martial artists, astronauts, and her own father.
In 2024, Dr. Pandya made history as Canada’s next named astronaut and the first named Canadian female commercial astronaut. She is set to fly with Virgin Galactic to conduct cutting-edge research in space-based biomedical and physiological science. Her journey to this milestone began in 2015 when she completed Scientist-Astronaut Candidate training with Project PoSSUM, becoming part of the first crew to test commercial spacesuits in zero gravity.
Dr. Pandya’s remarkable career also includes being named prime crew for Project Poseidon in 2016, an initiative aimed at advancing ocean and space exploration while setting a world record for “most days spent under the sea.” That same year, she was honored with the Global Women of Vision award.
Her talks not only highlight her accomplishments but also the mindset and physical preparation required for such extraordinary pursuits. A lifelong martial artist, Dr. Pandya holds a black belt in taekwondo and has trained in muay thai annually in Thailand since 2015.
Dr. Pandya’s engaging and inspiring presentations leave audiences motivated to embrace challenges, harness their inner strength, and pursue bold, world-changing goals. She is a speaker who brings both inspiration and actionable insights to every stage she graces.
Speaking topics
Level Up in 2025 with Shawna Pandya
Shawna Pandya shares powerful insights on how she Levels Up, drawing from her experiences in high-pressure, extreme, and dynamic environments. For instance, she overcame burnout after enduring 320 hours of emergency room shifts.
Key takeaways to help you Level Up in 2025:
- Focus on small changes to improve your well-being.
- Surround yourself with supportive people who offer honest feedback.
- Acknowledge your choices and decisions in every situation
On Success, Failure, Resilience & Pushing the Limits
Disruption is now the norm, challenging organizations to adapt to new realities. Dr. Shawna Pandya shares lessons from her experiences in simulated Mars missions, underwater space training, and as a physician during COVID, offering actionable insights on thriving in uncertainty.
Key takeaways:
- Excelling in high-pressure environments
- Effective leadership and teamwork strategies for challenging situations
- Overcoming setbacks and learning from failure
- Building and sustaining resilience
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Equality remains a work in progress. In this talk, Dr. Pandya draws from her experiences in medicine, technology, and space exploration to share valuable insights on building diverse, equitable teams that are not only designed to perform but to thrive.
Leadership Lessons
Leadership isn’t about being at the front and giving orders—it’s about stepping back, understanding your team deeply, and observing how dynamics unfold. Achieving goals requires collaboration, leveraging diverse roles, and combining focus, organization, decision-making, and unwavering commitment.
Education & STEM
The world is full of opportunities for those ready to contribute. In this talk, Dr. Pandya shares her journey across STEM fields—from space exploration and medicine to technology and entrepreneurship. Drawing on her diverse experiences, she offers valuable insights, lessons, and inspiration for leveraging innovation and pursuing impactful goals.
Brain Science & Emotional Intelligence
Leveraging her experiences in medicine, space exploration, Silicon Valley, and martial arts, Dr. Pandya highlights emotional intelligence as the glue that binds teams together—a vital element of nuanced leadership essential for fostering collaboration and achieving success.
Technology & Entrepreneurship
In a world evolving at an exponential pace, Dr. Pandya draws on her experiences as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and her time at Singularity University to explore emerging technologies and trends. She shares practical tools and exercises to inspire innovation, embrace disruption, and cultivate visionary thinking.
