Rod has created and offered executive leadership and innovation training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, corporations and non-profit organizations. Programs are based on his book "Innovation the NASA Way" (McGraw-Hill), which has been published in English, Japanese and Mandarin. Engagements are tailored to your specific organization's needs. Hands-on, customized breakout sessions are also available. Call or write for more information.
SPEAKING & TRAINING
"Rod Pyle added tremendous value through his presentations at the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Los Angeles. The audience enjoyed and appreciated his expertise and insights to both
the existing and future space industry, which coupled with his books, provide a well-rounded view on where we’ve been as space explorers, and where we’re going.
• David Knight, Chair, Space and Media
The National Space Society ISDC Global Conference
"I attended Rod Pyle's talk at Spacefest 2014 in Pasadena. He's a seasoned speaker for lay audiences, and
his talk about current space coverage in the media was informal, insightful, informative and candid. Rod
knows the territory--as a prolific space journalist, author and commentator he's earned great respect and
more than a few laughs from his listeners. "
• David Clow
Project Management and Content Strategy
"Brilliant, insightful and honest."
• Dr. Petra Philips
Physicist, NASA Langley Research Center
Rod's book "Innovation the NASA Way" has received powerful reviews and generated dozens of media appearances including PBS, WGN, KFI, the Washington Post, WSJ, WIRED and NPR. “Leadership Lessons from Mission Control” will premiere in 2015, examining the taut leadership systems used by NASA for the Apollo moon landings, the space shuttle and the Mars rovers. Other books include "Curiosity: An Inside Look at the Mars Rover Mission" (Random House, 2014), which was selected by The Guardian as a July 2014 Science & Tech Book of the Month. "Destination Mars" (Prometheus, 2012) was a Scientific American Book Club selection and was hailed by The Washington Post as “The best recent guide to Mars exploration.” Other notable credits and dozens of positive reviews are available upon request.
Presentations for 2019 include:
• CreateInnovation week in Des Moines, IA, March.
• Space Tech Expo, May.
• International Space Development Conference in Washington, D.C., June.
• IEEE Conference, November.
Rod was the keynote speaker at the “2014 Solver’s Symposium” for Nalco-Champion/Ecolab in Houston, TX, speaking on innovation leadership. He spent a decade as a visiting professor at the University of La Verne and other top educational institutions. His speaking style has been frequently praised as "impassioned," "boundlessly optimistic" and "authoritative and inspiring."
Rod has received endorsements and recognition from the outgoing Deputy Director of NASA, Johnson Space Center's Chief Knowledge Officer, the President and CEO of Conoco-Philips, the Vice President of Research and Development for Nalco-Champion/Ecolab, and numerous other C-suite executives from both the private and public sector.
Rod has a Master's Degree from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design. He studied astronomy and geology at UCLA, and worked in public outreach at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Video excerpts, PowerPoint samples and client testimonials available upon request.
Programs for 2019 include:
• Black Sky Thinking: How some of the unlikeliest programs can attain the greatest results." Based on"Amazing Stories of the Space Age" and
"Interplanetary Robots."
• "Innovation the NASA Way: Bringing the power
of NASA's greatest innovations to your organiza tion." NASA is the worlds most respected
and admired "brand," and much of that came from
the accomplishments of the space age. We will
examine some of the greatest innovative
breakthroughs, and the teams and methodologies
behind them, in this seminar. Available as a single
keynote or multiple sessions.
Rod designed and wrote the Apollo Leadership
Development Experience in association with The
Conference Board and NASA's Johnson Space
Center. He co-facilitated these programs for C-suite
executives from Fortune 100 companies as well as
corporate training professionals, and has been
praised for passionate enthusiasm, strong
engagement and broad expertise from business
leaders and senior NASA executives.
JEANIE ENGLE, Chief Knowledge Officer,
Johnson Space Center, NASA
"I had the pleasure of working with Rod in the development of a unique experiential training program based on NASA's Apollo Program leadership lessons. Rod brought extensive knowledge of the Apollo program, both historical and technical aspects, as well as an engaging presentation style that created a relaxed learning environment for all participants. The participants in this training program are CEO and executives in Fortune 500 companies, all well versed in the leadership methodologies. Through his innovative and creative sessions, the participants interacted enthusiastically throughout the event. Rod brings that rare combination of knowledge and outstanding presentation skill to provide his audience an excellent event."
DAVID HORSUP, Vice President Research & Development - Nalco Energy Services at Ecolab
"Rod was hired as the keynote speaker at our annual Solver Symposium, a technical forum for our global scientists where they collaborate to solve real technical challenges in their work. Rod presented on the key qualities that embodied NASA's successful space program based on his recent book 'Innovation the NASA Way'. His comprehensive knowledge of the content, infectious style, high-quality audiovisuals and passion for space exploration made this a gripping and highly informative session. Rod followed this up with specific workshops where he challenged the team to build their own version of a Mars lander that could survive the impact of a rendezvous with the Red Planet. This stretched the team to think and act differently which tied into the overall theme for this two-day event.
I would highly recommend Rod if you are looking for a high-energy, creative speaker who's passion is infectious.
Rod's book 'Innovation the NASA Way' is an excellent read. It is extremely well written and recounts the history of space exploration in a very real and candid style that puts the reader in the shoes of those pioneers that helped to shape the future of the human race."