photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: chelitha zugten from art of colors
charlotte pouwels(she/her)
founder at icee.space
about
when i was young, i wanted to become a professional dancer because i didn’t believe i was smart enough for space, nor where there any visible role models. my father taught me otherwise: you can achieve anything you commit to, if you are willing to work relentlessly for it. that mindset shaped my path. i became a physicist/space engineer, working across governance and industry on complex international space systems and missions. growing up with two entrepreneur parents, co-founding icee.space felt inevitable. i built it to accelerate science and remove boundaries that i faced. international, interdisciplinary, and open to all. i believe everyone has a role in advancing life on earth and expanding humanity responsibly beyond it.
why do you think is important that role models need to be visible?
with years of experience in physics and space, i am sometimes still asked if i am the intern or whether i can bring them a coffee (happy to do so 🙂 ). not out of bad intent, but often because many men in simply aren’t yet used to having women alongside them in those roles. that shows how much visibility still matters. you cannot become what you cannot see, and industries cannot evolve without exposure to different leadership models. seeing diverse perspectives, including those shaped by empathy, collaboration, and connection, helps teams align better, innovate more, and approach challenges from new angles.
icee.space
at icee.space, our space analog missions in extreme environments — demonstrate that operational excellence is built on multidisciplinary and diverse teams. the challenges we tackle, from developing inflatable lunar habitats to operating in extreme and isolated environments on earth, require a wide range of expertise, perspectives, and lived experiences. innovation at the frontier of space exploration does not happen in isolation. it thrives on inclusion. for us, diversity is not symbolic; it is mission-critical. – charlotte pouwels (co-founder of icee.space)