One of the main missions of SGAC is to facilitate access to the world’s major space conferences for young professionals and students. The Space Generation Leadership Award enables outstanding SGAC members to attend the 23rd Space Generation Congress (SGC): 25-27 September 2025  and 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC): 29 September – 3 October 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

SGAC is proud to announce that five outstanding SGAC members have been selected to win the Space Generation Leadership Award for their relentless contribution towards the growth of the community. The SGLA Scholarship facilitates the attendance of international delegates who bring unique and insightful firsthand perspectives to the Space Generation Congress. 

Congratulations to all the winners!!

Maria Casanovas Crespo (Spain)

Maria Casanovas Crespo is an Aerospace Engineer with a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical and Space Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). Her background combines strong technical expertise with active engagement in the global space community.
In research, Maria has contributed to mission concept development and low-thrust trajectory design for small probes operating in the cislunar environment, focusing on optimized transfers from Low Earth Orbit to short-period orbits around the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L4. Professionally, she completed a Mission Analysis Engineering Internship where she worked on launcher trajectory optimization and supported system-level performance assessments. Since 2022, she has been part of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) as Knowledge and Technology Transfer Manager, evaluating the commercial potential of space technologies and contributing to ground testing activities within a European project aimed at developing a rocket engine testing facility. In mid-2025, she is set to begin a new role at SAB Space & Logistics as a Mission & Market Analyst, supporting the advancement of in-orbit servicing missions.

Maria has been actively involved in the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) since 2023. She currently serves as Co-Lead of the ACHIEVED Competition, an initiative under the Educational & Professional Development Platform (EPD) that fosters innovation in space sustainability, exploration, and applications. She was also honored to be selected as the SGC 2025 Delegates Team Lead, where she aims to foster a collaborative, inclusive, and engaging environment that empowers delegates and contributes to the success of SGC2025.

 “I am truly honoured to receive the Space Generation Leadership Award. From day one, I have loved being part of such an inspiring global community that has shaped both my professional journey and personal growth. My deepest gratitude goes to SGAC; words cannot fully express what this opportunity means to me.”

 Muongeni Tamara Manda (Zimbabwe)

 Muongeni is an environmental conservation and Geoinformatics graduate from Chinhoyi University of Technology currently working as a space analyst at The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability. Currently volunteering as Zimbabwe country chair at G100 Renewable Energy and Green Alternatives. She is the National Point of Contact for Zimbabwe at Space Generation Advisory Council. Muongeni has been nominated by the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency for the Italian Space Agency scholarship of supporting outstanding geospatial and space enthusiasts to attend the 75th International Astonautical Congress and 22nd Space Generation Congress in Milan, Italy. She has successfully led various research focused on the satellite and space industry promoting capacity building initiatives. Muongeni also published some of her work using Digital Earth Africa, namely monitoring water quality in Lake Chivero in Harare, Zimbabwe, and even orally presented this research at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan. This has led to direct policy actions by the Government of Zimbabwe. She participated in the Africa Earth Observation Challenge 2024 and was among the top ten finalists at the Kenya Innovation Week 25 to 29th November 2024 showcasing her work in monitoring carbon markets in Africa. Muongeni have organized the 7th and 8th African Space Generation Workshop, Our Giant Leap Hackathon 2023 and served as a local lead for NASA Space Apps Challenge.

“I am honored to be among the SGLA/Nebula winners to attend the SGC and IAC as an African. I believe this opportunity by SGAC will help me to continue supporting space activities in Africa as a National Point of Contact for Zimbabwe.”

Francesco Ventre (Italy)

Francesco Ventre is a dynamic space engineer with a strong focus on sales and business development. He currently works at ispace Europe—a leading lunar exploration company based in Luxembourg—where he supports market expansion efforts across the EMEA region.
He holds a BSc in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Naples “Federico II” and an MSc in Space Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. He is also an alumnus of the International Space University’s Space Studies Program (Class of 2021). Francesco began his professional journey in 2022 as Innovation Manager at Confindustria Brescia, the most prominent industrial cluster in northeastern Italy, where he helped shape innovation strategies for member companies.
Deeply passionate about celestial mechanics and the commercial space sector, Francesco is an active contributor to the international space community. Within the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), he serves as Co-Lead of the Commercial Space Project Group and National Point of Contact for Italy. In recognition of his leadership and dedication, he was awarded the European Space Generation Leadership Award in 2024. He has also played a key role in organizing numerous national and international space events.
An advocate for student engagement in aerospace, Francesco co-founded PoliSpace—the first space association at Politecnico di Milano—and SEDS Italy, the federation of Italian university space associations. He continues to serve on the advisory boards of both organizations. Additionally, he is a member of Women In Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) and the IAF Space Entrepreneurship and Investment Committee.

“ Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that count.”

Ayumi Tsuyuki (USA)

 Ayumi Tsuyuki is an Integration & Test engineer at Northrop Grumman supporting the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module of Gateway. She graduated from Duke University in 2024 with her degree in Biomedical Engineering on the Dean’s List with Distinction, and plans to return for her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering this fall at Columbia University. She has grown highly involved with the space community through her work in social media: she is the social media manager for the Future Space Leaders Foundation, led Communications for SGx2025, and is launching a campaign with Celestial Commons, a grassroots space policy group. In accordance with her passion for advancing human spaceflight, she is also on the engineering team for spacER, a startup aiming to launch the first emergency room module in space. In her free time, she loves to read and run.

“I am ecstatic to be provided with the opportunity to attend SGC, and so appreciative to the generous SGAC community for making my participation possible. I know that I will make incredible connections at SGC and I look forward to bringing back all the lessons of this incredibly international opportunity to the USA!”

Chioma Ezeigbo (Nigeria)

Chioma Ezeigbo is a lawyer currently working as a Trainee Associate at Streamsowers & Köhn, a leading law firm in Nigeria.
She is the National Point of Contact (NPoC) for the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) Nigeria, where she leads nationwide outreaches and international collaborations to engage young people in leveraging outer space for the benefit of humanity. Chioma has contributed to several SGAC events as an organising team member, including the 1st Space Generation (SG) Workshop in Nigeria, the 7th African Space Generation Workshop (AF-SGW) in Zimbabwe, and the 21st Space Generation Congress (SGC) in Azerbaijan.
During her tenure as the National Coordinator of the Moon Village Association (MVA) Nigeria, Chioma successfully organised the 2024 International Moon Day celebration across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, reaching over 400 young Nigerians with outreach programs focused on sustainable lunar exploration and global cooperation in space.
As the Founder and Pioneer President of the Space Club, University of Nigeria, Chioma championed space education among Nigerian students. She also made history as the first female President of the University of Nigeria Students’ Bar Association (UNSBA) in over 35 years of the Association’s existence. During her tenure as the UNSBA President, she executed several impactful initiatives, including the 1st UNSBA All African Universities Employability Summit.
With a growing interest in the intersection of law, business, and STEM, Chioma is passionate about building ventures that solve real-world problems and open up opportunities in the space, aviation, and legal sectors. She aspires to continue contributing meaningfully to the sustainable development of Africa.

“I am truly honoured to receive the Space Generation Leadership Award. It has been a privilege to contribute to SGAC over the years, and I am especially grateful to be part of this global community committed to advancing, through the creativity and collaboration of young people, the peaceful and inclusive use of outer space. Thank you, SGAC.”