A Space Odyssey, or “an Interview with Dr. Niamh Shaw”

… and why she is involved in the ExHasta ICO

Dr. Niamh Shaw is an engineer, scientist and theatrical performer with eyes gazed at the stars. She wants to spark people’s confidence to dream big. For the past 10 years she has been merging the fields art and science in her plays. Her spectacles convey even the most complex concepts of aerospace and engineering with simple metaphors allowing people of all backgrounds to understand them. But, most of all, with her new project ExHasta, she wants to lead you into the art of making your dreams come true.

How are you helping in the ExHasta project?

I’ll be participating in the idea generation process, communications and team building activities at the summits. My mind is constantly craving new connections. Interacting and working with people who don’t come from my field of study allows me to see things with new eyes. Many times, the best concepts for projects emerge organ

Can you describe ExHasta with 1–2 sentences?

ExHasta wants to make the world a better place by empowering innovators and businesses of all calibres with new technologies. Our team develops high-tech solutions to global problems, also called Moonshots, and then distributes all the intellectual property to our platform users at a low cost. We hope that by allowing talented innovators to benefit from powerful IP, networking and training programs we can create a future to be proud of.

Share a short anecdote about yourself that had an impact on you, your values, and the motivations behind your work.

My motivations are focused on igniting people’s curiosity and making education available to everyone. In 2011, I realized that my life needed more meaning, and it was this single moment that set me on the path to where I am now. It was the search for meaning that redefined my perceptions of success and my work around that paradigm shift really set me free. It was the focus of a talk I gave at InspireFest 2017.

Share a bit about a project in which you have passionately worked in in the past. What did you enjoy the most about it?

Since 2011, I’ve been fascinated human space exploration. For my most recent theatre show, I wanted to represent the massive group collective needed to get one astronaut into space. I spent almost a year interviewing people who work in the space industry to figure out the best metaphor to represent the dynamics of their work, and the value they bring. What brings me the most joy is not so much achieving the end goal, but the process behind it. The reading, research and conversations I did to come up with the best way to represent these people and their work (it is a beehive by the way) is the most enjoyable for me.

What do you think is the most meaningful part of working for ExHasta?

That all projects are rooted in a strong motivation to effect positive change on the world and empower the under-represented.

What’s your biggest motivation to be a part of ExHasta?

My motivation starts by being surrounded by talented minds with a deep social conscience, that challenge me and inspire me. It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that wants to effect a genuine, positive impact on society. I’m proud to make an impact on developing new forms of learning platforms, available to everyone, focused on matching future technological and societal needs.

How do you think the future of humankind will look like in 2050? What role can ExHasta play in its becoming like that?

I don’t know what the future will be like in 2050, but I know what it could be like if we don’t effect change. If we aren’t able to create global positive impact and get powerful technology into the hands of innovators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, we could face crises such as dwindling water supplies, melting ice caps, rising global temperatures, food shortages with a concomitant rise in population.

When you think about the impact you may cause in the world, who do you think will benefit the most of it?

There are many technologies available that can alleviate many global problems but the problem is that such technology is concentrated in the hands of mega corporations and a small elite of wealthy individuals. ExHasta’s role is to decentralize innovation and arm as many innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies as possible with powerful IP and technology. Through that we aim to accelerate the rate at which we can collectively create change.

Anything else you want share? A brief statement in general maybe?

Elburz has gathered an extraordinary team and I am lucky to be part of it. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to meet bright minds from all over the world and work together to make the world a better place.

Want to join Dr. Shaw and the ExHasta platform? Then use your last chance to participate in the Presale of ExHasta ending 26th October 2017 at 19:00 UTC and enjoy a 30% discount on your EXH Tokens!

For more detailed information check out the ExHasta whitepaper or the ExHasta Website.