WHAT IS THE MATTHEW ISAKOWITZ FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM?



The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program connects exceptional current college juniors, seniors, and graduate students with paid, summer internships in the exciting field of commercial spaceflight, as well as with notable aerospace leaders for mentorship. The summer culminates in a memorable networking summit.

Upon completing the summer internship, the Fellows remain among a group of alumni who have the opportunity to continue to network with this program, their Fellow peers, assigned mentors, and future Fellows, on the path to becoming future space icons.

WHAT IS COMMERCIAL SPACE?

Commercial space is broadly defined as activities in entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation that will enable new or dramatically improved products or services that do not depend solely on government cost-plus contracting to prove viable. In its most aspiring terms, commercial space promises to alter the space industry through new business models that will open up the space frontier.

WHAT DO FELLOWS RECEIVE?

The Matthew Isakowitz Fellows receive a paid summer internship, typically lasting 10-12 weeks, at one of the leading commercial spaceflight companies in our “host company” pool. Fellows are matched to a position that may include assignments in engineering designs, market studies, strategic planning, policy evaluation, and business analysis and development.

Prior to the beginning of the internship, each Fellow is paired with an experienced and notable commercial space industry leader for mentorship to make the best use of their time during the Program, in addition to receiving advice for their academic and future professional careers. These mentors include engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, company executives, astronauts, and many more who have contributed to the success of the space industry.

The summer culminates in a summit that brings together the current class of Matthew Isakowitz Fellows in a memorable and celebratory event, typically in Los Angeles. This summit allows the Fellows to network with one another, while also getting behind-the-scenes insights into companies and learning more about the latest developments in commercial spaceflight from top innovators in the field.





WHO INSPIRED THE PROGRAM?

The Program was created in memory of Matthew Isakowitz (1987–2017)—an engineer, entrepreneur, and extraordinary individual whose passion for commercial space exploration led to great strides in the industry and inspired all who knew him. The Program seeks to instill that same enthusiasm into the next generation of commercial spaceflight leaders by providing impactful career training to those who embody Matthew's drive for exploring our universe to help better humankind.

The structure of the Program is patterned on the prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. Inspired by the great success of the Brooke Owens program and with the full support of its founders, the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship uses a similar model but focuses specifically on the commercial spaceflight industry and expands eligibility to men and women who are soon-to-be college graduates or current grad students, with the goal of providing professional development to those who have narrowed their desired career path to the commercial space industry. We encourage you to learn more about the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program at brookeowensfellowship.org.





WHO RUNS THE PROGRAM?

The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program is led by members of Matthew's family and volunteer coordinators. We are partnered with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, whose over 70 members represent the top organizations in commercial space activities, and the Future Space Leaders Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit encouraging the career development of young space and satellite industry professionals.





HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PROGRAM?

Help by spreading the word to students who might be interested in applying! Make sure to follow the program on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (You can even click here for an auto-populated Tweet!)

You can make a tax-deductible financial contribution to support various aspects of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please click here to donate.

For further questions about how to get involved or promote the program at your university, please reach out via the contact form here.