Serial Space Entrepreneur and Investor, Chair Advisory Board and Partner, Seraphim Space
Candace Johnson began her career at the intersection of media, telecommunications, and space, where she rapidly emerged as one of the architects of Europe's commercial satellite sector. Her pioneering vision opened new markets and established operating models that fundamentally transformed how Europe and the world would access satellite services. As co-founder of SES ASTRA, she helped build the business model that made direct-to-home broadcasting accessible to millions, expanding educational and cultural access while strengthening the continent's digital infrastructure. As Chief Architect of SES Global, her foundational work established the template for private satellite operations that would be replicated globally.
Johnson's entrepreneurial drive continued through architecting SES Global and founding Loral-Teleport Europe, and Europe Online, each venture breaking new ground in satellite-enabled media distribution, broadband, and international teleport operations. Europe Online represented a particularly bold vision as the world's first Internet and satellite-based online service, anticipating the convergence of satellite and digital connectivity years before it became industry standard. She also founded Oceania Women's Network Satellite (OWNSAT) and served as a founding investor in the Kacific Satellite System, which today expands digital access to underserved communities in Southeast Asia and across the Pacific.
Her influence extended to pivotal early-stage ventures that reshaped the industry's architecture. Johnson played strategic roles in the early development of Iridium, supporting global mobile coverage at a time when reliable connectivity could not be taken for granted, and in International Launch Services (ILS), helping broaden launch access for commercial operators at a moment when the industry was rapidly evolving. These contributions came at critical inflection points, providing the strategic expertise and investment structuring that enabled these ventures to succeed.
Beyond founding companies, Johnson has been a sustained force for opening pathways to space entrepreneurship and investment. She served more than a decade on the Strategic Committee of Iris Capital and as President (now President Emeritus) of the European Business Angel Network (EBAN). She founded the VATM, the Association of Private Telecom Operators in Germany, and the Global Telecom Women's Network (GTWN), creating institutional frameworks that would support generations of entrepreneurs. Currently, she serves as Chair of Advisory Board and Partner of Seraphim Space Fund, Founding Vice Chair of NorthStar Earth and Space, Member of the Board of PLD Space, Member of the Board of Vusion Group and Vice Chair of the World Space Week Association and provides oversight as an independent member of the Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc Investment Committee.
Johnson's recent work addresses sustainability and social impact through NorthStar Earth and Space, tackling critical challenges of space situational awareness and environmental monitoring. She serves on numerous influential bodies, including the Saudi Space Agency Advisory Council, the Vice Chair of Institut EuropIA (the European Institute of Artificial Intelligence), Council Member of Singapore Space & Technology Think Tank and Vice Chair, World Satellite Week Association. She is Executive Board Member Emeritus of the International Chamber of Commerce and served as Vice-Chair of the B20 Task Force on Technology, Innovation and R&D for 2023.
Widely recognized as a trailblazer for women in the global space industry, Johnson has received the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation "Innovator" Award (2025), the Gold Medal of the European Institute of Merit (2025), and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the World Communication Awards, Women in Aerospace, The International Alliance of Women, and GTWN. She has been decorated by the Luxembourg Government with the Commander of the Order of Merit and Officer of the Oak Leaf Crown, and by the German Government with the Officer of the Federal Order of Merit. She holds an honorary doctorate from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a master's with honors from the Sorbonne and Stanford, and an undergraduate degree from Vassar College.
Candace Johnson's pioneering vision and sustained entrepreneurship established the foundations of Europe's commercial space sector and created pathways that enabled countless others to participate in the global space economy.
