Welcome Edward, “Eddie”Gonzales
to the Beyond The Easy Podcast!
An avid music lover and sneakerhead, Edward Gonzales has built a life walking the walk from street smart to business-savvy, first at one of Los Angeles's prestigious law firms, then to "student-whisperer" at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working with interns and underserved, underrepresented populations. Now, as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's diversity, equity, and inclusion lead for Heliophysics, he brings his unique blend of experience to one of NASA's most prestigious missions. Edward has been honored by many NASA awards and recognition and has made it his personal mission to ensure that the agency's future workforce is more diverse and equitable than when he started his career there two decades ago. Having lost his father as a young teen, experienced police profiling and gang violence, he can relate to the struggles that many students face as they embark on their college and career journeys. He is eager to share that all paths to NASA aren't linear and emphasizes the critical importance of creating a workforce pipeline that starts in school, leading to an exciting current project called "Permission to Dream," collaborating with Christopher Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness) to present inspirational talks at one thousand highs schools across the United States. Edward is the consummate comeback kid -- all setbacks set you up for a comeback. “ Be sure to follow Eddie on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/eddiefromnasa and also check out how HE found HIS unique STAR here: https://www.greenbeltonline.org/shayna-and-eddies-covid-times-wedding/ Want to help the climate? Cool! Here on Earth: Check out what Mrs. Gonzales is doing aside from her corporate office: https://www.climatewarriorcollective.com
