Nathalia Holt

New York Times bestselling author Nathalia Holt enthuses audiences with her inspiring narratives of women who have defied the odds, broken barriers, and made history. The moving stories of the trailblazing women of NASA, the pioneers of the Walt Disney Company, and the spies who built the CIA, shed light on the greater role of women in our society, and their heavy influence on the technology and culture that surrounds us today.

Holt, who holds a Ph.D., has written for numerous publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, PBS, and Time. She smoothly blends topics of science, technology, politics, space exploration, and animation into her talks, which can be adapted for a wide variety of audiences. Her books, Cured, Rise of the Rocket Girls, and The Queens of Animation, all tell the true stories of breakthrough innovation coming from unexpected sources. Her newest book, Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, tells the story of a group of female officers who played a vital role during the treacherous cold war era, forming a lasting alliance with Ukraine while fiercely protecting national security. Nathalia Holt leaves audiences feeling they can accomplish any task that lies ahead.

Holt is a former fellow at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard University. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Pacific Grove, CA.