The Conrad Foundation Launches Nationwide

Business Wire, August 1, 2008

Apollo 12 Astronaut "Pete" Conrad's Dream Becomes a Reality

SAN FRANCISCO -- In the sixth graph, second sentence the URL should read: www.conradfoundation.org (sted www.theconradfoundation.org)

The corrected release reads:

THE CONRAD FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE

Apollo 12 Astronaut "Pete" Conrad's Dream Becomes a Reality

Nancy Conrad, wife of the late Apollo 12 astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad, today announced the launch of the Conrad Foundation, a non-profit organization founded with the goal to energize and inspire high school students to create and bring to market commercial products using science and technology.

The Conrad Foundation partners with entrepreneurs, universities, businesses, and organizations within specific fields of study to select pioneering concepts that connect education and business.

"The Conrad Foundation is based on Pete's history of innovation and entrepreneurship," Nancy Conrad announced. "We believe that ultimately it will offer a platform to encourage students to explore entrepreneurship while creating innovative solutions to important issues that face our world - and their future."

At the heart of the foundation is the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award - an award where winning is just the beginning. The students create products based on their unique concepts, produce viable business plans, and are given an opportunity to move their ideas to market. This program will provide the students with the ability to network with global scientists, university professors, world business leaders, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.

"When Al Gore recently challenged America to convert to clean, renewable energy, he struck a chord within our Foundation," Conrad said. "If Al Gore's challenge can galvanize the nation to develop renewable energy, why not ask America's youth to answer the challenge? In our 2009 competition, we have invited our students to answer Al Gore's challenge," Conrad concluded.

Foundation programs are being finalized and will be announced Fall, 2008. More information may be found at www.conradfoundation.org. The Conrad Foundation is a non-profit, 501.c.3 organization.

About Charles "Pete" Conrad

Charles "Pete" Conrad was an extraordinary man whose accomplishments span the entire history of manned space flight from Project Mercury into the future. Pete flew NASA's Gemini V and Gemini XI programs in 1965 and 1966. In 1969, serving as Commander of Apollo XII, Pete became the third man to walk on the Moon. He concluded his career at NASA with the Skylab II mission in which his emergency spacewalk saved the entire station and earned him a Congressional Space Medal of Honor. After retiring from NASA in 1973 and McDonnell Douglas in 1996, Pete returned to space, no longer as an explorer, but as an entrepreneur. He was a key participant in the ventures that created the beginning of the commercial space industry. In 1999, Pete tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident. Since that time, his wife, Nancy Conrad, has been continuing Pete's legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship.

About Nancy Conrad

Ms. Conrad has had expertise as an entrepreneur, innovator and philanthropist and is a champion of space education and space commercialization. Her efforts have led her to create unique competitions that will propel the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians to consider the challenges of space travel in new and dynamic ways. Ms. Conrad is the coauthor of "Rocketman", a biography of her late husband and Apollo 12 astronaut, Pete Conrad. This book portrays the history of manned spaceflight as well as the very personal story of one man's journey to the moon and beyond. Her professional affiliations include the President's Circle of the National Academy of Sciences and member of the Explorer's Club.