13 MINWATCH THE FILM : Accept the challenge and work hard!
TEDxMaviliSquareSalon / TEDx TALKS
Accept the challenge and work hard!
A talk about ambition, persistence, and the work behind an extraordinary engineering journey.
LOAY ELBASYOUNI / KEYNOTES · IDEAS · CONVERSATIONS
Expand what
you believe
is possible.
Mars flight. Rocket engines. Electric mobility. A founder and engineer who brings extraordinary experience—and the courage to imagine what comes next—into the room.
Keynotes on innovation, engineering & Physical AI
A perspective shaped by real hardware, extraordinary challenges, and the courage to begin.
ON STAGE / NYU ABU DHABISELECTED AWARDS, PRESS & CONVERSATIONS
Inspiring ideas.
An extraordinary body of work.
Hear the engineer and founder behind the experience—in conversation, in the press, and on stage. A perspective shaped by Mars flight, ambitious teams, and the courage to begin.
2018 / MARS HELICOPTER TEAM
NASA Group Achievement Award
Recognizing the team that demonstrated helicopter flight was possible in Mars’s exceptionally thin atmosphere. Loay contributed electrical and power-electronics engineering to that effort.
Read NASA/JPL’s award recordON STAGE, ON AIR & IN PRINT
More press, podcasts & talksRECOGNITION BEHIND THE PERSPECTIVE
Explore all recognition
2025 / PERSONAL RECOGNITIONInclusive Excellence Award
Honored by the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering.
2021 / INGENUITY TEAMRobert J. Collier Trophy
An aerospace honor for the team behind the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
2025–2026 / ASTRAQUA RESEARCHNASA SBIR Phase I → II
From the 2025 AstraSense selection to a $1,274,990 Phase II contract announced in October 2026.
WATCH & LISTEN / SEE LOAY IN ACTION
An inspiring speaker.
In his own words.
Get a feel for Loay’s voice, ideas, and perspective before your next event. Watch the TEDx talk, meet the engineer in a minute, or settle into a deeper conversation.
Book Loay for your event13 MINWATCH THE FILM : Accept the challenge and work hard!
50 SECWATCH THE FILM : From UofL to Mars
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE / ENGINEERING INTERVIEW
From UofL to Mars
A short introduction to the engineer who helped make Mars flight possible.
Listen to the conversation.
ENGINEERING · INNOVATION · PHYSICAL AI
GSMA × IoT NOW / TRENDING TECH / 2026
From Mars to machines
38 MINWith Barbara Pareglio and host Jim Morrish: Physical AI, autonomous machines, and the connectivity that brings intelligence into the world.
Listen to the full episode (opens in a new tab) Episode details & listening options
ideaXme / WITH ANDREA MACDONALD / 2021
Building the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter
33 MINAn engineering conversation about Ingenuity’s electrical systems, the challenges of flight on Mars, and the people behind the breakthrough.
Episode details & listening optionsFOR YOUR NEXT EVENT
Bring these ideas
into your room.
Keynotes, fireside conversations, and podcasts for audiences ready to think bigger. Tell me about your event, your audience, and what you want them to take away.
Book Loay for your eventCONVERSATIONS WORTH HAVINGMaking the improbable possibleThe next chapter of Physical AIEngineering under real-world constraints
IN CONVERSATION / ON THE RECORD
Hear the story.
Feel the possibility.
Hear how Loay connects ambitious ideas with lived experience—from a first flight on Mars to the courage to keep building.
All interviews, talks & podcasts
LEXICON PODCAST / 2024
The journey behind NASA’s Mars Helicopter
A full-length conversation with Christopher McFadden about Loay’s path into engineering, Ingenuity, and the future of exploration.
Listen to the Lexicon episodeINTERVIEW / 2025
The case for fundamentals in an AI-first world
How lessons from efficient electrical systems connect Mars flight, rocket engines, and the next generation of computing. Publisher subscription may apply.
Read the interview
OUTLOOK / AUDIO / 2021
A space odyssey: the journey to Mars flight
Emily Webb speaks with Loay about the persistence and personal journey behind helping a helicopter fly on another planet. Original programme: “From Gaza to Nasa: A space odyssey.”
View the BBC programme
MAGAZINE APPEARANCE / SUMMER 2021
Featured in WIRED Middle East
Loay’s portrait and listing in the Summer 2021 issue, preserved in his archive. Opens the magazine contents pages; publisher artwork is display-only.
View the magazine appearanceFOR YOUR AUDIENCE / FROM LIVED EXPERIENCE
Make the impossible
feel actionable.
Loay brings the perspective of someone who has built flight hardware, led engineering teams, and started a company. His talks connect the extraordinary with decisions people can make in their own work.
Discuss your audience & event ↗01 / AMBITION & PERSISTENCE
From an improbable idea to a first flight.
What the journey to Mars teaches us about curiosity, persistence, and taking the next practical step when success is uncertain.
02 / INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP
Build boldly. Work within reality.
How teams turn hard limits into creative choices—and why testing, collaboration, and clear thinking make ambitious work possible.
03 / THE NEXT FRONTIER
Intelligence that leaves the screen.
A human introduction to Physical AI: what changes when intelligent systems move into aircraft, robots, and the world we share.
A FORMAT THAT FITS
Keynotes.
Real conversations.
Conference keynotes, fireside conversations, university events, engineering leadership sessions, and podcast interviews. Share your audience, date, location, and the ideas you want people to leave with.
Start a speaking conversation ↗Explore the detailed engineering record on loay.us ↗
PERSONAL NOTES / LOAY ELBASYOUNI
Ideas that travel
beyond the stage.
Personal reflections on learning, sharing knowledge, and the choices behind a life in engineering. Continue the conversation after the event.
Read the personal journalPUBLISHED ARTICLE / MARCH 2025
From Motorola to Intel, Black Stone to Black Rock
An earlier article on how technology companies respond to change, and the strategic choices that shape their future.
Read on Loay’s journalLooking for the deeper technical work? Explore AstraQua’s research & technical writing ↗
07 / FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT
Bring possibility
into the room.
For keynotes, fireside conversations, podcasts, and engineering or innovation events. Connect to discuss your audience and the conversation you want to create.
Get in touch
Start a conversation
For speaking, media, introductions, collaboration, or a thoughtful hello.
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Personal newsletter
Monthly personal notes
A monthly note on engineering, exploration, and what I’m learning along the way.
Stories behind the work, lessons from hard problems, and ideas to take into your own life.
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