Space Advocates is a non-profit organization dedicated to building public enthusiasm for space exploration through education and creative outreach.
Our story began in 2011, when a simple idea went viral. A video synced to the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson asked a straightforward question: what would the future look like if NASA received just one penny of every taxpayer dollar. The Penny4NASA campaign struck a nerve. It spread across social media, galvanized space enthusiasts across the country, and demonstrated something important – that public passion for space exploration could be moved not just by policy, but by creativity and communication.
Years later, the original volunteers who helped build that campaign found ourselves with the opportunity to carry that spirit forward in a more formal way. Space Advocates was born in that moment.
We are not engineers or astronauts. We are people who believe that the most important thing standing between humanity and a future in space is not technology or funding alone. It is imagination, and the people who cultivate it. Teachers who make a fourth grader look up. Communicators who make the cosmos feel personal. The kid who hasn’t yet decided whether science belongs to them.
That is who we work for.
Our inaugural program award micro-grants to K-8 classroom teachers across the United States to support space-themed curriculum, projects, and learning experiences. Because the future of space exploration will be built by people who were first inspired by it in the classroom.
We encourage you to stay tuned and to support us as we continue our journey inspiring those who will build the future of space exploration.
Our Volunteers
John Zeller
A software engineer and technology leader with over a decade of experience across startups spanning cloud observability and fintech. He has led engineering teams and built scalable systems, most recently consulting on data infrastructure and analytics platforms. He serves as the chapter head for Out in Tech PDX, a global LGBTQ+ tech community, and co founded Space Advocates in 2012, supporting science and space policy initiatives including the Penny4NASA campaign.
Kyle Sullivan
A director and camera operator in the world of film and television, working on projects with A24, Magnolia Pictures, and Outdoor Channel, along with a variety of independent features and has traveled as far as Antarctica for wildlife footage. He has also contributed to science and space advocacy efforts, including Space Advocates’ Penny4NASA campaign and the #saveJWST movement, which brought national attention to the funding challenges facing the James Webb Space Telescope.
Trevor Waddell
A public policy and nonprofit professional with 15+ years of experience across aerospace, consulting, and small business sectors. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Policy from Oregon State University, beginning his career at the Aerospace Industries Association, leading economic and policy research. He later worked in nonprofit consulting in DC, and co-founded two small businesses with his wife. He’s long been involved in space advocacy, including the Penny4NASA campaign and ongoing leadership with Space Advocates.
Space Advocates 