EMER-GEN® 2026 will launch on August 26 with a new series of challenges, presentations, and tabletop exercises designed to help shape the careers of emerging space professionals and students. Now in its ninth year, the program begins with three preparatory webinars before culminating in an in-person event on Maui, Hawaii, September 13–15.
Founded in 2018 by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), host of the AMOS Conference, in affiliation with the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), EMER-GEN brings together industry experts and rising talent for workshops, interactive tabletop exercises, and flash mentoring sessions. The program offers participants valuable insight into career pathways, leadership development, policy, and entrepreneurship across the space sector.
Tom Kubancik of Trusted Space has provided his expertise to the program since its inception as both a mentor and a program coordinator of the Innovation Challenge. “The EMER-GEN Innovation Challenge is my fountain of youth,” said Kubancik, when asked why he keeps coming back to support the program. “Working alongside wonderful program contributors and a cohort of brilliant minds inspires me and brings me both excitement and respect. This experience keeps me energized and positive about humanity and our future in space.”
“The specific challenges and topics within the program are shaped each year with the help of three young professionals,” said Annette Lynch, Program Director of MEDB. “Two representatives nominated by Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) are joined by one based in Hawaii to help keep the program fresh and relevant to our target audience.”
Tom Kubancik, Trusted Space, mentors the cohort during EMER-GEN 2025
SGAC representative, Nate McCoun is a Senior Space Systems Engineer with a.i. solutions and has attended EMER-GEN the past two years. He commented, “EMER-GEN gives young professionals and students a unique opportunity to engage with parts of the space industry they may not encounter early in their careers. From the Innovation Challenge to the policy game and cultural programming, the experience encourages delegates to think collaboratively, strategically, and with a broader sense of responsibility.”
The other SGAC representative, Vatasta Koul is a student at the Kyushu Institute of Technology and The Institute of Statistical Mathematics in Fukuoka, Japan. Koul will be presenting a paper at the AMOS Conference in addition to participating in EMER-GEN.
“Being on the Program Committee for my first EMER-GEN has been an amazing experience as I get to help build an environment where different disciplines of SSA naturally intersect,” said Koul. “For students and young professionals, EMER-GEN is a rare opportunity to step out of the classroom, test our ideas against actual industry challenges, learn from the professionals doing the work, and build a network that truly matters.”
Maui resident, Liliana Royer, an Application Engineer at Maui High Performance Computing Center, is building on her experience from EMER-GEN 2025. “By participating in the Program Committee, I’m hoping to become further immersed in the Maui research and space community,” shared Royer. “The community is tight knit and intimate, and I would love to become acquainted with everyone in it and the work that they do. I also get to familiarize myself with what it takes to plan an important professional event on a scale larger than anything I’ve done previously. It is a rare opportunity to get to contribute to something so impactful right at my front door.”
NETWORKING
One of the most valued features of EMER-GEN is the networking with opportunities to build lasting connections with peers and professionals in the space community.
“Personally, the networking opportunities have had a real impact on the direction of my career,” commented McCoun. “Having the chance to ask candid questions of experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds in an intimate setting is something I found incredibly valuable.”
Royer added, “Tackling problems with large teams of entirely new likeminded individuals, exercising creativity and innovation, and connecting with established mentors and peers are opportunities that aren’t always available. These opportunities cultivate the self-development that sets you apart and inspires you.”
EMER-GEN Delegates benefit from networking in social events as well as in structured sessions.
Liliana Royer (standing right) participating in Policy Game at EMER-GEN 2025
Nate McCoun (left) asks the question during the flash mentoring session, with mentor Heather Cowardin, NASA Johnson Space Center.
Learn more about the program and schedule at http://www.emer-gen.com.
The Space Generation Advisory Council is a global non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)3) organization and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals ages 18 to 35 to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the SGAC network of members, volunteers and alumni has grown to more than 13,000 members representing more than 150 countries.
The annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, a program of the Maui Economic Development Board, is the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to space domain awareness. The cross section of military, contractor, and academic participation fuels important dialogue and collaboration on a national and international scale.