Colonel Ron Garan, a retired NASA astronaut, fighter pilot, and test pilot, has significantly contributed to both space exploration and humanitarian efforts. He is also recognized as a social entrepreneur.

Garan has accumulated 178 days in space, traveling over 71 million miles across 2,842 orbits of Earth. His extensive experience includes flights on both the US Space Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as well as completing four spacewalks. Beyond his space missions, Garan spent 18 continuous days living and working on the ocean floor during the joint NASA-NOAA, NEEMO-9 mission at the Aquarius undersea research lab.

After his space career, Garan was involved with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where he led the Unity Node project. This initiative aimed to develop a universal, open-source, collaborative platform to enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian organizations globally. In 2007, he co-founded Manna Energy Ltd., which was the first organization in the world to register a United Nations Clean Development Mechanism carbon credit program for water treatment.

Garan's commitment to leveraging technology and collaboration for global betterment is further evidenced by his role at Manna Energy Ltd. He continues to advise the Social Business movement, aiming to foster technological and entrepreneurial solutions to environmental and social issues. His book, "The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles," published by Berrett-Koehler, underscores his vision and experiences that advocate for a cooperative approach towards a sustainable planet.

Currently, Ron Garan holds the position of Co-President and Chief Pilot for World View Inc., a pioneering company in high altitude and space technologies. This role underscores his ongoing commitment to exploring innovative mechanisms for viewing and solving the problems facing our world today from an orbital perspective.

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