Local to Global an Interview with Entrepreneur Ricky Mason

Episode 23: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Ricky Mason, an entrepreneur who is earning a lot of visibility these days. From a stint with the CIA, to working on actual rockets to launching a new company, Ricky is making an impact on many in his orbit.

Meet Ricky Mason

Omar and Ricky met at an International Trade Certification course, sponsored by the WTCKY. Ricky later participated in the 2024 Trade Mission to Dubai.

Ricky grew up in Louisville. He attended the University of Kentucky. He earned his Master’s degree at Johns Hopkins. Ricky spend time working for the Department of Defense as a weapons test engineer. He transitioned to a role at Cape Canaveral and helped to launch rockets. After a period of time, he took a role as a computer engineer for the CIA.

Ricky eventually returned to the University of Kentucky and after speaking with the dean, he was able to leverage his experiences in a role that involved developing agriculture-related tech, including drone technology, applications involving the Internet-of-Things (IOT) and more. One of his projects benefits soybean producers.

Recently, he returned to Louisville to develop and launch a new company, BrainSTEM University. This concept is meant to create a pipeline for students interested in pursuing STEM-careers.

Ricky shares that while growing up, he didn’t have a mentor to encourage him to focus his abilities on STEM. BrainSTEM University provides schools and non-profits with a high-quality curriculum to help get students on a track toward a STEM-related career.

To Learn More:

Website: http://www.brainstemu.com/

Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

· 05/06/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape: US-Canada Commercial Relations in a Changing World

· 09/15-24/25 – Discover Ireland Trade Mission

· 10/13-19/25 – Trade Mission to Dubai 2025

· 11/11-13/25 – International Trade Certification Program

The next episode of our podcast will launch on 05/12/25. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

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