Michelle “MACE” Curran

Michelle, also known as MACE, led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Upon joining this high performing team, she rapidly discovered the best part was not the flying, but the opportunity to inspire others. Michelle was only the 2nd woman to fly as the Lead Solo in the Thunderbird demonstration since the team’s creation in 1953. She realized this put her in a unique position to empower others. Drawing on over a decade in high-performance aviation and her own transformation, Mace teaches audiences what they are capable of when they let go of fear, lean into vulnerability, and make bold choices. Mace shares her struggles with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and finding her identity in a high-performance, type-A culture. Her evolution from struggling with a crippling fear of failure to flying inverted only inches from other aircraft at 500 mph will inspire audiences to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Let her share her stories of unbelievable flying, facing fears, and unwavering trust with your team. Michelle will bring real world experience and inspiration to your organization.

“I have gotten so many emails or people stopping me to thank me for bringing you to campus, they LOVED it... amazingly well received, I am so happy about that since you were a departure from the speakers we usually have. ”  Microsoft CELA Team