Revolutionizing Outdated Space Tech

Northwood is a space startup that wants to build ground stations which can talk to satellites, and can be scaled fast - in a matter of days. Northwood CEO Bridgit Mendler joins Ed Ludlow and Caroline Hyde for a special edition of "Bloomberg Technology."
--------
Like this video? Subscribe to Bloomberg Technology on KZbin:
/ @bloombergtechnology

Watch the latest full episodes of "Bloomberg Technology" with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow here:
• Bloomberg Technology W...

Get the latest in tech from Silicon Valley and around the world here:
www.bloomberg....
Connect with us on...
X: / technology
Facebook: / bloombergtechnology
Instagram: / bloombergbusiness

Follow Ed Ludlow on X here: / edludlow
Follow Caroline Hyde on X here: / carolinehydetv

Listen to the daily Bloomberg Technology podcast here:
www.bloomberg....

More from Bloomberg Business
Connect with us on...
X: / business
Facebook: / bloombergbusiness
Instagram: / bloombergbusiness
LinkedIn: / bloomberg-news
TikTok: / bloombergbusiness

[@k_n_c_y]

The best Disney/child star trajectory I’ve ever seen 💀🙏🏾

[@Fl0k5ser]

The fact that she is starting her own company makes the ending of Good Luck Charlie even better. The show ends with Teddy going to college and just imagine this as what Teddy is doing right now

[@aamirrazak3467]

@@k_n_c_y talk about a heck of a glow up

[@JunaithRehaan]

@@Fl0k5ser So true. One of THE best shows I've seen. The show couldn't have ended perfectly. It's surreal!

[@designthedays]

From Disney to being a Space company CEO. What a boss! 😎🔥

[@Ryanlexz]

@@designthedays nepotism that why

[@unsaturated8482]

She's unclear on what her company does. Or atleast she isn't telling the whole story.

[@hwago123]

@@Ryanlexzshe comes from wealth?

[@watchonjar]

lol this does not fill me with confidence in her company lmao, it seems like her husband is the real brains behind this and she is just the face to get media attention seeing as she has no experience or education in engineering.

[@MSkp4wo]

what she's doing with this "space company" what so many celebs do with beauty brands-- she's just a figurehead

[@Celebirteas]

I don’t understand a word she’s saying but I’m glad she’s doing well

[@iloveamerica64]

Lol I feel like an idiot

[@willowfarmer6550]

Basically she is trying to modernize/optimzie our ability to communicate via satellites via antennas, from top to bottom. Everything from manufacturing and sourcing materials, all the way to the accessibility of antennas locations

[@dYstop1a_]

@@willowfarmer6550 does that mean we can have fewer satelites leading to lesser space debris in the long run?

[@mustang8206]

It's a bunch of corporate jargon

[@erickmazadiego806]

@@dYstop1a_Basically she wants to overhaul outdated ground infrastructure to make communication with satellites more efficient and reliable. They’re not sending satellites, they’re changing ground antennas so to speak. This doesn’t necessarily mean less satellites, it could but I don’t think that’s the play.

[@LexiChannel]

That’s real life Barbie right there.

[@ciara7172]

Fr

[@NoahAI-kw4nn]

No.😂 she is not the owner.

[@aleki_x]

​@@NoahAI-kw4nn Barbie has many different careers, not different companys...

[@NoahAI-kw4nn]

@@aleki_x Is Barbie started this company with the help of her husband? 😂

[@marty3456hgn]

@@NoahAI-kw4nn😮🤯 a scientist and her husband starting a business?!What?????!!!!

[@aamirrazak3467]

Her career journey from Disney channel to MIT and Harvard and now a ceo of a company is just incredible

[@NMat2]

Dont forget the bangers she dropped

[@gabem1720]

that’s mother right there

[@EmphasisOnPBJ]

EXACTLY

[@christieknep1795]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@CandyWorld30]

She is an actual mother haha

[@mustang8206]

Touch grass

[@helsinki]

In a decade or two, we're definitely gonna get a movie about her.

[@Vaiboooooo]

She could play herself in the movie

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

Disney Channel Original Movie✨

[@sadafule9008]

as someone who used to watch Good Luck Charlie and now works in the space industry, this is SO awesome to see W Bridgit Mendler

[@jonusthebonus5144]

YES IKR

[@Fl0k5ser]

The fact that she is starting her own company makes the ending of Good Luck Charlie even better. The show ends with Teddy going to college and just imagine this as what Teddy is doing right now

[@TitoT3757]

She’s a CEO now, that’s so awesome!

[@ΒύρωναςΛαδιάς]

I’ve been watching her on Disney Channel since I was like 7, seeing her trajectory has been insane. Wish her the best with her new venture!

[@rickjames18]

Disney?

[@AdamGrishamOfficial]

I think she’s boarding up the windows, locking up my heart

[@vanillavania.]

She rlly is

[@Anzy.99]

fr. I forgot the lyrics next, otherwise I would continue the chain

[@isaiah3872]

Ikr? It's like every time the wind blows, she feels it tearing us apart

[@rachelmanavi4819]

Everytime he smiles I let him in again

[@arwenr2121]

Everything is fine when you’re standing in the eye of the hurricane

[@BubbaJoey01]

I am proud of her as if she were a relative of mine. She's so wholesome!

[@HigkeyRegarded007]

Those are study eyes.

[@SKYzLxmit]

Tell me about it I’m about to get mine soon

[@anonamos225]

That's toddler not sleeping eyes hahah. She's doing it ALL

[@SKSK-qg1kn]

@@anonamos225i hope thats not actually the case and that she’s getting rest 😭😭😭, hopefully she’s balancing in a healthy way, i wish she spoke of her journey more so that ppl get a real view of what being so achieved and busy involves

[@w.e.4277]

Her eyes tell you enough about how hard she’s working

[@lisn7175]

I was gonna say the same!

[@kenyaprofit]

Disney star turned space tech ceo is lit 🔥

[@LwandileMthethwa-y8k]

Where's that movie?

[@emmuzboosh]

Ready or not.. here I come?

[@Blaze6432]

Thank you for this comment. It was my favorite song by her

[@adryeanathaboe7700]

please!!! Because I was thinking this exact thing 😩 I had that song on my iPod when I was younger and played it on repeat 😭😭

[@divacsantiago7979]

You can actually tell she is actually putting in that work👍

[@cassiopeiathew7406]

Obviously I never knew her but it’s crazy seeing how much she’s changed over the years, I’m glad all the comments are so proud of her because she seems to be doing such important work

[@jmg9509]

Wow I would never have expected to see a former Disney star helping run a Space Company! She's so intelligent and well spoken. Bridget, I'm so proud to see you here, and I know Charlie would be too!

[@Emma-fn3hz]

Not just helping-the CEO! 👏🏼🤭

[@jmg9509]

@@Emma-fn3hz Well she isn't doing it all herself. lol

[@hanm3172]

@@jmg9509 no one describes a CEO as "helping" run the company. you're not aware of your unconsious bias.

[@redherring4119]

This is really awesome. When I first saw the news I just smiled. She was a pretty big part of my childhood. Good to see what she's become. Happy for her.

[@TheJttv]

If your confused what she is saying they are building ground base phased array antennas. The same thing as a starlink dish.

[@aamirrazak3467]

Thanks for breaking it down to simple terms

[@Anzy.99]

thanks

[@cogoid]

SpaceX uses conventional motorized dish antennas for the ground stations (where the system passes the data to the internet backbone). User terminals use phased arrays. The difference is in the data rate -- the ground stations send the data at tens of gigabit per second, while user terminals send at a rate about a thousand times slower. It is very hard to make cheap high performance phased arrays. SpaceX did try to develop phased arrays for everything, but even the best antenna engineers in the world could not deliver a very high speed array that would not also be extremely expensive.

[@maylily820]

one of the rare Disney channel stars that didn't resort to drugs or bad things and became successful. what an amazing woman!!

[@victorangeles655]

this womans insane (in a good way like damn she's on that grind.

[@SalaWalter]

I’m so so proud of her!

[@air-ren]

Good Luck Bridgit!

[@slipperychugger]

She’s so so well spoken

[@SkegAudio]

that's her high vocal iq :)

[@17tdonovan]

Bridgit, to watch you grow like this is awe inspiring

[@Annairdaa]

HELLO MY NAME IS... NORTHWOOD CEO. Proud of you Bridgit. Watching her on TV and listening to her music now seeing her Talking science and space.. The Best outcome there is from Disney Channel ❤

[@hayleyv337]

why did I get her and debbie ryan confused for a second and thought ohhhh this is how debbie is going to make history 🤣

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

I went into the Northwood Group building and sat down with the CEO of Northwood Group and said I want to make history. 😁... And that's what this is.

[@ahmadzaimhilmi]

She's legit. Definitely not another Theranos.

[@Djehoo]

X) lol

[@Ryanlexz]

@@ahmadzaimhilmi I pretty sure she gonna be another Theranos lol

[@joshuamartinez970]

The next musk but actually smart and not brain dead

[@Ryanlexz]

@@joshuamartinez970 it funny how dumb Elon musk is but somehow he worth almost 300bilion of dollars according to Forbes then her "Harvard degree" lmao 😂

[@boostav]

I hope this is irony

[@Zoesstuff]

Very glad she’s putting her time travel abilities to good use 😌

[@LifeOfAStan101]

she really released nemesis (one of my favorite albums ever) and now shes a CEO?? shes awesome

[@koalakultofficial]

It’s an EP

[@LifeOfAStan101]

@@koalakultofficial an EP is an album

[@Anzy.99]

the fact that Nemesis is an EP, probably one of the best I ever heard, and she never released an album after and started doing space tech company stuff is wild.

[@Anzy.99]

​@@LifeOfAStan101technically a short album

[@RunescapeGod]

Bridgit's a boss now (literally)

[@Justauri-asdfghjkl]

Wait witnessing her career trajectory is the coolest thing ever

[@lawsonhellu4718]

Isn't she supposed to be like my childhood on Disney channel? SPACE? CEO???? insane.

[@SmolHeroine]

Oh Bridget, how we miss you!

[@ndo533]

She said "persnickety board members" 😂😂 lady is a a boss

[@call_me_akayz]

Bridget really out here winning 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@okaytree7711]

I remember looking up "what happened Teddy in Good Lucky Charlie" 7 years ago, and I couldn't find anything on her. Now that I see this, she was probably cookin up her master plan to become CEO this whole time. One of the coolest things I have ever seen.

[@ankitpant439]

I'm glad that Bridgit Mender is living her life to the fullest. More power to her and her purpose. We all should take inspiration from her.

[@lea1luv]

I’m literally so proud of her , absolutely loved her growing up when I was little! 😊❤

[@kiddkenaii]

Literally no clue what she’s talking about but I love every second of it :) I feel like a proud grandfather even though she’s like 10 years older than me 😂

[@nitroxide17]

“Antenna arrays haven’t been touched since the 1960’s”. Did I hear that right?

[@manuelamveng8059]

Yes

[@vanillavania.]

In laymen terms I’m guessing that isn’t good

[@cogoid]

The founding team did not have any antenna engineers as such, so some hubris is excusable. Their big idea seems to be to deploy around the globe, and to offer a "Ground Station as a Service", which is sensible. She has a law degree with a specific focus on space law, and they have an expert for the software side of the project. So they are not entirely clueless about the big picture. In the end, assuming they abandon the idea of designing and making their own "super wide bandwidth phased array antennas", they might actually succeed. But of course there is already competition, not least from Amazon.

[@johnnywaffles6870]

Good luck Bridgit

[@TheMaan2008]

That's what I thought!! Lol

[@flaviuswestfall1718]

I am so impressed with how well-spoken she is.

[@Anzy.99]

of course she is, she's an actor

@@Anzy.99she’s extremely educated and studied is what she is

[@flaviuswestfall1718]

@@Anzy.99 not all actors have this prominent interview skills

[@caroljeeben7064]

I said this once about Monique Coleman and I was called a racist 🙄🙄

[@thomasaguilar8389]

We love her!!

[@xabeke.]

she said “what? like it’s hard?”

[@deathempire70]

I love how wholesome the comments are and how everyone is supportive, even though 90% of us dont really know the content ❤

[@almondjoy112]

Incredible journey for Bridgit!

[@susiem.2068]

BRIDGIT WE LOVE YOU ! Take care 🤍❤️🤍🤍🤍

[@biblesonabudget213]

What a great role model for girls! She went from acting to CEO! What an inspiration!

[@maximusasauluk7359]

So much respect for this lady!!

[@Yumiiyumi-]

I’m glad she’s doing well for herself I been watching her on Disney for years ❤️😭

[@KhalidAun1]

Bridgit is an intelligent queen I love this for her and that she's happy didn't know she was CEO she's out here killing it!!!!

[@SirSeal007-1]

Disney to MIT then Harvard JD then this, absolutely insane

[@georgyd.4372]

Really happy for her

[@jackjack121]

This feels like that time my friend told me not to watch the end of Attack on Titan because I haven't seen the previous seasons. But I did anyway...

[@readyfxrtheweekendx]

next album premiere will happen on the moon I can feel it

[@bryanzoom97]

Every update from her just keeps getting better 🎉🎉🎉

[@andrewnibbi]

Looking at the thumbnail, I thought “wow, it’s crazy how much she looks like Bridgit Mendler”

[@mitsuha4788]

Look at Teddy, man! So inspirational. Charlie would be proud!! 👑

[@tiramisufm]

from Hollywood to Northwood

[@HarshanaIlango]

Man Good Luck Charlie was my fav show, and being an astrophysicist is my dream. I kid you not I screamed when I saw Bridget living the dream so freaking happy for her💖🔥

[@lucyservo6574]

She's so clever and well spoken!

[@victorianflims]

SHE IS A ICON!

[@Ibrahim1999]

From the pen to the screen to a space ceo queen 😅

[@natsuzora3272]

🗡🗡🗡

[@tylergracyne2511]

We all love her from Good Luck Charlie and Wizards and Lemonade Mouth, but it’s also just really cool the things she’s saying and her ambition! We kind of take “people are doing space things” for granted I think because rn our system is still just centred on the Goldilocks Zone, but that truly is going to change one day, perhaps not soon, but this is crucial is setting the building blocks towards that future, and it’s nice to see a woman who appears to be a good person be one such pioneer after the few years we’ve had of a certain Elon being mostly the face of anything astrally-related. ❤

[@sarahh_000]

SLAAAYYYYY QUEEENNNN

[@dhrubaintisher8169]

How proud I am of this young woman! ❤

[@jamerosesolis1853]

OMG BRIDGIT MENDLER WHAT A SLAY

[@vanillavania.]

HERE COMES THE SUN HERE COMES THE RAINNNNNNN

[@elijahtheo5812]

I just Googled her yesterday. Good for her. She is brilliant.

[@carmelalinka]

What the actual hell. I really haven't seen any of her stuff growing up but I just watched a clip of hers going to prom in an outrageous dress and now this! I actually thought this was a movie role.

[@marzadky4934]

All I can think is "Lemonade"... The kid who sang and made me think I could start a yellow brand of lemons and succeed. Now she is the boss of a company of her own...Time does move

[@MagicalFishy]

Charlie had some real good luck that her sister turned out like this. 😎

[@What_IsMyName]

LEMONADE MOUTH

[@willowfarmer6550]

She wants to create "a superhighway of data from earth to space"

[@NoahAI-kw4nn]

@@willowfarmer6550 She is not an eginneer. Her husband is an chief technology officer in this company. He is the mastermind behind this technology.

[@willowfarmer6550]

@NoahAI-kw4nn To be clear, I didn't say she would do it alone. No one person can achieve a feat like this. But she practically studied to be a CEO. She had a BS in Media Arts & Sciences and PhD in Law, and is currently getting another PhD in Constructive Communications and Social Machines. Her expertise is to be the face, and bring the mission and it's vision to the people in a way that's palatable, clear and receivable Luckily it seems her team is equally driven and composed, and her collaborators will allow her to scale this with the required tech and industry knowledge

[@user-ug9ly2fd7d]

This is AMAZING! 👏👏👏

[@myriamtouil3347]

Omgggg QUEEN I AM SOO PROUD THIS HIMAN IS JUST INCREDIBLE ACTRESS AND SINGING THEN STUDY THEN CEO LIKE I WONDER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HER BRAIN ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jakemize7817]

LETS GO TEDDY!!

[@kwfown]

Her sitcom on Disney was actually very fun to watch, even as a 20 some years old

[@robertavila1863]

Mendler doing WHAT?!

[@ariann9714]

go girl! 🔥 what a powerful woman😭a role model for all the girls out there

[@VB-cn8io]

Wait a minute. WHO ARE YOU!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME.

[@ninthefrog3911]

An actual icon

[@ItsSeals]

Space is the future been saying it

[@makeke02]

So teddy wasn't even a character, she actually is just a genius 😂

[@desconocida6390]

DOCTORRRRRRRRRRR BRIDGITTTTTTTTTT MENDLEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@shaneilellis9832]

Impressive 👍

[@leskfan1277]

I looked it up. She and her husband founded this company. So it's really not surprising she's the CEO.

[@cogoid]

There was a third co-founder, who has considerable experience in at least the software side of satellite ground stations. The husband did some related work, but mostly in mechanical engineering. So the founding team does not actually have any experience in specifically phased arrays. That may explain why they think that there was no innovation in this area. But, they did get a little bit of money from the Venture Capitalists in the first round, and they did make a minimum viable product which they are showing off. It will be interesting to see what will come out of it.

[@lazypanda411]

You can tell by her eyes that she's working very hard. So proud of her!

[@twofourthimble]

Gosh she is so amazing and inspiring. ❤❤

[@vn7512]

Good luck Charlie!!!!!!

[@haleypotesak501]

I was like space whatever saw it’s hers and went YESSS

[@zuggrr]

The value prop was pretty unclear. A lot of keywords for VCs but not really differentiated. Maybe i'm missing smth

[@wargodest]

She's freaking amazing. Love her sm

[@gabrielmoreirabr]

Good Luck, Bridgit!

[@JonathanMutsinzi1998]

This is motivational ,I'm looking forward to this future

[@jkeraw]

Hell yeah, Bridgit!

[@cjlynn]

She is goals