Working at the crossroads of journalism, strategy, and space, David Ariosto is a seasoned analyst, content architect, executive leader, and journalist who brings a rare blend of operational grit and visionary thinking to some of the most complex challenges of our time.
A two-time published author, communications strategist and podcast host, Ariosto currently is columnist for Space News, Aerospace America, and Noema Magazine, while also advising space companies on a host of digital communications and events strategies.
Whether leading editorial strategy at Intelligence Squared, running international news bureaus for CNN, or consulting for institutions like Edelman and Eurasia Group, Ariosto’s work has impacted public discourse across think tanks, Fortune 500 firms, and major media ecosystems for well over two decades.
His upcoming book with Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, "Open Space: From Earth to Eternity – The Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos" (Spring 2026), dives into the high-stakes collision of science, innovation, entrepreneurship, and geopolitics in this new era of space exploration. He also hosts Space Minds, a podcast spotlighted by Space News, which examines the accelerating future of the space economy.
Ariosto's career has spanned more than 50 countries, including extended fieldwork in Cuba and Afghanistan. He was a visiting professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Interplanetary Initiative Visiting Scholar, as well as a board member of the Overseas Press Club. His debut book, This is Cuba: An American Journalist Under Castro’s Shadow, published by St. Martin’s Press, earned critical praise from The Washington Post, USA Today, and Amazon.
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“I want the world to be a bit better because I was here.” — overheard in a crowd, 11/28/2023
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