Beth Powell
Director, Producer, Writer, Pilot (Speaker for the Q&A)
Queen B Production LLC
Captain Beth Powell is a Jamaican-born aviator, author, and filmmaker whose career has been defined by courage, excellence, and service. Raised in St. Mary, Jamaica, she completed high school at 16, took her first solo flight the same year, earned her private pilot license at 17, and her commercial license at 18. At 19, she graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a degree in Professional Aeronautics and a minor in Aviation Safety. She later became the second Black female Captain at American Eagle Airlines on both the ATR and EMB aircraft, and in 2014 joined American Airlines as a First Officer on the Boeing 737. Beth went on to become American Airlines’ first Black Female Pilot Manager and received the company’s Chairman’s Award in 2020.
She is the founder of LadyAv8rBeth and Queen B Productions, author of the 2025 book Queen of the Skies, and director of the award-winning documentary Discovering Bessie Coleman, which celebrates the pioneering aviator’s enduring legacy.
