Self-Driven Women: Opportunities and Challenges for Women Working in the Mobility Industry

Waymo COO Tekedra Mawakwana moderated a panel discussion with three female leaders in transportation and mobility as part of the inaugural #SelfDrivenWomen virtual event. In the recording, the panelists share their career stories, the challenges they have faced, and the lessons learned along the way.

The session closes with a question-and-answer segment, where attendees put questions directly to the panelists on navigating careers in the mobility industry.

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Autonomous driving is reshaping how people and goods move through cities, and the people building it come from a wide range of technical and business backgrounds. The mobility industry draws engineers working on perception, planning, controls, and multi-agent systems alongside product managers, strategy leads, and operations specialists. Waymo events bring these varied perspectives together, creating space for participants to compare notes on how autonomous vehicles are developed, tested, and deployed responsibly in real-world conditions.

Women pursuing careers in this field often encounter distinctive challenges, from building confidence in technical teams to finding mentorship and sponsorship as they advance. Conversations centered on self-driven women make those experiences visible, allowing panelists and attendees to discuss career progression, company culture, and the practical realities of working in automotive, robotics, and mobility startups. Sharing these stories openly helps reduce isolation for early-career candidates and encourages organizations to broaden who they include in pipeline-building and development programs.

Recorded panel sessions and virtual events extend that access to anyone unable to attend live, making it possible to revisit discussions about sustainable, ethical, and user-focused transportation. Leaders from transportation, finance, and technology have explored how autonomous vehicles align with wider community needs, how talent is recruited and retained, and what skills emerging professionals should cultivate. Watching these sessions offers a look at long-term trajectories in the industry and the many paths — engineering, product, investment, and operations — that converge on the future of mobility.