The trigger for the upcoming virtual summit, “Disruptive Women Powering Our Autonomous Future,” won’t likely make any history books, but it felt like a milestone – or at least an aha moment.  

Pamela Gauci, events director for Velodyne Lidar, was reviewing the lineup for a panel discussion that was to be part of another event that the company hosts, an annual conference on safety and autonomous vehicles. With her was Sally Frykman, Velodyne Lidar’s chief marketing officer. 

Neither the general topic of that other conference nor the specific topic designated for the panel – the regulatory road ahead – had anything to do with gender. Yet every expert on the list was a woman. 

“So often, as we plan these events, it feels like there’s this dearth of female leadership,” recalled Frykman. “But this time, not on purpose, we wound up with an all-female panel. And we were just like, ‘This is so unique. And it shouldn’t be.’” 

It didn’t take long after that moment for the duo to decide to hold “Disruptive Women,” a free half-day event scheduled for March 25 from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. PT.  Registration is still open.  

“It was just sort of on the spot,” said Gauci. “We thought, ‘What about doing something to highlight women and their progress in this field,’ and it has become a labor of love for us. We’re just really excited about it.” 

Getting others excited, too, wasn’t difficult. Gauci and Frykman put feelers out in professional organizations, such as AUVSI, to build a stellar lineup of speakers and moderators. The agenda includes: 
 

• Keynote: U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan; 
• Keynote: Laura Major, Chief Technology Officer for Motional;  
• Moderator: Nina Grooms Lee, Chief Product Officer for May Mobility; 
• Speaker: Genevieve Smith, Associate Director for the Berkeley Haas Center for Equity, Gender & Leadership (EGAL); and 
• Emcee: Selika Talbott, Founding Partner of Autonomous Vehicle Consulting and lecturer for American University 

Women are rising through the ranks in autonomous vehicle industries, but organizers of the summit emphasize that there is still a long way to go. Statistics gathered in planning indicate that although women constitute about half of the population as a whole, they make up just 8 percent of top automotive executives, 16 percent of automotive workers, and 20 percent of college engineering students.   

“It’s so important that we prep our girls and our women to be able to say, ‘This is a job that I can have, and this is something that I can do,” said Frykman. “And I do think that comes with leadership and representation. Things are getting better, but we’re not there yet.” 

Although women at all career levels – from those just pondering a career in autonomous vehicles to being well established and eager to hear from other industry leaders – are the summit’s primary target audience, organizers emphasize that the event has much to offer anyone interested in autonomous technologies.  

“We’re hoping to reach audiences that range from high school students to executives, whether they be male or female, just to remind them or show them that this industry is ripe for careers,” Frykman said. “You’re not too young, and it’s not too late – for anyone – to come on board and work toward this really cool new future that autonomous vehicles are shaping.”