Notable Champions of Diversity

Zack Danielak is responsible for incorporating Waymo’s autonomous vehicle technology into the Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover and the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans, which are tested and deployed in the company’s self-driving ride-hailing service. He also works with Daimler trucks to integrate Waymo’s self-driving technology into Freightliner big rigs. 

And not only does he incorporate DE&I values into Waymo’s culture, he does so at other companies, too.

He co-leads Rainbownauts, Waymo’s LGBTQIA+ employee resource group that started with fewer than 100 people and has grown to more than 230 members in less than three years. Rainbownauts hosts a range of activities for Waymo LGBTQIA+ employees and allies, including coaching programs for career advancement. 

Danielak meets regularly with Waymo’s head of equity, inclusion and diversity, Arezoo Riahi, to find ways to address societal issues that negatively affect LGBTQIA+ employees. He established a partnership with Waymo’s hiring committee to identify diverse locations to recruit from, cultivating a candidate pool that’s inclusive of all backgrounds. 

Danielak also helped launch a mentorship program to pair Rainbownauts with senior leaders. The mentors guided their mentees through peer-review processes, which resulted in promotions for every member of the program.

Reaching beyond Waymo, Danielak recently met with the employees of a partner automotive company and its CEO to support efforts to create their own LGBTQIA+ employee resource group. He also coordinates with leaders of other LGBTQIA+ employee resource groups across the San Francisco Bay area to discuss initiatives that have been successful. For example, Danielak supported a mixer at Salesforce Inc.’s headquarters in San Francisco, bringing in more than a dozen local companies to discuss how they could give back to their communities. 

“We’re trying to learn from these other companies,” Danielak said. “At the same time, we can share our learnings with them.”

Outside work, Danielak dedicates his time to undergraduate students  in Stanford University’s chapter of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.

Through oSTEM, Danielak supported an LGBTQIA+ computer science student on career choices, applying for research and internship opportunities and preparing for job interviews. After graduation, the student started a career in computer science. 

Danielak left his previous job in automotive racing to find an employer that allowed him to be himself. “It was a very conservative environment and I remained in the closet the entire time,” he said. 

“I had to ask myself: Do I want to be gay or do I want to have a career?” he said. “In those years, I wanted a career and there wasn’t room to do both.”

At Waymo, Danielak found acceptance to do both, and the ability to create a better environment for those who follow. 

— Doug Newcomb