CES panel: Diversify work force for more inclusion in mobility

Companies working on autonomous vehicle technology should include diverse groups in the process to ensure they are helping to create a more inclusive future of mobility, panelists said Wednesday.

"Everyone brings a different perspective, and that's why everyone needs that seat at the table because every nuance really matters," said Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient, a company dedicated to advancing equality in the workplace. "More talent diversity leads to more inclusive mobility options."

Zalis moderated the discussion on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the AV and mobility sectors as part of the virtual Equality Lounge program at the CES technology expo. She was joined by panelists Amanda Ventura Zink, public affairs manager for Google affiliate Waymo, and Alex Otte, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

"My goal — and our organization's goal — is to bring an end to drunk driving, but we know that it's going to take everyone at the table to do that," said Otte, who stressed how advancements in AV technology can improve road safety.

"If you want to change the world, you can, and you don't have to do a certain job or be in a certain position or live in a certain place," Otte said. "If you want to be a part of making our roads safer, you can do that, and there are ways to get involved."

In addition to encouraging more women and other underrepresented groups to consider jobs in transportation and STEM-related fields, Ventura Zink said attracting diverse talent is about "engaging early and often with as many diverse voices as you can," especially in the nascent AV industry.

"It's about educating people about what opportunities are out there, educating people about how women who are currently in those higher-level, executive decision-making roles got to where they are," Ventura Zink said. "And that's something Waymo is really passionate about."

Ventura Zink said Waymo has focused on making sure half of the riders in its beta program that launched in San Francisco last year are women. The participants take rides in Waymo's self-driving cars and provide feedback.

"It's really important to have that gender parity ... in these types of research programs," she said, noting that female participants in the program have stressed the importance of safe and well-lit pickup and drop-off locations.

In 2020, Waymo launched Self-Driven Women, which enabled women who are part of the future of mobility to empower other women to join or further advance their careers.

"Transportation is freedom," said Ventura Zink, noting people who can't drive themselves or afford transportation, as well as those who might feel unsafe using existing transportation options. "Everyone deserves a safe, reliable, accessible and dignified way to get where they're going."