By Rachel Speir
The SBN Virtual Education Ally Series continues to lead the conversation on inclusion and empowerment in the automotive world—celebrating how far we’ve come, recognizing opportunities to be addressed, and having conversations to make it happen.
With three webinars this year, the first two have already inspired us by offering great advice, practical tools, and powerful insights for both early-career professionals and company leaders alike. The third will be looking even further into the future of this industry by focusing on the next-generation professional and how we can inspire and empower them to be the talented workforce of the future. Here’s a quick recap of each session:
Session 1: “Essentials for New Professionals” offered guidance for those entering the industry. Speakers shared their experiences navigating early career decisions and highlighted the importance of authentic relationships, growth mindset, and resilience. For women new to the field, the session reinforced that allyship and community can be powerful tools for finding belonging and confidence.
Session 2: “A Culture Without Mandated Policies” focused on how businesses can organically build inclusive environments without relying solely on formal, mandated policies. The panelists from Happy Companies, Ford, and Storyteller Overland emphasized the importance of cultivating trust, encouraging mentorship, and creating space for all voices—especially women and underrepresented professionals—to be heard and valued. Their experiences, personal stories, and insights were so powerful that this should be considered a go-to for how to build your company culture in any industry, even beyond automotive.
Session 3: “STEM Allyship: Empowering the Future Workforce” will be held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 12 p.m. PT and will focus on how we get that “10-year-old” kid, no matter the gender, race, income, etc., to see that they can follow their automotive dreams. As stated in Session 2, we can’t force diversity if it isn’t there, so we will explore how early STEM education and corporate engagement can help produce a more diverse candidate pool in technical fields. Featuring speakers from SAE, UTI, Nismo, and the Jessi Combs Foundation, the panel will examine real barriers and real solutions—from funding programs to hands-on involvement.
For anyone committed to fostering the next generation of innovators, this is a must-attend webinar. Join us and help champion a future where we all lift each other up to thrive in every facet of the automotive industry. Registration will open soon.