By Ashley Reyes
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) has named Kyle Ebner, collision network manager at Ford Motor Company, as its newest allyship honoree.
Learn how Ebner supports women in the industry and promotes the ally mindset in the SEMA News interview below.
SEMA News: What do you do to support the ally mentality and women's empowerment?
Kyle Ebner: I hired a woman automotive painter and supported my daughter in her interest in automotive and racing. I like to encourage more knowledge and a deeper dive into the automotive space by women who find the industry interesting. I enjoy watching not only men, but young women increase their knowledge in the space.
SN: Can you share your favorite experience being an ally?
KE: When I managed my family's auto body shop, I placed a bet on a young woman painter with little experience. She was full of energy and eager to learn as she went. I liked the fact she had a different perspective on things and could pick out things that the rest of us missed. She was interested in other aspects of the business as well, so I taught her how to write estimates. This proved to be a valuable thing for the shop as other women who came into the shop looking for an estimate and didn't know much about vehicles felt more comfortable speaking to another woman.
It felt good to take this young woman under my wing and give her a chance. I was proud that we had the only woman painter in the area, it made our shop stand apart from the others. As SEMA is a community of people that know each other, so are the technicians in shops around our facility. I hope that perhaps our shop being one of the first to hire a woman in this field in that area led the way for more like her.
I am very excited that my daughter is so interested in the automotive industry without any prodding by me. I am a little surprised at how much she wants to try racing, and I want to give her the opportunity, but I am not so sure on where and how to start her. I want to figure this out for her. However, I was able to introduce her and her Girl Scout troop to a female drag race friend of mine, Amy Faulk. Amy was so kind to the girls; she took them around the pits, showed them the trailer, let them sit in her race car, and they got to watch her race. The young ladies were very impressed by Amy as she was a trailblazer in the industry.
SN: Why do you feel that being an ally is important?
KE: I feel being an ally is important to get more women into the industry. The industry needs the perspective of women, and the industry simply cannot grow effectively without them.
SN: What have you found to be the most important/valuable part of being an ally?
KE: I think it is important and valuable to include women in the auto industry if we want to see it grow and succeed in the future. For me personally, it is rewarding to help women by showing them the ropes in any way possible, whether it be wrenching on a car, teaching my daughter to drive or some basics about how to manage a build for the SEMA Show. Being an ally is also valuable to me because I can gain new perspectives and help me to think of things that I may not have thought of before and it is also simply rewarding.
SN: How long have you been in the industry?
KE: Thirty-five years.
SN: What advice do you have for those that want to become an ally?
KE: What are you waiting for? Just do it! Start offering up your assistance and share your knowledge and experiences to get started. Encourage women to do things that they are not normally encouraged to do and to show them support.
SN: How does someone spread the ally mentality?
KE: By example, I feel if people see me doing it, they can too. We can also spread the mentality by just being there to help support the cause in general and show that women can be just as capable as men in the auto industry.
Fill out an SBN Ally Spotlight form to highlight how you or a colleague is being an ally to women in the automotive specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on SBN's social media and in SEMA News.
