By SEMA News Editors
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) has named Dane Trask of Riley's Rebuilds as its newest allyship honoree.
Learn how Trask 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?
Dane Trask: I see the woman my daughter Riley is growing into and the women she is surrounding herself with, and I am in awe of them every day. If I am doing anything to support women's empowerment, it is by teaching my daughter the theory of business by abundance––the philosophy that opportunity expands when it is shared. Instead of guarding connections, ideas or chances for growth, leaders practicing this theory intentionally give them away.
At its core, opportunity is not finite. Generosity multiplies it––for your sponsors, for your friends, for your followers and for your self-growth. In business by abundance, success is not a single seat at a table––it’s a table you keep expanding for others.
This theory rejects scarcity thinking that there's only room for one of us. Instead, it embraces this truth: The more you share, the more you grow. The more people you help, the more people help you.
SN: Can you share your favorite experience being an ally?
DT: The most recent and meaningful example of abundance in action was the Road to SEMA project. When Riley first spoke with the organizers about her all-female '66 Fairlane build, she didn't just describe a car––she painted a vision. A vision of women from across North America coming together again, sharing the spotlight and taking this rebuilt '66 Fairlane on a journey from Colorado to Las Vegas and onto the SEMA Show floor.
What unfolded was more than a road trip. It was community, connection and confidence being built in real time.
Being allowed to be part of that experience was something I won't forget. I watched these women create, collaborate, and grow on the road, on the side of the road, in O'Reilly's parking lots and everywhere in between. I can't definitively say what the experience meant for each of them––that's their story to tell. But from my perspective, I witnessed transformation happening in different ways for each person.
Some gained new business skills. Some discovered a deeper confidence in themselves. Some developed stronger interpersonal or leadership abilities. All of them learned that this industry truly has a place for them––a community where they belong and can contribute and lead.
For me, it reaffirmed everything I believe about abundance: when you open the door for others, you don't just create opportunities––you create moments, memories and momentum that can change lives.
SN: Why do you feel that being an ally is important?
DT: I'm a girl dad, and that shapes everything about how I show up in this world. What matters to my daughter––and to her friends, and even the friends of her friends––matters to me. I don't want basic equality for them. I want them to surpass the old limits, to lead and to shape the future without barriers.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it best: "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made––and in most cases, making the decisions."
Being an ally means using my voice and my actions to help create the world I want my daughter to inherit––a world where she doesn’t need permission to lead, she simply does.
SN: What have you found to be the most important/valuable part of being an ally?
DT: For me, the most valuable part of being an ally is treating my daughter––and every woman I've encountered in this industry––as true peers. I defer to their expertise, I ask for their advice, I rely on their input, I ask for their help.
When there's something I am asked to teach, I don't teach it by doing it. I offer whatever guidance they want and then get out of the way so they can do it themselves, grow their skills and lead with confidence.
What I value most is the mutual respect and the genuine back-and-forth relationships I've built with women in this industry. Being an ally isn't about speaking for women––it's about standing beside them, learning and experiencing with them.
SN: How long have you been in the industry?
DT: I have been in the SEMA industry for five years, helping my daughter and now her friends navigate the corporate world.
SN: What advice do you have for those who want to become an ally?
DT: I want to rewrite this question… It's impossible to simply "become" an ally. That's not a title you get to claim for yourself. If your heart and your head are in the right place, you might be invited into the community built and led by the incredible women in this industry. And if they choose to bring you into that space, show up with gratitude for simply being allowed in the room.
Be on time. Be informed. Pay attention. Bring ideas, not ego.
If you approach it this way, you might be invited to stay. And from that vantage point, you'll witness something remarkable: the transformation of this industry from the inside––a transformation driven by women who are not just participating, but leading.
SN: How does someone spread the ally mentality?
DT: I believe you spread the ally mentality by living it every single day. Live by example. Show up in the world the way you want the world to evolve. If, at your core, you want to see women take the reins, then live in a way that supports and reflects that belief.
Mentor when you're asked. Listen more than you speak. And know when it’s time to get out of the way.
When people see you consistently respecting women as peers, championing their leadership and creating space instead of taking it––the ally mentality spreads naturally. It's not something you announce; it's something others observe, feel and then emulate.
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.
