Top 10: Women in EV in the US

10. Laura Belmar

CEO of female-first Integral Electrics

In an attempt to reduce household expenses and increase exercise, many people are looking to turn in their second vehicle and instead, buy an electric cargo bike. 

Laura Belmar is the CEO of female-first sports manufacturer Integral Electrics. 

“I loved the idea of cargo biking—the wind in my hair, the memories I made with the kids—but I always felt too unstable, too tippy, to really access those benefits,” she said at the launch of the Maven-e-bike. “I spent the last year designing this e-bike to ensure that women and shorter folks can haul all their precious cargo.”

9. Kriya Shortt

President & CEO at Textron eAviation

Kriya Shortt oversees Textron’s strategies for sustainable aircraft and urban air mobility, general aviation, cargo and special mission roles, which includes the development of Pipistrel as a Textron eAviation business.

Besides electric aircraft, Textron eAviation is also developing hydrogen technology for sustainable aircraft.

"It's going to take progress in battery power and in the advancement of hydrogen technology," said Shortt.

8. Ann Scott

Sr. Director Electric Vehicle Charging and Utilities at 7-Eleven

Back in 1927, Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven introduced the world to convenience. Now, the world’s #1 convenience retailer plans to extend that convenience to electric vehicle drivers. 

Scott is on a mission to make EV charging convenient, reduce 7-Eleven’s carbon footprint and support a more sustainable future in the 18 countries it works in.

The company launched 7Charge, its EV charging network and app, which allows EV drivers to access a seamless charging and payment experience across the 7Charge EV network.

“At 7-Eleven we are “fueling” the next generation of vehicles - Electric Vehicles,” said Scott. “I am excited to lead the 7-Eleven EV and Utility team launching 7Charge, 7-Eleven’s EV Charging network and app.”

7. Anisa Kamadoli Costa

Foundation CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer at Rivian

Costa joined Rivian in 2022 after four years at the World Economic Forum. Sustainability LIVE Net Zero invited Costa as an expert speaker to its forum on The Future of EVs in a Net Zero World, where the future of electric transportation was explored. When host Neil Perry asked who had the responsibility of advancing sustainability in the sector, Costa was clear that it is going to take all of the sectors to come together to get this done. 

“The responsibility lies with all of us, the situation is clear in terms of where the world needs to go and all the sectors that are involved,” she said. “It's going to take policy, it's going to take various industries and it's going to take the consumer.”

Watch the full panel discussion here.

6. Jessica Stromback

Chief Executive Officer at Joule Assets

Based in New York, Joule Assets expands clean energy development and energy efficiency marketplaces.

Smart thermostats, electric vehicles and battery storage can each create revenue by providing valuable resources to the grid. In 2018, Joule became the first non-utility to gain grid operator approval for residential demand response.

As CEO, Stomback has focused on solidifying the company's financial and commercial position. 

“This has been furthered through achieving three goals: closing a financial raise, streamlining and focusing commercial activities, and expanding the company's partner network to improve market positioning,” she explained.

5. Kathleen Wilson-Thompson

Board Director and Strategic Advisor at Tesla​​​​​​​

Wilson-Thompson studied English Literature at the University of Michigan, followed by a course in Corporate and Finance Law at Wayne State University. 

“Understanding the socioeconomic and political implications of work and the history of work in America was something that intrigued me,” she said.

She went on to work at Walgreens Boots Alliance and The Kellogg Company, before becoming a member of the Board at Tesla in December 2018. In all things, Wilson-Thompson continues to follow advice from her mother: “I want you to work as hard at being happy as you have at being successful.”

4. Johanna Sixl

Strategy Analyst at Scout Motors

Previously in her career, Sixl worked at T-Mobile, Shell, Rivain and Tesla, bringing a range of knowledge and experiences to her role at Scout Motors. The company designs, engineers and builds all-electric trucks and rugged SUVs, with an attitude of ‘No frills, no excuses, no quitting’. Sixl’s work allows Scout Motors to meet the needs of consumers and catalyst the growth of its customer base by meeting their needs.

“The talented team at Scout Motors is building the next generation of highly capable electric vehicles, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this journey from an early stage,” Sixl said upon her appointment.

3. Kathy Winter

Chief Operating Officer at May Mobility

May Mobility aims to make transport sustainable, safe, accessible and equitable for all, by creating autonomous electric vehicle technology. 

Winter has previously worked in electronics and smartphone connectivity at Motorola and Intel Corporation. 

“I believe May Mobility’s groundbreaking autonomous vehicle technology is poised to enable the cities of the future,” said Winter. “I look forward to advancing the company’s mission to help make transportation more accessible for everyone.”

2. Maryrose Sylvester

Director at Harley-Davidson

Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has been on a mission to build more than machines - to create a legendary vehicle, leading the industry through innovation, evolution and emotion.

Sylvester brings her expertise and brilliance to Harley-Davidson. Following a career in electrification at both General Electric and ABB, in her current role, Sylvester drives the development of electrified motorcycles. 

“To achieve the promise of electric transportation, we need policies that not only support the widespread electrification of transport fleets but also backstop the development of advanced, supportive technologies that will enable fleet electrification at scale,” she said in a post on LinkedIn.

1. Mary Barra

CEO at GM​​​​​​​

Barra started her career at GM back in 1980 as a General Motors Institute (Kettering University) co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. In 1985, Barra graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and she completed a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business later in 1990.

Now, she aims to advance the customer experience and embolden GM’s core vehicle and services business, in addition to leading the mobility evolution through advanced technologies such as electrification and autonomous driving.

“The success of every company is about its people,” Barra told Michigan Daily. “I make sure I understand key parts of the business and, having worked in an assembly plant, having been a plant manager, having been responsible for product development, having understood HR – all of those things really round out to give me a lot of the skills that I need as CEO.”

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