In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Dr. Kimberly Perkins—787 airline pilot, research scientist at the University of Washington, and fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society—about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion in aviation and why it matters for safety, innovation, and the next generation.

Kimberly shares how DEI was often treated as a branding campaign rather than systemic change, why psychological safety is inseparable from operational safety, and how silence in the cockpit or boardroom leads to risk. She explains why inclusion should be embedded into pilot training as a required competency, why emotional intelligence belongs alongside technical skill, and how leaders can shift from “I-frame” individual fixes to “S-frame” system solutions.

They discuss how DEI rollbacks reveal which organizations were truly committed, why allyship must extend to all—including men in positions of power—and the fatigue marginalized groups feel carrying the burden of proof. Kimberly closes with practical “micro-allyship” actions and advice for young women in aviation: don’t conform or gaslight, strive to be an ally, and use small, consistent acts of inclusion to reshape the system itself.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Opening Reflections on DEI Rollbacks

01:34 | Season Seven Recap & Why This Conversation

04:44 | Introducing Dr. Kimberly Perkins

06:08 | Was DEI Ever on Solid Ground?

09:20 | Safety, Innovation, and Silencing Voices

12:41 | Psychological Safety in Aviation Teams

14:21 | From I-Frame to S-Frame: Systemic Solutions

17:33 | Allyship, Fatigue, and the Burden of Proof

21:21 | Message to Young Women Entering Aviation

24:26 | Micro-Allyship Toolkit: Small Acts, Big Change

27:15 | Rollbacks, Military Aviation, and Funding Gaps

30:46 | Final Thoughts and Call to Collective Action

Follow Dr. Kimberly Perkins

Website: www.kimberly-perkins.com

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Kimberly Perkins⁠⁠

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In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Lynda Coffman—CEO of Women in Aviation International, former United Airlines executive, and Northwestern adjunct professor— about sustaining a qualified aviation workforce while navigating the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Lynda shares her journey from being the first female engineer in United’s powerplant group to leading airport operations across 63 stations and founding United Ground Express. She reflects on how DEI has been misunderstood, why access is not about lowering standards, and how systemic, purpose-driven action strengthens aviation’s safety and growth.

They discuss why shrinking the pipeline hurts everyone, how leaders can challenge unconscious bias in real time, and why support networks and “personal boards of directors” are essential for women entering aviation today. Lynda closes with advice to stay rooted in passion, build strong communities, and never let others decide what you are capable of.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Why Workforce Strength Depends on Access
01:49 | Why This Season: DEI Rollback in Aviation
06:18 | Lynda’s Early Career at United Airlines
10:26 | From Engineering to Executive Leadership
14:29 | DEI as Access, Not Lowered Standards
17:06 | Purpose-Driven Action in Corporate Strategy
20:49 | Building Diverse Candidate Slates
23:32 | Leadership, Culture, and Challenging Bias
28:37 | Responding to “Lowering Standards” Narrative
31:34 | Pilot Shortages, Economics, and Safety Risks
35:11 | Advice for Young Women in Aviation
38:09 | Building Sisterhood and Support Networks
39:47 | Leading with Passion for Industry and Members

Follow Lynda Coffman

Website: Women in Aviation International
LinkedIn: ⁠Lynda Coffman⁠

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In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Samantha T. Mitchell—licensed A&P mechanic, author, and founder of Black Women in Aviation—about building a career where women are still drastically underrepresented, especially in maintenance. Samantha recounts finding aviation through a college brochure, nearly losing a dream role over citizenship status, becoming the first female mechanic for Air Jamaica at JFK, and learning to navigate rooms where she was often the only one.

They discuss how the DEI rollback is affecting funding, visibility, and community support, why “we are more than letters,” and practical ways women can persist: invite yourself in, anchor to one ally, reprogram limiting blueprints, and lead with demonstrated competence. Samantha closes with a vision of progress defined not by headcounts but by a domino effect of inspired “yeses.”

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Don’t Wait—Invite Yourself

01:20 | Why This Season: DEI Rollback

04:18 | Finding Maintenance at Vaughn

07:45 | Boeing Setback, Air Jamaica Pivot

09:25 | Being the Only One in the Room

14:13 | “More Than Letters”: DEI Reality

17:54 | Build the Turbulence Muscle

20:23 | One Ally, Faith, and Mentors

25:03 | Own Your Gifts, Own Your Path

29:12 | Progress as a Domino Effect

Follow Samantha T. Mitchell

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LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Jennifer Pickerel—President of Aviation Personnel International and a veteran executive search consultant—about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in aviation and its real-world impacts. Drawing on over two decades of experience in recruitment, leadership development, and organizational culture, Pickerel examines how performative DEI, policy softening, and cultural misalignment can undermine both safety and profitability. They explore the business case for genuine inclusion, the mechanics of effective mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship, and share concrete tactics for women to advocate for themselves by reframing their requests around company goals. Pickerel also offers practical tools for researching organizational culture, building strategic networks, and sustaining resilience when formal DEI programs recede.

Episode Notes

Chapter Breakdown
00:00 | Diversity in Aviation
07:22 | Women in Pilot Statistics
10:00 | Shifts in DEI Commitments
12:45 | Culture’s Role in Hiring
15:08 | Mentorship and Sponsorship
17:42 | Defining True Allyship
20:13 | Overcoming Industry Challenges
22:56 | Assessing Organizational Culture
25:20 | Inspiring Young Aviators

Follow Jennifer Pickerel

LinkedIn: Jennifer E. Pickerel - President - Business Aviation

API: Jennifer Pickerel - President - Recruiter

Follow Shaesta Waiz

Website:⁠⁠ shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠ Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠ @shaesta.waiz⁠⁠

TikTok:⁠⁠ @shaestawaiz

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Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif Studio & Production & The Tallawah Group⁠⁠

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In this candid conversation, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Captain Reyné O'Shaughnessy—veteran FedEx pilot, human-performance specialist, and author of This Is Your Captain Speaking: What You Should Know About Your Pilot’s Mental Health. Together they unpack the realities of high-stakes aviation work for women: chronic stress that accumulates unnoticed, the double standard around mistakes, and the current retrenchment of formal DEI efforts across organizations.

Reyné shares why completing the stress cycle matters as much as managing it, why foundational habits (restorative sleep, movement, nutrition, real relaxation) are a first line of defense, and how personal agency can be protective when workplaces deny reasonable needs. She also introduces The Leading Edge Retreat (Oct 2–5, Santa Barbara)—a small-group, science-backed reset that brings together experts in sleep science, hormonal health, nervous-system regulation, and performance coaching to help high performers rebuild their baseline.

This episode reframes well-being as core to leadership, not a luxury—especially for women navigating irregular schedules, persistent bias, and high expectations.

Chapter Breakdown
00:00 | Why mental health in aviation can’t be optional
04:42 | The hidden cost of chronic stress for high performers
07:29 | Double standards, over-functioning, and burnout
10:20 | DEI retrenchment and the reality of invisible bias
12:45 | Agency, boundaries, and building a resilience toolbox
15:19 | The Leading Edge Retreat: design, experts, and outcomes
18:00 | Community and sisterhood as performance infrastructure
26:11 | Closing notes and next steps

Follow Reyné O'Shaughnessy
Website: captainreyneo.com 
LinkedIn: Reyné O'Shaughnessy - TEDx Speaker | Author
 Follow Shaesta Waiz
Website:⁠ shaestawaiz.com⁠
LinkedIn:⁠ Shaesta Waiz⁠
Instagram:⁠ @shaesta.waiz⁠
TikTok:⁠ @shaestawaiz⁠
⁠Shaesta Waiz on YouTube⁠
⁠YouTube (Aviate Platform)⁠

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In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Kathryn Creedy—veteran aviation journalist and advocate for workforce equity—about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in aviation and its consequences. Creedy draws on decades of reporting and personal experience to challenge misconceptions about DEI, highlight the business case for inclusion, and explore how cultural resistance, policy rollback, and outdated work rules threaten both profitability and safety. They discuss the power of community among women in aviation, the emerging demands of younger generations for work–life balance, and the imperative for leaders to move beyond lip service to real, systemic change.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Intro: The Cost of Ignoring DEI

01:31 | Kathryn’s Background & Advocacy

03:07 | Why DEI Rollbacks Fail

05:13 | Women’s Gains & Pushback

08:09 | What DEI Really Means

10:23 | The Diversity Dividend

12:04 | Culture & Economic Backlash

15:42 | Why So Few Women AMTs?

18:41 | Strength in Community

21:32 | Rethinking Work–Life Balance

24:03 | Next‑Gen Talent Pipelines

26:50 | Safety & Mental Health Reform

29:28 | Leaders: Lip Service vs. Action

33:08 | Closing: A Call to Change

Follow ⁠Kathryn Creedy

LinkedIn: ⁠Kathryn Creedy
⁠

Follow Shaesta Waiz

Website:⁠ shaestawaiz.com⁠

LinkedIn:⁠ Shaesta Waiz⁠

Instagram:⁠ @shaesta.waiz⁠

TikTok:⁠ @shaestawaiz⁠

⁠Shaesta Waiz on YouTube⁠

⁠YouTube (Aviate Platform)⁠

Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif Studio & Production & The Tallawah Group

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In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Mervat Sultan—founder of Ramjet Aviation Services and President of the Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter—about how intentional leadership, structured mentorship, and policy support have transformed a handful of members into a 1,000-strong network and the largest women-in-aviation conference in the Arab world. 

Over 25 years, Sultan learned aviation “from scratch,” built executive charter operations, and opened doors for countless pilots, engineers, and managers. They discuss reframing quotas as performance standards, embedding inclusion into systems, preparing students for AI and quantum-driven flight, and why “the sky is wide enough for all of us.”

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Opening call: “Skies are wide enough for all of us.”

01:32 | Host introduction & Sultan’s impact on Middle-East aviation

03:53 | Why Middle-East progress matters to global inclusion efforts

06:03 | Sultan’s passion: real stories of women transforming careers

07:30 | Founding Ramjet and learning aviation from the ground up

10:41 | Government backing & corporate accountability in the region

12:38 | Quotas vs. performance: reframing the gender-equity debate

17:31 | Effective strategies: executive intent, clear pathways, male allies

18:51 | Embedding inclusion: systems, metrics, respect in practice

20:24 | Advice to women: seek mentors, stay curious, trust your worth

23:34 | Cross-border lessons: sharing stories beyond geopolitical lines

26:22 | Future skills: integrating AI & quantum tech into aviation education

30:21 | Guidance for new entrants: matching personality to aviation roles

33:29 | Zero-error culture: fundamentals, time-management, real-world anecdotes

36:34 | Closing reflections: gratitude, next steps, and a shared vision

Follow Mervat Sultan

LinkedIn: Mervat Sultan

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Website: shaestawaiz.com

LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz

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In this powerful conversation, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Retired Lt. Col. Olga E. Custodio, the first Latina to fly for the United States Air Force and later, the first Latina commercial airline captain in the U.S. Olga shares the deeply personal and professional journey behind her groundbreaking aviation career—one that began after starting a family, not before.

Together, they unpack cultural norms, leadership, and the rollback of DEI initiatives in today’s aviation climate. Olga discusses how women—especially Latinas—can stand firm in spaces where they don’t yet see themselves reflected, and why now is the time to preserve and elevate our stories, even as others try to erase them.

This episode is a masterclass in persistence, purpose, and public service.

Major Themes & Concepts

✅ Equity and excellence are inseparable

✅ Male and female allies accelerate change

✅ Family first doesn’t mean career last

✅ Confidence comes from preparation, faith, and self-trust

✅ Institutional bias can be dismantled

✅ Stories must be preserved

✅ Leadership’s tone sets the pipeline

✅ Legacy lives in service

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Equity fuels excellence

01:11 | Olga's historic military and airline firsts

03:26 | Military childhood shaped global worldview

07:28 | Marriage and motherhood built career foundation

12:19 | Persistence despite bias and rejection

19:00 | DEI rollbacks threaten aviation’s future

24:11 | Latina pilots belong—find your allies

30:15 | Leaders must champion inclusive pipelines

34:12 | Stay visible, grounded, and accessible

Follow Olga Custodio

Website: www.purflygirl.com

LinkedIn: Olga Custodio

Instagram: @olgaecustodio

Follow Shaesta Waiz

Website: shaestawaiz.com

LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz

Instagram: @shaesta.waiz

TikTok: @shaestawaiz

Shaesta Waiz on YouTube

YouTube (Aviate Platform)

Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif Studio & Production & The Tallawah Group

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In this wide-ranging conversation, Capt. Lynn Rippelmeyer—first woman to fly the Boeing 747—joins host Shaesta Waiz to dismantle the myth that equity and excellence are mutually exclusive. Rippelmeyer traces her unlikely climb from TWA flight attendant to 747 captain during an era when women “weren’t just under-represented—they were reminded they didn’t belong.” 

She credits key male allies, highlights the power of mentorship, and explains why tapping an inner spiritual compass is critical when the industry questions your right to be there. Beyond the flight deck, Rippelmeyer discusses raising two sons while flying, founding the nonprofit ROSE—Roatán Support Effort, and writing two memoirs (Life Takes Wings, Life Takes Flight) whose proceeds fund medical and educational aid in Honduras. Her core message: a fully engaged, diverse workforce is the only route to operational excellence—and every new pilot has a part to play.

Major Themes & Concepts

✅ Equity is foundational to excellence—not its opposite

✅ Mentorship from male allies can open historic doors

✅ You can raise a family while flying professionally

✅ The myth of “safety risk” from women in command roles

✅ Inner confidence stems from spirituality and self-trust

✅ Institutional bias once blocked female captains—until proven wrong

✅ Representation matters: visibility breeds access

✅ Legacy is built not just in flight, but in giving back

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 | Cold-open — “You can’t have excellence without equity”

01:24 | Host intro and Lynn’s historic flight credentials

03:04 | Dreaming the 747 while training in a Piper Cub

05:27 | Chief Pilot Carl Hershberg and mentorship that changed everything

07:21 | The 747’s “sacred” feel; pilot-aircraft relationship

10:15 | Tackling the false binary of DEI vs. safety

13:16 | Debunking myths: mental fitness, menstruation, and command

19:52 | Flying through doubt, powered by spiritual grounding

23:49 | Finding support: 99s, WAI, ISA+21, and choosing community

26:33 | Post-career: launching ROSE and humanitarian flying

28:50 | Life Takes Wings & Life Takes Flight — memoirs with mission

Additional Resources

Nonprofit: ROSE – Roatán Support Effort

Follow Capt. Lynn Rippelmeyer

Website: lynnrippelmeyer.com

LinkedIn: Lynn Rippelmeyer - Speaker, Author - Wings Unlimited, LLC

Books: Life Takes Wings

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Military veteran and advocate Jessica Ruttenber—retired Air Force officer, founder of Level Up Aviation joins host Shaesta Waiz to explain why dismantling diversity, equity & inclusion programs threatens aviation safety, talent pipelines, and hard‑won policy gains such as the removal of a height restriction that once barred 44 % of U.S. women from military cockpits.

Politicized pushback against DEI is already shrinking grant dollars, sponsorships, and talent pools across aviation. Drawing on her work overturning the Air Force height standard and running Level Up Aviation scholarships, Ruttenber details how “trigger words” in funding applications are chilling support for nonprofits, why the FAA’s own data contradicts claims that standards were lowered, and what leaders can do—quietly or loudly—to interrupt bias and preserve equal access for future aviators.

From the myth that DEI lowers standards to the hidden costs of outdated specifications, this conversation delivers hard data, candid stories, and a roadmap for leaders who refuse to roll back progress.

Major Themes & Concepts

✅ DEI removes barriers—never qualifications

✅ FAA executive‑order rhetoric vs. actual safety data

✅ Height and anthropometric rules that excluded women & minorities

✅ Funding “trigger words” that chill nonprofit grants

✅ Change is a marathon: pacing advocacy to avoid burnout

✅ Leadership duty to interrupt bias in real time

✅ Inspiration + access: why representation still matters for recruitment

✅ Budget vigilance—protecting long‑horizon research

✅ Progress is nonlinear but defensible with facts and documentation

Chapter Breakdown

00:00  | Cold‑open—misconceptions about DEI and safety

01:39  | Host introduction—Season focus on women in aviation

03:34  | Framing question: DEI politicization and nonprofit fallout

04:14  | Executive‑order language vs. aviation safety data

08:04  | Funding “trigger words” and scholarship impact

10:46  | Removing the 44 % height barrier; advocacy pacing

13:57  | Women pilots data; crypto‑linguist case study

19:11  | Inspiration vs. access; role‑model visibility

24:10  | Leadership advice: interrupt bias, protect inclusive R&D

26:26  | Closing gratitude and sign‑off

Additional Resources

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