In this powerful episode of She Drives Mobility, I spoke with Dr. Amy Diehl – author, CIO, gender equity researcher, and fierce advocate for inclusive workplaces – and sister from another mister. Together, we explore the structural barriers women face across industries, especially in tech and mobility, and how Amy’s research brings invisible biases into the light.

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Amy co-authored the book Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work, in which she and Dr. Leanne Dzubinski define and name the subtle (and not so subtle) ways bias persists in professional environments.

We dive into how exclusion, undervaluation, and male-centered design play out not just in workplaces but also in mobility systems – and how both women advocate for a future that is safer, fairer, and more inclusive for all.

Katja and Amy reflect on meeting via social media and their shared values.

“Sometimes I feel like I’ve met my long-lost cousin from Germany.” – Amy

Amy discusses how tech, especially AI and autonomous vehicles, often fails to represent or serve everyone equally due to non-diverse development teams.

“We need everyone at the table – pregnant women, children, people with disabilities – so tech works for everyone.”

Amy explains why she now calls herself an equalist, advocating for equity across all identities – gender, race, health, ability, age.

Amy outlines the six key biases from her book with real-world examples that resonate far beyond the workplace:

Amy previews her upcoming book focused on the excuses women constantly face: too young, too old, too emotional, too ambitious…

“There’s no sweet spot for women – the excuse is always that she’s a woman in the first place.”

Amy highlights real-world success stories, like U.S. retailer Costco, which maintained its DEI commitment despite political backlash – and saw rising profits.

“Why wouldn’t we want diverse teams if we serve diverse people?”