Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo: Building a Safer Way Home

Why It Matters

Mawakana’s safety‑first philosophy and diverse leadership illustrate how autonomous‑vehicle firms can earn public trust while advancing inclusive executive representation.

Key Takeaways

• Trust in technology requires demonstrating safety beyond everyday devices.
• Diverse background shaped Mawakana’s focus on community, resilience, and ambition.
• Legal and policy experience taught her to navigate emerging tech regulations.
• Joining Waymo was a calculated moonshot driven by self‑belief.
• Embedding safety into culture means proactive reporting, pauses, and modeling.

Summary

The video features Tekedra Mawakana, co‑CEO of Waymo, discussing how the company builds a “safer way home” and her personal journey from Mississippi to the autonomous‑vehicle leader.

Mawakana emphasizes that trust in driverless cars hinges on safety that surpasses the reliability of everyday tech like smartphones. Her legal background at AOL, Yahoo and eBay gave her a front‑row seat to regulatory challenges of new platforms, shaping her approach to Waymo’s safety framework and reporting mechanisms.

She recalls her first Waymo ride, saying she “awkwardly thanked the car,” and cites a favorite blog mantra: “If it doesn’t terrify you, it’s probably not worth it.” She also stresses that “you can’t build safety retroactively” and that safety must be embedded in culture through open reporting and pause‑and‑review processes.

For the industry, her message underscores that scaling autonomous fleets demands a proactive safety culture and leaders who blend technical, legal, and community perspectives. Mawakana’s ascent to co‑CEO also highlights the growing, though still limited, representation of Black women at the highest levels of tech.

Original Description

In this View From The Top interview, Amira Weeks, MBA '26, speaks with Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo, the world's leading autonomous vehicle company.

Tekedra shares her journey from Mississippi to Columbia Law School to co-leading one of the most transformative technology companies of our time. She reflects on why she left the certainty of established tech giants to bet on a moonshot, and what it took to build public trust in a self-driving car. She offers candid insights on building a safety-first culture, navigating government regulation, owning mistakes publicly, and expanding access to autonomous technology.