Episodes

  • Katie Hill on eVTOLs, policy, and building aviation’s next chapter

    Katie Hill on eVTOLs, policy, and building aviation’s next chapter
    Mar 19 2026
    Katie Hill works at the center of aviation policy, government affairs, and advanced air mobility, and in this conversation she explains how she got there. She started on Capitol Hill working for Senator Moran, where mentors pushed her toward the commerce portfolio and introduced her to aviation policy. What began as a Hill assignment turned into a real calling once she started working on advanced air mobility and saw how policy could help shape an entirely new part of aviation. For Katie, joining Joby was not a career detour. It was the chance to help build the future she had already started working toward in government. She also breaks down advanced air mobility in simple terms: fast, quiet, short-distance electric flight for normal people. Katie explains how Joby’s aircraft is designed to connect places that are close enough to drive but far enough to waste time in traffic, like downtown Washington and Dulles. She talks about why noise matters, why integration into the current aviation system matters, and why safety has to stay at the center of every conversation about innovation and regulation. Her point is clear: this only works if the aircraft is safe, useful, and accessible. Later, Katie talks about the pace of life at Joby, the discipline of focusing on the three most important things each day, and how motherhood changed the way she thinks about work and impact. She shares what it was like balancing Joby, law school, and a new baby at the same time, and why being fully present in each role matters. She closes with advice for young women entering aviation: trust your instincts, find strong mentors, speak up for yourself, and do not be afraid to chase the opportunity that feels right before everyone else sees it. CHAPTERS (00:00) Why Katie chose aviation policy (02:01) How she found AAM (06:15) Explaining eVTOLs simply (10:17) Why regional access matters (11:30) Her role at Joby (16:29) Innovation and regulation (20:10) How big ideas take shape (23:00) Why access to flight matters (25:26) Motherhood, work, and balance (32:42) Advice for young women SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: ⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT KATIE HILL LinkedIn: Katie Hill - Joby Aviation MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Pilot-Turned-Candidate Shelly DeZevallos Says Aviation Needs a Bigger Voice in Washington

    Pilot-Turned-Candidate Shelly DeZevallos Says Aviation Needs a Bigger Voice in Washington
    Mar 12 2026
    Shelly DeZevallos has spent decades working in aviation and public service, and in this conversation she explains why running for Congress felt like the natural next step. She argues aviation and policy are already deeply connected—from FAA modernization and ATC pressure to advanced air mobility and supersonic aircraft—and says the industry needs more people in government who actually understand how aviation works. For Shelly, the move into politics is not a departure from aviation but an extension of it. She also talks candidly about culture, leadership, and the role women play in aviation and policy. Shelly shares a story about mistakenly assuming another woman in the room was not a pilot—an experience that forced her to confront how deeply industry norms shape perception. She discusses why healthy aviation culture is built through small signals of respect, why more women do not step into oversight and policy roles, and how people can start building influence long before ever considering a campaign. Later, Shelly breaks down what campaigning has taught her: talk slower, listen better, and do not panic. She compares running for office to flying an airplane—stay steady, fly the plane, and keep moving forward even when things get rough. She closes with advice for anyone who wants to make a difference, whether through public office, aviation advocacy, safety work, government affairs, or simply taking the first step and refusing to quit. CHAPTERS (00:00) Why Shelly chose to run (03:07) Culture and belonging matter (05:30) A mistake that changed her (07:39) Campaigning vs. aviation (08:59) What surprised her most (10:20) Family behind the campaign (11:53) Why women avoid policy (14:20) Advice for stepping up (18:07) Aviation policy career paths (20:57) Take the first step SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: ⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠ MORE ABOUT SHELLY DEZEVALLOS LinkedIn: Shelly Lesikar deZevallos MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • Samantha Spencer: Why airport ops is the hardest job at the airport

    Samantha Spencer: Why airport ops is the hardest job at the airport
    Feb 12 2026
    Samantha Spencer oversees both landside and airside operations at South Bend International Airport—meaning she’s responsible for everything from FAA and TSA compliance to snow ops, badging, construction coordination, and daily airfield safety. She explains why airport operations has no “typical day”: her team can handle a fuel spill, a raccoon on a runway, a runway closure, a diverted aircraft, and pilot deviation reporting all before lunch—then make it look smooth anyway. She also breaks down what it’s like to lead young in an industry that often equates leadership with age. Instead of trying to look older or act tougher, she builds credibility through preparation, consistency, and stepping in wherever needed. She shares wins like driving strong compliance results and staying active in the industry through professional programs and young professional leadership—while pushing back on the idea that you have to “move out to move up” to be qualified. Looking forward, Samantha talks about how airports are modernizing fast—massive infrastructure projects, bigger aircraft capability, sustainability upgrades, and safer airfield geometry. She argues the next decade will demand leaders who kill the “that’s how we’ve always done it” mindset, take ownership, and invest in the next generation early—because the workforce pipeline is thinning and aviation needs new talent to step up. CHAPTERS(00:00) Running airside + landside(01:38) Modernization pressure is real(04:44) Meet Samantha Spencer(05:34) No background, chose aviation(08:12) Finding airport ops path(10:45) Young leader, proving herself(17:19) SMS without reinventing wheels(22:43) “Controlled chaos” before lunch(25:58) Notre Dame surge and “Irish apron”(39:47) Be happy, humble, know worth SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTAFor bookings and inquiries, visit: https://shaestawaiz.com/book MORE ABOUT SAMANTHA SPENCERLinkedIn: Samantha Spencer, C.M., ACE MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • Amman Mujahid: There’s No Female or Male Engineer—There’s Just an Engineer

    Amman Mujahid: There’s No Female or Male Engineer—There’s Just an Engineer
    Feb 5 2026
    Amman went from rejection to finding her path in aircraft maintenance—then had to fight to be treated like a real technician. In a mostly male program, she was pushed toward admin work while men got hands-on tasks. A mentor’s line changed everything: “Engineer has no gender.” She kept showing up, asking questions, and pushing for harder work until the hangar floor had to take her seriously. Now based in the UK, she explains the shift from credential-focused hiring in Pakistan to a UK system that rewards networking and communication. She also breaks down why the industry is facing a technician shortage: universities often teach theory without enough real on-job training. Her answer is simple—make maintenance more approachable, rebuild practical pipelines, and recruit wider, including more women. CHAPTERS (00:00) “Engineer has no gender” (02:06) Meet Amman in the UK (03:01) Rejection to aviation path (06:45) Support that kept her going (12:24) Winning hands-on work (18:20) What AMEs actually do (23:23) Pakistan vs UK hiring (29:13) Why she launched newsletter (33:24) The training pipeline gap (34:24) Fixing the shortage SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT AMMAND MUJAHID ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: Amman Mujahid MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Sabira Rezaie: Afghan Helicopter Pilot Rebuilds Her Life in America After Losing Everything

    Sabira Rezaie: Afghan Helicopter Pilot Rebuilds Her Life in America After Losing Everything
    Jan 15 2026
    When Sabira Rezaie sits in a cockpit, she says she carries two things at once: the voices of Afghan women who never got the chance to fly, and the weight of everything she lost. That mix—purpose and grief—runs through this entire conversation with Shaesta Waiz. Sabira explains how aviation first meant freedom in Afghanistan: the sky was the one place culture and politics couldn’t fully control her. She became one of the first Afghan women to fly the MD 530, pushing through constant doubt from men who told her she didn’t have the “muscle” for it. She did it anyway—because it was never about strength. It was about skill, discipline, and will. Then the country collapsed. Sabira describes that moment as more than losing a place on the map. It was losing the version of herself she fought years to build. She talks about the shock of realizing she couldn’t go back, the sleeplessness, the grief, and the feeling that Afghan women’s futures were being erased in real time. From there, the episode shifts to what “starting over” actually looks like. Sabira says it’s learning to dream again after losing hope—while also dealing with personal loss, including her father, whose death anniversary comes up in the conversation. Flight training in the U.S. becomes both a rebuild and a tribute: proof that she can rise again, even when the people she wanted to make proud aren’t there to see it. They get practical about support, too. Sabira talks about how she helped other Afghan women—especially military women—navigate refugee pathways and paperwork, and why “network” isn’t a buzzword, it’s survival. She also makes a direct ask of aviation leaders: stop treating inclusion like charity. Recognize skill, fund mentorship and scholarships, and hire people for competence—not immigration background. The episode ends where it began: in the cockpit, with emotion. Sabira describes crying during her first solo in the U.S. because the win came with so much history attached. Her message to the next Afghan girl is blunt and simple: your dream is valid, and “no” isn’t a verdict. She was told no for years—until she sat in the flight deck, proved she could reach the controls, and forced the system to admit what it tried to deny. CHAPTERS (00:00) Carrying voices and grief (01:28) Kabul memory and why this matters (02:54) Reuniting on the podcast (03:43) Freedom then, resilience now (05:10) Becoming an MD 530 pilot (06:04) When Afghanistan collapsed (08:10) Starting over and her father (10:42) Helping Afghan women through networks (15:00) Why helicopters chose her (20:10) Inclusion isn’t charity: her message SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT SABIRA REZAIE ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: Sabira Rezaie - Former Commissioned Officer, Afghan Air Force MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • The 3% Club: Aviation Needs Mechanics but Women Are Leaving with Veronica Leacock Borchardt

    The 3% Club: Aviation Needs Mechanics but Women Are Leaving with Veronica Leacock Borchardt
    Jan 8 2026
    When Veronica Leacock moved from Panama to the U.S., she wasn’t just changing countries. She was rebuilding her entire career—new language, new system, and a licensing process that nearly shut her out. She went hangar to hangar asking for a chance, trained without pay, and kept pushing until an FAA office in Oregon agreed to review her case and sign her paperwork. In this conversation, Shaesta and Veronica walk through the real path: becoming a mechanic young, having a baby during training, immigrating, studying alone at night, and grinding through the FAA written, oral, and practical exams. Veronica shares what it feels like to fail a portion of the test, come back, and finish anyway—because quitting wasn’t an option. They also get blunt about the culture in maintenance: the “sink or swim” mindset, the double standard women face in leadership, and why recruiting women is easier than keeping them. Veronica explains how small signals (like not even having women’s uniforms) send a bigger message: “this wasn’t built for you.” The episode closes with her leadership “identity shift”—moving from proving herself to leading with purpose, integrity, and care for people. Her goal is simple: build others so well that they feel like they can achieve anything when they’re next to her. CHAPTERS (00:00) From proving to purpose (01:41) Meet Veronica + the shortage (04:37) Panama: first spark in a hangar (10:09) U.S. reset: language + studying (16:44) Oregon board signs her 8610s (20:03) A&P O&P: fail, retest, win (24:39) What mechanics really do (29:25) AI, drones, predictive maintenance (40:43) Fixing “sink or swim” culture (55:40) Leading with values and care SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠ | ⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit:⁠ ⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠ MORE ABOUT VERONICA LEACOCK BORCHARDT⁠LinkedIn: Veronica Leacock Borchardt MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠ TikTok: ⁠@shaestawaiz⁠ Threads: ⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Trip Your Way Forward: Abingdon Mullin on Watches, Aviation, and Not Quitting

    Trip Your Way Forward: Abingdon Mullin on Watches, Aviation, and Not Quitting
    Dec 11 2025
    When Abingdon sat at a 99s Christmas dinner in 2006, she thought she was just celebrating her new private pilot certificate. Instead, she discovered a gap no watch company was willing to fill: pilot watches built for women. Within hours she set herself an 11-month deadline to design, fund, and deliver a watch that didn’t exist yet. That deadline became the seed of The Abingdon Co., now an 18-year-old brand serving women across aviation and STEM. In this conversation, Shaesta and Abingdon walk through the full arc: from a 14-year-old chasing free pizza at a high school career talk, to getting a pilot certificate in 34 days, to preselling $400 watches off CGI renderings before a single unit existed. Abingdon explains why you can’t wait for “perfect,” why she swears by “trip your way forward,” and how saying yes to an imperfect start changed her entire path in aviation. They also dig into the reality behind the highlight reel of entrepreneurship—caregiving, near-shutdown moments, investors, and what it looks like to keep a promise to customers when life blows up. Abingdon talks candidly about stepping away to become her father’s full-time caregiver, the pressure to close the company, and why she refused to quit while thousands of women were still wearing her watches. From there, the conversation zooms out: Gen Z as the most entrepreneurial generation yet, where product ideas really come from, and why aviation desperately needs people who can see a problem and build anything better—whether it’s a watch, a system, or an entire mindset around mental health and aeromedical reform. Abingdon also shares her view of aviation in 2035, from autonomous air vehicles and drone logistics to why analog watches are growing in a world of smart devices. If you’re a young innovator wondering where you fit in aviation—or someone sitting on an idea you don’t feel “ready” to launch—this episode is a playbook on starting before you’re comfortable, serving a niche the industry ignores, and staying human in a career that loves to put people on pedestals. CHAPTERS (00:00) A missing watch at Christmas dinner (03:00) Trip your way forward, not perfectly (06:00) From free pizza to pilot in 34 days (11:00) Starting the first women’s pilot watch (18:00) How one product opened aviation doors (24:00) Gen Z, gaps, and building in aviation (30:00) Caregiving, near shutdown, and investors (36:00) Mental health, identity, and aeromed (44:00) Autonomous flight and 2035 aviation (50:00) Why analog watches still matter SPONSORS ⁠Atlantic Aviation | atlanticaviation.com WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: https://shaestawaiz.com/book MORE ABOUT ABINGDON MULLIN Website: abingdonco.com LinkedIn: Abingdon Chelsea Mullin IG: @theabingdonco MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: shaestawaiz.com Instagram: @shaesta.waiz LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz YouTube: www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform TikTok: @shaestawaiz Threads: @shaesta.waiz Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Cost of Silence: DEI Rollbacks, Safety, and the Future of Aviation with Dr. Kimberly Perkins

    The Cost of Silence: DEI Rollbacks, Safety, and the Future of Aviation with Dr. Kimberly Perkins
    Sep 18 2025
    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 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 Website:⁠⁠⁠www.massifsp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Massif Studio & Production⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TallawahWorldwide.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Tallawah Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins