Women for Change: Empowering Women and Rebuilding Lives
In a garage that radiates femininity and strength, an exciting new project is taking shape. DriveTime has teamed up with Girl Gang Garage to launch Women for Change to recondition a vehicle that will be donated to Maggie’s Place, a local nonprofit organization focused on empowering women. The collaboration aims not only to refurbish a 2007 Honda Odyssey but also to empower the women involved in the project.
The first step in rebuilding is assessment of the vehicle. The atmosphere was brimming with excitement as women from across the DriveTime Brand Family coming from an array of backgrounds, job titles, and mechanic experience gathered at Girl Gang Garage ready to dive into the task at hand.
Leading the charge was Bogi, founder of Girl Gang Garage. Her energy was palpable as she guided the team through the initial assessment of the Honda Odyssey. Bogi, who has been in the automotive industry for 25 years, shared her wealth of knowledge with enthusiasm and ease.
“You may not know what you’re looking at, and that’s okay,” she reassured the participants. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I still encounter things I’ve never worked on before. We’ll figure it out!”
The assessment process involved a comprehensive test drive and a detailed inspection to identify any parts that needed fixing or replacement. Working with a team who didn’t know much about fixing cars, Bogi’s approach was hands-on and empowering. She emphasized that cars have their own ways of signaling issues, but the challenge lies in listening and interpreting those signals.
“Cars will tell you when they’re sick. The problem is most of us don’t listen,” she explained. “As women, we tend to go, ‘Where’s my dad or boyfriend?’ We’re fully competent, capable women. Shake that off. Everything can be figured out. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
This resonated with Gashaw Ahmed, Automotive Detailer, who joined the assessment team to learn more about the mechanics of cars. “We could rely on a man, but it’s better to rely on ourselves,” said Gashaw.
Throughout the day, Bogi led the team through an extensive inspection checklist to ensure not one part of the vehicle went unchecked. She explained technical aspects in a way that made everyone feel comfortable, frequently laughing and making the learning process fun. Her method involved demonstrating techniques and then encouraging the women to try them out themselves, fostering a sense of achievement and confidence.
“It gives us a sense of empowerment and it also gives us the ability to believe in ourselves in ways that we easily get shut down or left out. Even for me to learn something as simple as brakes goes a long way,” said Marcela Chacon, Operations Manager.
The diverse team of brand family employees, which included technicians, detailers, advisors and more, all brought their unique skills to the table. Together, under Bogi’s expert guidance, they began the first step in the process to transform the Honda Odyssey.
This partnership exemplifies how a shared vision and commitment to making a difference can lead to profound change. By empowering women through hands-on learning and community support, DriveTime and Girl Gang Garage are not just rebuilding a vehicle — they’re rebuilding lives.
“Working at a car company is one thing but when you start going into fields like mechanics and analytics, it’s still very male dominated, so I think it’s important that we pave the way for women in future generations. We are competent, we are able, and we are strong,” said Alexa Bozzano, Data Analyst.
