Tekedra N. Mawakana is the co-CEO of Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going.
As co-CEO, Mawakana is responsible for overall company strategy, with her primary focus on ensuring Waymo’s transformational technology – the Waymo Driver – is commercialized and widely adopted.
Mawakana has more than two decades of experience advising consumer technology companies on how to advance their business interests around the world and is an expert in navigating complex high-profile issues. She began her career working with regulated technology and telecom industries, and leading global technology transactions. She has served as a trusted advisor to CEOs managing growth and risk-mitigation strategies.
Mawakana previously served as COO of Waymo. Prior to Waymo, Mawakana led global teams across five continents at eBay, Yahoo, AOL and Startec. She started her career at the DC-based law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Mawakana is a social impact-focused angel investor, and an LP with Operator Collective. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Intuit, and on the Advisory Board for Lyte. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Saving Promise, a non -profit dedicated to the prevention of partner violence. As a tech industry veteran, Mawakana is on the Board of Industry Leaders for the Consumer Technology Association; and previously, she served as the Chairwoman of the Board of the Internet Association.
Mawakana has been recognized by Automotive News in 2020 as among the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry, “Top 20 in 2020 Influential Women in Mobility” by Vulog, and as one of the most influential black leaders in corporate America by Savoy magazine in 2020 and 2019. She was named a Visionary Leader by ALM and InsideCounsel in 2016, and a Tech Titan by Washingtonian magazine in 2015.
Mawakana received her JD from Columbia Law School and her BA with honors from Trinity College.
