WattEV Women Shaping a Sustainable Future
Women make up less than 20% of the transportation workforce. At WattEV, we are proud to say that is changing.
This Women’s History Month, we are celebrating three WattEV women who show up every day and make the work of clean transportation possible. From the executive suite to the dispatcher’s console to the depot floor, Sandra Gutierrez, Beatriz Nolasco, and Monica Aguilar each bring something essential to this mission.
This year’s national Women’s History Month theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” At WattEV, that is not an abstract idea. It is something these three women live out in their work every single day.
Sandra Gutierrez
VP of Transportation
Sandra Gutierrez didn’t set out to become a leader in electric freight. But after more than 20 years working alongside WattEV’s founders, first at their previous company and now here, she has become one of the most trusted people in the building. In the early WattEV days, her role looked a lot like it always had: do whatever was needed. Talent acquisition, administrative support, keeping things moving for a founding team with big vision and lean resources. Transportation wasn’t the plan. It just became the calling.
That shift happened in late 2022, when the company acquired its first trucks and needed someone to manage the demo program. Sandra raised her hand. “My project management mindset kicked in,” she says. “Like, okay, you want me to do this as a project? Let me go learn it and figure it out.”
That willingness to dive in, without a formal background in logistics and without a roadmap, became the foundation of everything she built. She credits the founders, particularly Emil, with instilling that fearless approach over the years. “He’s always instilled that anything can be done,” she says. “You’ve never seen him say ‘I can’t.’ He just picks up the phone and does.” After two decades of watching that in action, it became part of how she operates too.
Sandra assembled a small crew she lovingly calls her “A-team” and got to work. The early days were anything but smooth. At the Port of Long Beach, containers piled up. There were moments of real frustration, the kind where you question whether you’re doing anything right. But she learned fast, leaned on people who knew more than she did, and kept going. “You don’t see the tsunami coming until you’re already in it,” she says. “And then you start learning, and you take it to heart.”
Those lessons compounded. Now, years into building WattEV’s transportation operations from the ground up, Sandra has stepped into a bird’s-eye view. She trusts her team to handle the work that used to live entirely on her shoulders. She’s focused on strategy, reporting, and developing the people around her, and she’s finding something she didn’t expect: she loves it. “I want to give my knowledge to someone else,” she says. “Because it feels good. It really does.”
On navigating a male-dominated industry as a woman, Sandra’s take is disarmingly straightforward. “I’ve never really felt it as a barrier,” she says. “If you’re already thinking that way, you’re two steps back. It’s a mindset.” Her advice to women considering a career in transportation or EVs is simple: don’t shy away. Show up every day. Do the work. “If you’re shining in your own way, people will see it.”
Outside of work, Sandra is a self-described homebody with a long list of aspirations, cycling, crocheting, golf, and a sailboat license that may or may not happen someday. She’s a proud mom to two daughters, one son, and a recent, enthusiastic convert to cat ownership. She describes her role at WattEV in one word: creative. “You get to build it,” she says. “That’s it.”
And on what it means to be part of a company shaping the future of clean transportation? Sandra keeps it grounded. “Did I know a lot about sustainability before? No,” she admits. “But whatever goals are out there, we’re already contributing. And I get to be part of that. That feels good.”
“You want to be with the smartest people in the room, because they keep elevating you.” – Sandra Gutierrez
Beatriz Nolasco
Dispatcher
For Beatriz Nolasco, joining WattEV was about more than just a job. It was a chance to be part of something new. “What first sparked my interest in the EV industry was the opportunity to learn something new in modernized transportation,” she says, reflecting on the early days of building something from the ground up. That willingness to step into the unknown has defined her journey at WattEV ever since.
Today, Beatriz works as a Dispatcher, where her days revolve around keeping things moving. She schedules and monitors drivers along their routes, ensures deliveries are running efficiently, and stays in constant communication with customers whenever issues arise. It is a role that demands someone who can think fast and stay steady, and Beatriz has one word to describe what she brings to it every day: efficiency. “That is what I aim to do,” she says. “Efficiently communicate with our customers, efficiently communicate with our drivers, efficiently come up with an answer smoothly.”
That sense of calm under pressure did not happen by accident. Beatriz credits a family member, a woman she describes as soft spoken yet deeply confident, as one of her greatest inspirations. “She is very calm and collected, and able to firmly make a decision no matter what her surroundings are,” Beatriz says. “That is something I aspire to be.”
Being a woman in transportation has not always been easy. Beatriz speaks openly about navigating gender stereotypes and the everyday practical challenges that come with working in a male-dominated industry. Her approach has always been the same: keep the focus on the quality of the work. “I focus on what I bring to the table rather than fall into a given stereotype,” she says. Her advice to women considering a career in transportation is equally grounded: “Have an open mind walking into this industry. Allow yourself room to learn something new. We fall victim of routine, and I think it is great when we do something that benefits not only the mind but the planet.”
That connection to something bigger is what makes the work meaningful for Beatriz. “It provides a sense of relief knowing that we take part in saving the planet for the next generation,” she says. “I am proud of everything this company has accomplished.” At WattEV, she has also found a workplace where growth is real and opportunity is equal. Having moved from driver to dispatcher over the years, she values the fact that she has been considered for roles based on her abilities, full stop. “There is no form of discrimination,” she says. “I feel respected, safe, and comfortable.”
When she is not coordinating the fleet, Beatriz is baking with her two kids, a self-described work in progress. “I am not really good at it, but I try,” she laughs. She also has a growing Pokemon card collection she picks up whenever she gets a spare moment. And if you have ever wondered what hand she writes with, now you know: Beatriz is left-handed, a fun fact that tends to catch her coworkers completely off guard.
“Have an open mind walking into this industry. Allow yourself room to learn something new. We fall victim of routine, and I think it is great when we do something that benefits not only the mind but the planet.” – Beatriz Nolasco
Monica Aguilar
Port of Long Beach Site Attendant
Meet Monica Aguilar, a site attendant at WattEV’s Long Beach Harbor depot who describes her role in the most perfect way: the glue. As a site attendant, she’s the connective tissue between drivers and dispatch, making sure everything is ready so the operation runs without a hitch. “If a truck isn’t charged, or whatever isn’t ready, we’re delaying work, and that’s not what we want,” she says. It’s a domino effect, and Monica’s the one keeping all the pieces in place.
Monica’s path into EV wasn’t exactly what she expected. When she applied, she knew the job was in EVs, but the reality of the depot, the trucks, and the pace of the work was nothing like she’d pictured. Still, she took the offer, and she’s been showing up ever since.
On a typical day, she starts with a yard check, inspects trucks to make sure they’re charged and ready to roll, and stays close to what’s happening so she can jump in when drivers need help. “I like helping drivers out. That’s probably my favorite thing, especially when things go south,” she says with a laugh. Her favorite part? Being the person who says I got it and actually means it.
When asked about navigating a male-dominated industry, Monica didn’t sugarcoat it, but she also didn’t dwell. She’s seen it, she’s navigated it, and her advice to other women is straightforward: Don’t let it intimidate you. “Some guys can have big egos, but you learn how to manage it,” she says. “Once you get into it, it’ll just be every other day.” She credits her mom, a single immigrant mother who raised her while speaking only Spanish and dreaming of riding sport bikes she never got to ride, as her biggest inspiration. “I guess I kind of get to do the things she always wanted to do,” Monica says.
And she does, literally. On her days off, you’ll find Monica out riding motorcycles with friends, painting on canvas, thrifting for clothes, and building a growing collection of heels she rarely gets to wear but loves anyway. Oh, and one bonus fact her coworkers probably didn’t know? She’s tinted car windows with her boyfriend. A Toyota Solara was the highlight.
Looking ahead, Monica has her sights set on mechanical work, getting her hands on the trucks themselves, or maybe fleet management and dispatch. At WattEV, that kind of ambition fits right in.
“Just go for it. Once you get into it, it’ll just be every other day.” – Monica Aguilar
The Future Is Charged
Sandra, Beatriz, and Monica represent something important: that the future of clean transportation is being built by people from every corner of the industry. Dispatchers and site attendants and executives, all working toward the same mission.
This Women’s History Month, we are proud to celebrate them and every woman who shows up for this work.
Want to learn more about life at WattEV? Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and visit wattev.com to learn about our mission and open opportunities.
