The Power of Curiosity: Carla Bailo on Smart Cities, Boardroom Wisdom, and Transforming Mobility
In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur, Mark Cleveland welcomes Carla Bailo—an industry visionary who’s helped shape the future of mobility, from General Motors and Nissan to leading the Center for Automotive Research and winning the USDOT Smart City Challenge for Columbus, Ohio. Carla shares stories of innovation, mentorship, boardroom leadership, and the importance of building systems that serve every citizen.
Carla's bold curiosity and relentless learning has had great impact on transportation, public policy, and corporate governance. From deploying bus rapid transit in underserved neighborhoods to baking the perfect baguette, this episode celebrates the human side of engineering and entrepreneurship.
Chapters List:
00:00:00 – Introduction to Carla Bailo
00:01:00 – Carla's Impact on Cities and Roads
00:03:19 – Columbus Wins the Smart Cities Challenge
00:06:50 – Rethinking Mobility for Underserved Communities
00:10:13 – Logistics Innovation: Rickenbacker Middle-Mile Project
00:12:45 – A Flyer on the Door: Communication Gaps in Tech Projects
00:15:23 – Paralleling Transportation, Economic Access, and Planning
00:18:36 – Start Small, Learn Fast: Scaling Smart City Systems
00:21:24 – Asking Better Questions: Carla’s Mentoring Style
00:23:33 – Think in Seven Generations: Long-Term Urban Planning
00:25:58 – Carla on Joining Corporate Boards and Boardroom Roles
00:28:00 – Lessons from Her Father on Responsibility and Preparation
00:32:29 – Learning Upstream Oil & Gas Through Hands-On Curiosity
00:34:20 – CEO Oversight and Navigating Shifting Political Climates
00:37:22 – What Makes a Great Board and a Good CEO
00:40:55 – Mentoring Done Right: Listening and Mutual Learning
00:46:50 – Grandparent Wisdom and Generational Teaching
00:49:49 – The Joy of Embracing the Unknown
00:53:07 – Baking Baguettes & Balancing Curiosity with Relaxation
00:54:40 – Surviving as a Woman Engineer in the ‘70s and ‘80s
00:57:54 – Final Reflections: Making a Difference at Scale
Carla's bold curiosity and relentless learning has had great impact on transportation, public policy, and corporate governance. From deploying bus rapid transit in underserved neighborhoods to baking the perfect baguette, this episode celebrates the human side of engineering and entrepreneurship.
Chapters List:
00:00:00 – Introduction to Carla Bailo
00:01:00 – Carla's Impact on Cities and Roads
00:03:19 – Columbus Wins the Smart Cities Challenge
00:06:50 – Rethinking Mobility for Underserved Communities
00:10:13 – Logistics Innovation: Rickenbacker Middle-Mile Project
00:12:45 – A Flyer on the Door: Communication Gaps in Tech Projects
00:15:23 – Paralleling Transportation, Economic Access, and Planning
00:18:36 – Start Small, Learn Fast: Scaling Smart City Systems
00:21:24 – Asking Better Questions: Carla’s Mentoring Style
00:23:33 – Think in Seven Generations: Long-Term Urban Planning
00:25:58 – Carla on Joining Corporate Boards and Boardroom Roles
00:28:00 – Lessons from Her Father on Responsibility and Preparation
00:32:29 – Learning Upstream Oil & Gas Through Hands-On Curiosity
00:34:20 – CEO Oversight and Navigating Shifting Political Climates
00:37:22 – What Makes a Great Board and a Good CEO
00:40:55 – Mentoring Done Right: Listening and Mutual Learning
00:46:50 – Grandparent Wisdom and Generational Teaching
00:49:49 – The Joy of Embracing the Unknown
00:53:07 – Baking Baguettes & Balancing Curiosity with Relaxation
00:54:40 – Surviving as a Woman Engineer in the ‘70s and ‘80s
00:57:54 – Final Reflections: Making a Difference at Scale
Show Notes:
- Share and engage with this interview on LinkedIn: Click here
- Carla Bailo, NACD.DC on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-bailo-nacd-dc-604ba19/
- Smart Columbus - https://smartcolumbus.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- US Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge - https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-columbus-winner-unprecedented-40-million-smart
- Society of Automotive Engineers – https://www.sae.org/
- Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation - https://awafoundation.org/
- The Road to the Top is Not on the Map: Conversations with Top Women of the Automotive Industry by Carla Bailo – https://www.amazon.com/Road-Top-Not-Map-Conversations/dp/0768000920
- The Road Forward: More Conversations with Top Women in the Automotive Industry by Carla Bailo – https://www.sae.org/publications/books/content/r-513/
- Women in Mobility Bundle by Carla Bailo - https://www.amazon.com/Women-Mobility-Bundle-Carla-author/dp/1468603574/
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