Seeing Yourself in a Shared Micromobility Role
To complement NABSA’s Building a Better Shared Micromobility Industry: Best Practices for More Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces toolkit and strategy to increase diversity in the shared micromobility workforce at all levels we launched “Workforce Diversity Wednesdays”. This blog and social media series spotlights jobs in shared micromobility throughout the year. We post interviews with individuals in the shared micromobility industry highlighting their work and role with the hopes of encouraging more diversity and representation in the field.
Meet Vanessa Serrano! Vanessa (she/her) works at Lime as the General Manager, US – Midwest overseeing local operations in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and Indiana. Learn about Vanessa as she shares her journey to shared micromobility below:
How did you come to arrive at working in shared micromobility and your current role?
I’ve always had a passion for helping people by making things better, faster, more efficient, or more affordable. It’s just part of who I am, and what I chose to focus on through my education and career in industrial engineering. That passion led me to shared micromobility, starting at Lyft and now at Lime.
Along the way, I’ve learned that shared micromobility is truly a playground for solving interesting and complex problems, helping people get from point A to point B in a reliable and affordable way, while also shaping how cities and communities think about transportation.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
Tough question, there’s a lot I genuinely enjoy about the work I do. What stands out most is being surrounded by people who care as deeply about helping others as I do. My team brings such a strong mix of perspectives and backgrounds, including folks from different countries, and that constantly pushes me to think differently about how we can make micromobility better for everyone.
I also really value being able to show up as myself at work, bringing both my engineering mindset and my love for human-centered design into how we shape scooter and bike use across the Midwest. And it means a lot to be part of an organization where our leadership team includes so many strong female leaders, it’s something I truly appreciate and feel inspired by.
What has surprised you most about your job?
What has surprised me most about my job is realizing that the work is never really “done.” There is always another opportunity to improve how micromobility works in cities, especially across the Midwest, and that constant push to make things better keeps the work exciting.
I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the appetite people have for challenging the status quo. Whether it’s cities, advocates, or community members, there are so many people willing to rethink how our streets and transportation systems can work, particularly for those who benefit most from accessible and affordable mobility options.
