Women Shifting Gears with Amanda Busick GSEvents LLC

It was at an early age that Kate Cook knew her passion in life was art. By picking up commission pieces in high school, Kate was able to purchase her first car, a 1966 Jeepster Commando that she worked on with her father and brother. It would be that Jeep that inspired her to combine her two loves into an artistic technique she calls “pinstripe illustration”. While she started her career in watercolor, ink and oil paint, she decided to meld the traditional methods of paintin...

While Anja Kempermann may be the U.S. Events Manager and Race Series Manager for Masters Historic Racing, it’s her zest for life and her mantra of choosing to be happy that will have you smiling from ear to ear while listening to her chat with host Amanda Busick about her journey to her “happy place”. Her passion for life coupled with her love for racing has made this self-proclaimed petrolhead one amazing woman. Kempermann’s podcast marks our milestone 50th episode of Women Shifti...

Her love for Ford Mustangs started in high school when she was looking for a “cool car” with her dad. When her parents met, her mom had a 1965 Mustang Coupe while her dad drove a 1966 GT. Growing up, her dad would share stories about how much fun he had with his car, so when the time came to purchase her first ride, she knew she wanted a Mustang. Her first Mustang was a 1966 Coupe. When that car was totaled, she took her insurance money and purchased her 1965 convertible tha...

Her love affair with Porsche started with a “FOR SALE” sign on a Saturn Yellow ’72 914 that Mia Walsh saw while on her bicycle just prior to her 16th birthday. Somehow, she convinced the owner to let her take it for a spin. It wouldn’t be until 25 years later that she and her husband would purchase their first Porsche and join the Potomac Region of the PCA. With over 300 total track days under her belt and encouraged by other racers to make the move to Club Racing, Mia modified he...

It all started with a chat just prior to the start of the 2021 Indianapolis 500. Racing legend Lyn St. James has been a longtime advocate for women in motorsports and had basically run out of gas while carrying the banner for equality. But, when she witnessed first-hand what Beth Paretta was doing with her Paretta Autosport team at the Indy 500, she was refueled. She reached out to Paretta about forming an organization to help facilitate women’s participation in the sport they bot...

Sonia Rief is vice president, Vehicle Connected Services & Program Management Office for Nissan U.S. and Canada. She was appointed to this position in March 2019. In this role, Rief is responsible for managing vehicle line profitability and leading Nissan’s Connected Services organization. Overseeing the Connected Service organization includes planning, delivery, marketing and operations for internal and external customer content.Previously, Rief was director, Program Management Office at...