Hosted by Shaesta Waiz, Michael Wildes · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 95 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
AVIATE with Shaesta brings some of the most interesting female aviators together- trailblazers, record-setters, mothers, adventurers, entrepreneurs- to have honest conversations about what it means to be a woman in aviation. Join Shaesta Waiz, the Youngest Woman to Fly Solo Around the World, as she goes around the world (via a podcast) and connects with the industry to have honest conversations about being a woman in aviation. AVIATE, which stands for Acknowledge, Vocalize, Inclusion, Act, Travel, and Evolve, are the themes guiding each conversation.AVIATE With Shaesta is sponsored by Atlantic Aviation.
Shaesta Waiz, Michael Wildes hosts AVIATE with Shaesta, a society show with 95 episodes published.
Sarah Kalmeta built her career around one core truth: a pivot is not a failure. It is feedback. In this conversation, Sarah explains how her own aviation career forced her to confront burnout, health issues, identity shi
Tasha Funes built her aviation career across commercial, charter, government, and private aviation, and in this conversation she explains how each chapter taught her something different about the job. Commercial aviation
Katherine Moloney did not grow up thinking she would become a pilot, even though aviation was in her family. Her father flew, but she never saw herself in the cockpit and brushed off early signs that she might belong the
Katie Hill works at the center of aviation policy, government affairs, and advanced air mobility, and in this conversation she explains how she got there. She started on Capitol Hill working for Senator Moran, where ment
Shelly DeZevallos has spent decades working in aviation and public service, and in this conversation she explains why running for Congress felt like the natural next step. She argues aviation and policy are already deepl
Samantha Spencer oversees both landside and airside operations at South Bend International Airport—meaning she’s responsible for everything from FAA and TSA compliance to snow ops, badging, construction coordination, and
Amman went from rejection to finding her path in aircraft maintenance—then had to fight to be treated like a real technician. In a mostly male program, she was pushed toward admin work while men got hands-on tasks. A men
When Sabira Rezaie sits in a cockpit, she says she carries two things at once: the voices of Afghan women who never got the chance to fly, and the weight of everything she lost. That mix—purpose and grief—runs through th
When Veronica Leacock moved from Panama to the U.S., she wasn’t just changing countries. She was rebuilding her entire career—new language, new system, and a licensing process that nearly shut her out. She went hangar to
When Abingdon sat at a 99s Christmas dinner in 2006, she thought she was just celebrating her new private pilot certificate. Instead, she discovered a gap no watch company was willing to fill: pilot watches built for wom
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Dr. Kimberly Perkins—787 airline pilot, research scientist at the University of Washington, and fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society—about the rollback of diversity, equ
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Lynda Coffman—CEO of Women in Aviation International, former United Airlines executive, and Northwestern adjunct professor— about sustaining a qualified aviation workforce w
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Samantha T. Mitchell—licensed A&P mechanic, author, and founder of Black Women in Aviation—about building a career where women are still drastically underrepresented, especi
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Jennifer Pickerel—President of Aviation Personnel International and a veteran executive search consultant—about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) effort
In this candid conversation, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Captain Reyné O'Shaughnessy—veteran FedEx pilot, human-performance specialist, and author of This Is Your Captain Speaking: What You Should Know About Your Pilot
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Kathryn Creedy—veteran aviation journalist and advocate for workforce equity—about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in aviation and its consequences. C
In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Mervat Sultan—founder of Ramjet Aviation Services and President of the Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter—about how intentional leadership, structured mentorship, and pol
In this powerful conversation, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Retired Lt. Col. Olga E. Custodio, the first Latina to fly for the United States Air Force and later, the first Latina commercial airline captain in the U.S. O
In this wide-ranging conversation, Capt. Lynn Rippelmeyer—first woman to fly the Boeing 747—joins host Shaesta Waiz to dismantle the myth that equity and excellence are mutually exclusive. Rippelmeyer traces her unlikely
Military veteran and advocate Jessica Ruttenber—retired Air Force officer, founder of Level Up Aviation joins host Shaesta Waiz to explain why dismantling diversity, equity & inclusion programs threatens aviation safety,
Sarah Kalmeta
Sarah “The Pivoter”
1 appearance on this show
Katie Hill
Former Congresswoman · Nudj Health
1 appearance on this show
Stephanie Goetz
lecturer in Spanish at the U of M
1 appearance on this show
Merryl Tengesdal
U-2 Spy Plane Pilot
1 appearance on this show
Jessica Cox
Motivational Speaker, “Possible Thinking” Business Consultant, Guinness World Record Holder · Unknown
2 appearances on this show
Nicole Malachowski
retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, first female Thunderbird pilot · U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
1 appearance on this show
Bessie Coleman
1 appearance on this show
Michael Wildes
2 appearances on this show
Nicole Stott
Retired Astronaut, Artist, & Author · NASA
3 appearances on this show
Patty Wagstaff
Airshow Hall of Fame member, international aviation superstar
2 appearances on this show
Erika Armstrong
airline and corporate captain, bestselling author of A Chick in the Cockpit
1 appearance on this show
Stephanie Chung
breast cancer warrior, #1 international best-selling author, aviation trailblazer, first African-American president of a private aviation company · Wheels Up
1 appearance on this show
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AVIATE with Shaesta is hosted by Shaesta Waiz, Michael Wildes. The show is categorised under society (culture) and has published 95 episodes.
AVIATE with Shaesta has published 95 episodes.
AVIATE with Shaesta regularly covers society, culture, relationships. It sits in the society category, with a culture focus.
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Episodes of AVIATE with Shaesta average 37 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates AVIATE with Shaesta's guest bar at 82/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
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