Ankita Joshi is a Control Systems Engineer at GM working on Automated Driving and Active Safety features. She also serves as a Design Thinking Ambassador within the company training employees on human-centered design tools, providing guidance on special projects, and facilitating open innovation efforts. Prior to her current role, Ankita worked as a Design Release Engineer for Power Closures and Corvette Body Structures.
Ankita received her B.S in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley where she focused on controls, product design, and social impact. For the entirety of her time at Cal, she was a researcher at the Berkeley Emergent Space Tensegrities Lab leading the development of the ULTRA Spine (now Laika) robot. While at Cal, Ankita founded and led two organizations – one focusing on engineering design for social justice, and the other on equalizing access to STEM education.
In part due to her work in design and social impact, Ankita later interned at Autodesk Foundation as a Planning and Investment Strategist and was invited to be on the Advisory Board for Net Impact’s Impact Design Initiative. She continues to serve as a design thinking mentor and consultant to several teams and organizations, some through groups such as Big Ideas and Berkeley Innovation Group.
Ankita believes that the automotive and transportation industries are in a period of great flux where there is a tremendous opportunity for effecting changes in design, impact, and sustainability. She is excited to be mentoring BRAVO and also learning from the team in the process!