GM Robotics Leader Hosts Women in STEM Breakfast in Boston
Mikell Taylor, who built robots from a prom date to Amazon's first autonomous mobile robot, is bringing women in robotics together for mentorship and connection. The breakfast kicks off a summit addressing the fact that only 19% of robotics engineers are women.
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For 25 years, Mikell Taylor has been proving that robots can be trustworthy partners, not just machines. Now the GM robotics strategy leader wants to help more women join her in shaping that future.
Taylor will lead the Women in Robotics Breakfast on May 28 at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. The event creates space for women in a field where they're often the only female voice in the room at smaller startups.
Currently, women make up just 19% of robotics engineers. That's a gap Taylor knows well from her own journey through the industry.
Her career reads like a highlight reel of practical innovation. She created a robotic prom date early on, then moved to uncrewed underwater vehicles and cutting-edge industrial systems. At Amazon Robotics, she led the team behind Proteus, the company's first autonomous mobile robot designed to work safely alongside people.
Today at GM's Autonomous Robotics Center, Taylor focuses on making robots that are reliable, practical, and genuinely useful. She's passionate about building machines that earn the trust of the humans working with them.
Why This Inspires
Taylor's approach shows that technical excellence and mentorship can grow together. She sits on the board of Mbadika, a STEM nonprofit supporting creators and their ideas. She also coaches her oldest child's Lego robotics team, where she jokes she commands far less respect than at her actual job.
The Boston Globe named her one of its Tech Power Players in 2023, recognition of her impact on the city's technology community. She's using that platform to open doors for others.
The breakfast on May 28 starts at 8:00 a.m. ET and includes insights from both Taylor and Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder of MassRobotics. After breakfast, Taylor will deliver a keynote titled "What Makes a Robot Worthy?" exploring the qualities that make automated systems truly valuable.
The add-on breakfast requires separate registration from the main summit, and tickets are limited. The two-day Robotics Summit & Expo features over 50 sessions on AI, design, healthcare robotics, and logistics, with more than 70 confirmed speakers from companies like Tesla, Toyota Research Institute, and AWS.
One conversation at a time, Taylor is building the future she wants to see: more women designing the robots that will shape our world.
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Based on reporting by The Robot Report
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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