Evans, Aicha

Impact on the world

After more than a decade rising to Chief Strategy Officer at Intel, where she helped steer the company's shift toward data-centric computing including 5G, AI, and cloud strategy, Evans became CEO of the autonomous-vehicle startup Zoox in February 2019 — a small, private Silicon Valley company she chose specifically because its founders needed a partner “not because someone told them 'you need adult supervision.'” Within eighteen months she led its acquisition by Amazon for $1.3 billion in June 2020, remaining as CEO of the standalone subsidiary; unlike competitors that retrofit existing cars, Zoox builds a purpose-built, symmetrical, driverless vehicle from scratch, and under Evans's leadership launched free public robotaxi rides on the Las Vegas Strip in 2025. In 2025 she was named to Forbes' “Women to Watch” list alongside fellow robotaxi CEO Tekedra Mawakana of Waymo, making the two Black women the heads of rival companies at the frontier of applied AI.

Life & background

Born in 1969 in Senegal and raised in Paris, Evans moved to the United States for college, earning a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from George Washington University in 1996. She spent roughly a decade in engineering management at Rockwell Semiconductor, Conexant, and Skyworks Solutions before joining Intel in 2006, where she rose over the following dozen years to senior vice president and chief strategy officer, working extensively on Intel's wireless and 5G strategy including its acquisition of Mobileye. She serves as a trustee of the Anita Borg Institute for Women & Technology and on SAP's supervisory board, and has been recognized on Forbes' 50 Over 50 list and Business Insider's “100 People Transforming Business.”

Sources

1. Fast Company; Forbes; Peopleofcolorintech.com; GW Engineering (George Washington University)