Empowering Women Behind the Wheel: The Story of Gabriela Sánchez and “Lila Takes the Wheel”
Gabriela Sánchez (right) and Indira Singh (left) after Gabriela’s presentation.
Interview with Gabriela Sánchez by Indira Singh, Catalyste+ Advisor
In September, Lila al Volante (Lila Takes The Wheel), a small business in Ecuador that offers confidence-building driving lessons for women, celebrated their one-year anniversary with live music and a presentation. Gabriela Sánchez, a member of Red de Mujeres Líderes (RML), created Lila Takes The Wheel to inspire other women to overcome their fears and learn to drive.
RML is a network of women leaders in Ecuador that trains, develops, and empowers women to achieve financial independence through their entrepreneurship. Gabriela started Lila Takes The Wheel on her own and built the business through entrepreneurship workshops that RML offers its members.
I was invited to the celebration by RML President, Carmen Elna Huras after supporting the network during a Catalyste+ assignment. I assessed their policies and capacities and provided technical assistance to review, restructure, or generate strategies and tools to strengthen RML’s long-term sustainability.
During the event, Gabriela delivered a presentation in which she shared her success story and described her experience working with the organization. I was truly impressed by Gabriela’s achievements.
Eager to learn more about her journey and how she established her business, I interviewed Gabriela on October 2, 2025. I believe Gabriela’s story can inspire other women to start their own businesses.
Gabriela conducting training for her client at the RML location.
INDIRA: What were you doing before you started this business?
GABRIELA: I was involved in a family business, working with my ex-husband. At that time, I had no financial independence.
INDIRA: So, you had a partnership but lacked economic independence?
GABRIELA: Yes. I had economic independence when I was single, but lost it after marrying my ex-husband.
INDIRA: Did you start this business on your own?
GABRIELA: Oui, je l’ai fait.
INDIRA: How did you get started?
GABRIELA: About a year ago, I came up with the idea to help women who are afraid of driving—a fear I experienced myself.
INDIRA: What role did RML play when you started your business?
GABRIELA: Everything began in February when I joined RML. I attended their entrepreneurship workshop, which helped me develop my business plan. RML promoted my business on social media and allowed me to use their office for training sessions, which I previously held at my home.
INDIRA: Did you participate in RML’s entrepreneurship training?
GABRIELA: Yes, I did.
INDIRA: What is the name of your training course?
GABRIELA: “Lila Takes the Wheel” (Lila al Volante).
INDIRA: How did you come up with this idea?
GABRIELA: It came from my own experience. Learning to drive was very difficult for me. I took several courses at different driving schools, but fear paralyzed me every time.
INDIRA: I’ve heard that within one year you trained 300 women.
GABRIELA: Actually, I’ve helped 350 women in the past year. We recently celebrated our first anniversary, and today, for the first time, a man attended the training with his mother.
INDIRA: What is the typical age group of your clients?
GABRIELA: Around 42 years old.
INDIRA: What marketing strategy did you use to reach 350 women?
GABRIELA: Mainly social media. I create videos and share empathetic messages for women facing the same fears I did. In Ecuador, thousands of women have driver’s licenses but don’t drive due to fear.
INDIRA: What does your training involve?
GABRIELA: The course has three stages:
- Building self-confidence and addressing limiting beliefs
- Practical driving lessons with female instructors
- Helping participants develop the habit of driving for 21 consecutive days, with support available via WhatsApp
INDIRA: Are your clients mainly Ecuadorian, or do you have clients from other countries?
GABRIELA: I gave a free masterclass on Zoom, and people from Mexico, the United States, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica joined. The method can be applied anywhere.
INDIRA: Will you offer this training online for a fee?
GABRIELA: Yes. The next masterclass will not be free.
INDIRA: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
GABRIELA: Yes, some data I find important:
In Quito, only 26% of drivers are women, despite women making up over 50% of the population. This gender gap limits women’s autonomy and pushes us toward public transportation.
In 2024, 4 out of 10 women in Quito were victims of sexual harassment and abuse on public transportation. Girls and adolescents (ages 10 to 19) are the main victims, representing 44.58% on surface transportation and 63.16% on the Metro de Quito. Source: Study on Sexual Violence in Metropolitan Transportation and Metrobus 2024.
Another interesting fact: Most women who attend my training share their family’s only vehicle. However, only the husband typically uses the car, while the wife and children rely on public transportation. This is often due to women’s fear of driving.
INDIRA: Using public transportation helps reduce fuel consumption and pollution, but I agree with your point. You might consider adding content on how women can respond to sexual harassment.
GABRIELA: Absolutely. Many women freeze when faced with harassment and don’t know how to react. I’m developing a self-defense course to help women identify when someone invades their personal space and how to respond. Although there are campaigns and panic buttons on public transport in Quito, women often forget to report incidents when they occur.
INDIRA: Thank you so much for sharing your story. You are doing incredible work, and I wish you continued success with your business.
Gabriela (left) celebrating the one-year anniversary of Lila Takes the Wheel (Lila Al Volante).
