Erin E. Sawyer is a Mechanical Engineer with more than 15 years of experience in automotive and electric vehicle technologies. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Erin also serves as a guest lecturer at Kellogg, teaching in the areas of Operations Strategy and Organizational Behavior. She divides her time between two residences in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and Aspen, Colorado.
Currently, Erin is a Venture Partner at Volo Earth Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage climate technology companies spanning electricity, mobility, construction, and embodied carbon. Previously, she held leadership roles in Engineering, Program Management, and Purchasing at Tesla, Ford Motor Company, Cummins, and Honeywell. Throughout her career, Erin has led teams advancing efficiency and fuel economy in the automotive sector, driving measurable reductions in carbon emissions across both startup and Fortune 500 environments.
An active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for more than 20 years, Erin has served as a SWE Senator, Invent It, Build It (IIBI) Coordinator, and SWENext Awards Leader. She especially values opportunities to mentor the next generation through reviewing SWE scholarship applications and championing young women in STEM. Erin’s personal mission is to inspire women to pursue engineering careers while modeling strong female leadership. In her role as an investor, she also advocates for increasing venture capital funding for female founders.
