On this episode of the I’m A Car Chick Podcast, Shasta sits down with Dr. Alison Burnham — a powerhouse in data, technology, and automotive who’s now the CTO of AutoUnify, an automotive retail startup in Los Angeles.
They dive into Alison’s fascinating journey: from earning her PhD in mathematics and pioneering statistical process control in auto plants, to building loyalty and predictive analytics programs for massive brands across fashion, banking, sports, and ultimately automotive. Alison shares stories from her work at RepairSmith (which was acquired by AutoNation), her thoughts on what automotive can learn from other industries, and how she’s helping reshape the future of dealership operations with data-driven insights.
They also talk candidly about succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry, why mentorship and networking still matter, and what she hopes to see at the upcoming Women In Automotive Conference in Nashville.

👉 Learn more about Women In Automotive and register for Nashville: womeninautomotive.com
👉 Connect with Dr. Alison Burnham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonburnham/