Women in Aviation Meeting at Onlogic

Written By Beth White

Our WOMEN BUILD PLANES crew headed to the Women in Aviation Vermont Chapter’s monthly meeting at OnLogic, and it was a spark plug kind of day. Co-founder Lisa Groeneveld shared stories from spin training in the Southwest—what she learned when a flight went sideways, and how preparation, calm thinking, and lots and lots of practice brought her down safely. Hearing a leader talk candidly about risk, recovery, and decision-making landed with our builders/pilots in all the right ways.

Afterward, the Lisa and Rowland walked us through their stunning new facility—where rapid prototyping and engineering spaces left us energized by the invitation to think bigger about where aviation and technology meet in Vermont. Deep thanks to Lisa and Roland Groeneveld for being true expanders—opening doors, widening our view, and reminding our young people that the runway to innovation stretches far beyond one hangar.

Beth White

Education Possibilitarian, Artist, Writer, Doula, Mentor, Aviatrix, Breast Cancer Survivor, Pilot-in-Command at Habitat for Aviation


In the spring of 2022, Beth White emerged from a 10-month battle with breast cancer with an idea: to create an apprenticeship program at Franklin County State Airport where youth work alongside adult mentors servicing conventional and electric aircraft. A pilot and airplane mechanic apprentice herself, and with family roots in the trades, Habitat for Aviation provides an taxilane for world learning opportunities for youth and adults who love to work with their hands to enter the FAA’s apprenticeship certification track. Each day she puts systems in place that make real John Dewey’s philosophy that we “learn best what we live” – a deep throughline from her time at Antioch University New England and as Regional Director for Big Picture Learning. Each learning experience is grounded in relationships, relevance, and practice. In October, 2023, Habitat for Aviation launched its Women Build Planes program, where an all-female team of Modern Day Rosies is building an airplane at Franklin County Airport, in northwestern Vermont, to show folks everywhere that despite the fact that only 2.6% of airplane mechanics are female, women BUILD, FLY, and FIX airplanes.

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Vermont Bankers Association Women in Leadership Presentation