Creating Access: Barbara Cardilli on Mentorship, Leadership, and Transforming Motorsport

Mentor Spotlight

Today, as Founder and CEO of LabCardi, a premium consultancy for innovation and PR strategies, Barbara continues to connect industries, generations, and continents. She is also a sought-after Keynote Speaker and Presenter for motorsport events, bringing her strategic insight and global perspective to audiences across the industry.

But there's another role she finds just as meaningful: mentor in the FIA Women in Motorsport Mentorship Program, where she champions the next generation of women breaking barriers in the sport.

Why Mentorship Matters

For Barbara, mentorship isn't separate from her motorsport career - it's the natural extension of it. Years spent navigating a male-dominated industry at Yas Marina Circuit shaped her determination to create genuine access for women entering the field.

"Mentorship is about creating access. It's not just helping someone rise - it's evolving the system so more women can lead from the front."

Through the FIA's global network of women from nearly 70 countries, she's experienced the true reward of mentorship: watching confidence emerge, ideas take form, and careers accelerate. It's legacy-building, and it strengthens her own leadership, empathy, and strategic clarity.

Moments That Matter

One mentorship journey remains especially powerful. A mentee unsure of her place in motorsport came to Barbara seeking direction. Through focused sessions, they defined her personal brand and sharpened her communication strategy.

"Months later, she was invited to speak at an international motorsport conference. Seeing her on that stage—confident, articulate—reminded me why mentorship matters. It's not just advice. It's transformation."

And transformation, she says, is the core purpose of mentorship: elevating individuals while shifting the entire industry forward.

What Mentorship Teaches Mentors

Mentoring has become a defining part of Barbara's own leadership evolution. Designing and contributing to programs that help women lead with strategic intent has deepened her belief in collaborative growth.

"This journey has expanded my perspective," she explains. "It's challenged me to think beyond industries and borders, and to build bridges—between sectors, generations, and continents—through bold connection and meaningful dialogue."

From this work came her most important leadership lesson:

"Leadership isn't just about personal success. It's about reimagining the system to create lasting impact."

Advice for Future Mentors

Barbara's message to first-time mentors is refreshingly simple:

"You don't need a perfect story or all the answers. What matters is showing up with authenticity, listening with intention, and sharing your journey honestly."

To her, mentorship is leadership at its most essential: creating space, breaking barriers, and building bridges where none existed before.

Driving Real Change

For Barbara, mentorship empowers women in motorsport with more than guidance. It provides access, encouragement, and connection - the human elements that shape lasting change within the sport and beyond.

When asked about resources, she recommends The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a reminder that "our path is never random and that we each have the power to choose our own legend."

Through LabCardi, her blog PitStopLab – Where Speed Meets Prestige, her partnership with the Formula 4 UAE Championship, her role as a Keynote Speaker and Presenter, and her commitment to the FIA Women in Motorsport Mentorship Program, Barbara continues to follow her own path - one defined by impact, access, and transformation.