Initiatives for diversity through Employee Resource Groups

At Nintendo of America, we have established Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to drive initiatives that encourage mutual understanding and fellowship among our employees. These groups promote employees coming together based on their shared backgrounds, experiences and interests, and support activities that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

We have spotlighted the achievements and efforts of two such ERGs below.

Black at Nintendo Dialogue (B@ND)  

Our Black at Nintendo Dialogue (B@ND) ERG works to champion inclusivity through community outreach, employee engagement, and talent acquisition. B@ND researches and creates volunteer opportunities for Nintendo of America and its employees to engage with the Black community and raise awareness of the company's DEI commitment.  

In FY 2021, B@ND engaged in a variety of activities, including sponsoring charitable giving campaigns that featured the Northwest African American Museum (Seattle), Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (New York) and Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco).

In 2021,complementing the Black History Month campaign theme of “Mind, Body, and Soul,” B@ND focused on total wellness through activities that included boxing, dancing, cooking, and health screenings offered in partnership with the onsite employee clinic. The month’s activities also featured a webinar discussion with Look, Listen, and Learn, an organization that produces television programming aimed at elevating the importance of diverse representation in education. 

B@ND also provides opportunities and platforms for employees to have open conversations around DEI-related events and topics. Monthly meetings offer an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics ranging from popular culture, music artists and prominent issues in health and wellness such as mental health and the impact of COVID-19 in the Black community. To commemorate the celebration of Juneteenth on June 19, B@ND led activities that educated employees on the significance of the holiday and how they too could celebrate through food, fun, and connection. 

In support of diverse talent acquisition, B@ND attends recruiting events, such as AfroTech and the Game Developers of Color Conference.

Nintendo Women and Allies

Our Nintendo Women and Allies ERG continues to support female employees by offering a variety of empowering opportunities by and for women.

In 2021, professional development and wellness were key areas of focus for Nintendo Women and Allies. Beginning with Women’s History Month, the group embarked on a four-step learning journey inspired by the theme “Challenge Your Development.” Participants were encouraged to consider their future career goals, identify the skills and experience they need to be ready for opportunities, create a vision and action plan, and connect with others for feedback, mentoring and support. Development areas explored by the group were supported by women in management positions.

Nintendo Women and Allies also partnered with fitness and nutrition experts to inspire healthy habits during a wellness campaign week for all employees. This included virtual exercise classes, mindfulness practices and cooking classes.

The ERG also promoted a Women in Government panel discussion on “Building the Next Generation of STEAM Leaders” that was sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association.

Nintendo Women and Allies partnered with Human Resources to produce a new Perspectives on Race Forum: Exploring Identity and Intersectionality, which explored the effect of being both a woman and a person of color. The employee panelists were women who carry multiple identities and the discussion helped raise awareness about the many dimensions of what it means to be a woman and the impact that race and gender may have when they intersect.