Niantic Office Hours: How to Be a Change-Maker

The event

In 2020, D&I has been driven to the top of the corporate agenda. Companies of different sizes, sectors and cultures have dialed up their commitments to supporting their underrepresented minority and female employees and customers. But change doesn't happen overnight.

The journey from press release to results is long. It takes determination across the whole business, careful strategic thinking and disciplined execution. And it is, at its heart, people-powered.

Enter the change-makers. They're the allies who use their privilege to turn good intentions into concrete actions, and the advocates who keep driving their companies to a more diverse and inclusive future.

For this event, we'll be in conversation with change-makers with very different experiences of and relationships to driving progress: Greg Borrud (VP, General Manager at Niantic), Kellee Santiago (Head of Developer Relations at Niantic) and Deborah Okenla (Founder and CEO of YSYS). The session is dedicated to finding out how they've done it, equipping you with practical steps you can take to push progress in your organisations and through your work.

We're hosting this virtual event in collaboration with the brilliant YSYS and Ada's List. YSYS is a London-based organisation dedicated to opening the doors of opportunity to diverse communities. Ada's List is a global network of women/non-binary people who are committed to changing communities, our workplaces and the tech industry for the better.

The speakers

• Kellee Santiago, Head of Developer Relations at Niantic: Kelly works as an ambassador between our Business Development and Platform teams and the developer community. Prior to joining Niantic, she rose to prominence in the industry as President and Co-Founder of thatgamecompany, known for its multi-award-winning game Journey. She is also Co-Founder and Partner of the angel investment fund Indie Fund. In 2010, she became a TED Fellow and was recognised as one of The Ten Most Influential Women in Games of the Past Decade.

• Greg Borrud, VP, General Manager at Niantic: Greg is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience and currently leads our LA and London studios. Greg is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Seismic Games, which Niantic acquired in 2018. He was also the Co-Founder of Pandemic Studios, which was acquired by EA in 2007. Greg has seen significant shifts in the industry's approach to D&I over the course of his career, and at Niantic has been heavily involved in our efforts to continuously improve the access and equity we're creating for women and underrepresented minorities.

• Deborah Okenla, Founder & CEO at YSYS: Deborah founded YSYS to be the change she wanted to see in the tech ecosystem. She's a passionate advocate for black women in entrepreneurship and has been recognised by the Mayor of London for her advocacy through her campaign #WhereAreTheFaces, spotlighting black women in STEM and venture capital. In 2018 and 2019, respectively, Deborah was named The UK's Top 100 Black and Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology by the FT.

The conversation will be moderated by Kit Gilbert, who manages HR and Operations for Niantic in EMEA.

The logistics

We'll be hosting this event on Zoom, so please do join at 6:30pm to catch the full talk.

• 6:30pm: Moderated panel discussion with our speakers
• 7:15-7:45pm: Audience Q&A

The series

Niantic is proud to be partnering with YSYS, Ada's List and Women in Games to bring you Niantic Office Hours.

Why?

We know our industry needs to do far more to welcome in women and minority groups, and – crucially – to help them thrive once they're here. We started Niantic Office Hours to extend the support we provide to our employees outside of our walls and into the UK games and tech community.

What?

Niantic Office Hours is a series of events ranging from panel discussions on how to advance your career, to interactive workshops that let you develop and share your craft with likeminded peers. Each event is for women (no matter how you identify as a woman), non-binary and non-gender confirming individuals, and minority groups.

We collaborate with one or more of our partners for each event to help reach these groups and curate valuable experiences. Tickets are free, and there are a limited number available to make sure all attendees get value from the sessions.

What's next?

We'll be hosting a Niantic Office Hours event once every quarter. You can keep an eye on what's coming up via our Eventbrite page and by signing up to our mailing list.

More about Niantic

Niantic is the world’s leading AR technology company, sparking creative and engaging journeys in the real world. Our products inspire outdoor exploration, exercise, and meaningful social interaction.

Originally formed at Google in 2011, we became an independent company in 2015 with a strong group of investors including Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Alsop Louie Partners. Our current titles include pioneering global-control game Ingress, record-breaking AR game Pokémon GO, and recently released third title, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Our London HQ is home to a variety of teams, from Games to AR R&D. We're always on the lookout for talented individuals to join us, so please check out our careers page for opportunities.