Introducing Makaiya Brown, DE&I and Development Lead

news.blizzard.com:

Hello, Blizzard community! My name is Makaiya Brown, and I’ve been Blizzard’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), and Development Lead since September 2021. With International Women’s Day coming up, I thought what better time to share some thoughts on this role and how our work at Blizzard is progressing so far.

First, the obvious question: why Blizzard? When I met with people here, what struck me the most were two things. First, the drive and commitment for meaningful change from the employees–all incredibly talented people who want to better our culture while continuing to pursue the work they love. And second, the genuine commitment from the Blizzard leadership team, who are spearheading change across the board to ensure their teams feel safe, heard, and able to be their best, creative selves. It is rare to see such an overwhelming, collective drive at all levels, and guiding that energy as our work progresses inspires me.

We are here because we want to make games that are welcoming to everyone, and to truly do that, we need multiple perspectives. With women, people of color, LGBT+, or people who are differently-abled feeling Blizzard is a place for them–a place where they can be their best selves–we gain those valuable perspectives. A more inclusive culture results in better games, period.

The most important pillar that drives lasting change is education; and I realize that for some people, education around DE&I topics is uncomfortable. Everyone has biases based on multiple influences—how we grew up, who we grew up around, what type of media we consume. In the workplace, these biases manifest in particular ways. For example, if you are used to working around the same people with the same behaviors, and someone