How to start an LGBTQIA+ employee resource group

Jenna DeWitt graduated with a journalism degree in 2011, a bleak year for the magazine industry. Through connections from her Baylor University mentors, she pursued openings with nonprofit publications and began rising up the ranks of the Christian magazine world, a media landscape that was growing more conservative with the rise of the evangelical Right.

As much as she loved the magazine work, this environment was difficult as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I got to a place where I thought, ‘Oh no, I really want to come out,’” Jenna recalls. “The unfortunate truth is that I’d landed my dream job and then realized it was not a safe place for me.”

After securing a senior editor role at Esri, the global market leader in location intelligence, Jenna was eager to find support, empathy, and inclusion in her new workplace. From this search for authenticity, an employee resource group was born: Prism.

During our Pride: Championing LGBQTIA+ Leaders & Allies summit, we sat down with Jenna to hear her top tips on starting an LGBTQIA+ employee resource group (ERG) — and why it’s transformed her workplace experience.

Step 1: Recognize a need

For Jenna, detecting a gap in Esri’s lineup of ERGs was serendipitous. It was National Coming Out Day, and she saw a new message in the company’s LGBTQIA+ Teams channel.

“Someone posted their own coming out story, which then prompted other people to come out of the woodwork and say, ‘That’s amazing. Congratulations.’ I commented and said, ‘Hey, do we ever meet in person?’”

This simple question provoked an outpouring of positive responses, asking when and where everyone could get together.

“So, that's how I accidentally founded an employee resource group,” Jenna laughs. As unintentional as it was, that moment sealed the deal for launching an official LGBTQIA+ ERG. “We landed on Prism as a group name because we wanted something that reflected the diversity and intersectionality we aspire to. We acknowledge how disability, neurodivergence, race, culture, background, education, class, family, all these things, affect our work, our identities, and what we bring to Esri.”

Step 2: Host an orientation session

Think of this as an icebreaker, get-to-know-you opportunity with your founding members. To spread the word, add an invitation to any major company channels, send an email blast, or even put up signs by a coffee station if you’re in an office. Your goal is to reach as many people as possible.

“Once you’ve achieved that and you have everyone sitting together, share your names, your pronouns, your coming out stories, and then — here’s the key — ask what they need.”

As the ERG founder, you are just one slice of a kaleidoscope of identities and backgrounds. Your barriers and challenges in the workplace might look different than those of the person sitting next to you.

“It could be something as simple as gender-neutral restrooms. Maybe that would never occur to me because I fit into a gender binary.” No group is a monolith.

Step 3: Partner with leadership

Jenna addresses the importance of working for an organization that sees inclusivity as a cultural pillar, even if they’re new to hosting an LGBTQIA+ ERG.

“If you don’t have that, you’re in the wrong company. You cannot accomplish [founding an LGBTQIA+ ERG] unless you have a company that values diversity.”

As a result of Esri’s key tenets, Jenna and her fellow Prism leaders were able to quickly gain backing from other departments.

“Regular collaboration with a liaison in human resources came organically because they cared. The key leaders in our organization reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, I know you exist as an ERG. We’re the talent acquisition team. We would like to diversify our recruiting efforts.’”

This created an open forum for Prism to share feedback and incite structural change with the support of Esri’s leadership.

“Every department should be open to collaboration, feedback, and being told, ‘Hey, you're doing great work, but we would really love to see improvement in this specific area. What can we do to make that happen? And, even if it doesn't happen this year, what steps can we put in place so that it's in the budget for next year?’”

Step 4: Share resources

Prism developed a website for Esri team members that shares educational links, events, guidelines, and more resources related to the LGBTQIA+ community.

“It’s a hub for all these things,” Jenna says. “We explain how to set your pronouns on our technology and why you should do this. … We feature our LGBTQIA+ friendly benefits and policies. … We have a glossary for inclusive language, and more.”

This resource is available all year long, not just during Pride month, so queerness is constantly celebrated and supported within the workplace.

Step 5: Create a burnout-resistant structure

“This has been a pretty wild four years to start an LGBTQIA+ organization,” Jenna laughs. “So, we’ve learned to put boundaries around it. … Our mission is specific to being an internal group for employees and allies, creating change and fostering community in our own company.”

While Jenna and other ERG folks would love to see all LGBTQIA+ issues resolved, they focus on what they can control inside Esri to avoid burnout.

“A fluid leadership team also helps with this. Prism leadership is open to anyone who wants to join, whether you want to stay long-term or be involved for a single event.”

Prism has welcomed team members for a specific initiative, like implementing gender-affirming healthcare, who then leave the ERG leadership team to focus on wider community issues.

“There’s something that’s always flowing and transitioning in life. That is a part of queerness. We wanted to reflect that in our leadership team, so people are free to come and go.”

“Throughout this whole process, I trusted my gut, trusted my instincts, while, at the same, learning. If there are things I’ve said today that don’t feel right for you, then please discard them. Take whatever is useful to you, and trust your gut,” Jenna says. “If you're wondering 'Why doesn't our organization do XYZ?' The reason is we need you, your talents and expertise. You are a vital part of the community. It's time to empower ourselves.”

To listen to the full conversation with Jenna DeWitt, “Looking through the Prism: Talking to Esri’s Jenna DeWitt on founding an LGBTQIA+ ERG,” you can access the recording here.