Celebrating our Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution AANHPI Community

While May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, it’s important to continue to uplift AANHPI history, heritage, and stories year-round! We’re continuing the celebration by shining a light on our employees across our Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) segment, which is responsible for the distribution of our stories, including through our streaming services and TV networks. Hear from our DMED colleagues about their careers at Disney, their experiences in Disney’s AANHPI community, and the advice they have for the next generation of storytellers.

What quote represents your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community?
Brittney: “Try Everything!” – Judy Hopps from Zootopia. This simple quote has become my mantra throughout my journey with Disney. As a trainer for the hotels of the Disneyland Resort, I always left my new hires with this quote — and the Shakira music video — to encourage them to seize every opportunity presented to them during their time with the company.

What does a “day in the life” of your role look like? Are there any special projects you’re especially proud of?
Brittney: In my previous role, I was a Guest Services Lead and Trainer at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Today, I am learning and training to be a Product Manager through CODE: Rosie, a DMED Technology program where Disney employees in non-technology roles can pursue a new career in technology. At first, I was afraid to even attempt to explore a new career in technology given my background in hospitality; however, after seeing the achievements of previous Rosies and the unique structure of the program, I truly felt that CODE: Rosie 3.0 is an experience I wanted to be a part of and an opportunity I had to pursue.

What part of your job has been the most rewarding?
Brittney: The most rewarding part of the “job” thus far is seeing how much I have grown and accomplished since the beginning of my journey into technology. I really did take a leap of faith attempting to pivot my career as I applied for CODE: Rosie 3.0. I do not know many Filipino-American women with a career in technology, let alone Product Management, so it is very humbling and rewarding knowing that I have the opportunity to be that representation for other women who resonate with me and my story.

What advice do you have for folks looking to pursue a role similar to yours?
Brittney: My advice for folks looking to pursue a role in technology is to network and get to know the many roles that are involved. Talking to colleagues and professionals in the industry sparked my interest in pursuing a career in the field as well as opened my eyes to Product Management in particular. You will learn that many roles in the field do not necessarily require things such as a computer science background or attending a “boot camp;” this was extremely reassuring for me. Seeking advice and hearing stories from people in the industry I believe are the first steps toward any career you are interested in pursuing.

Tell us about your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community. What does being a part of this community mean to you?
Niyati: Diversity and inclusion were very important to me when searching for a job, and I really found that at Disney. It means so much to be a part of a company that values people primarily for the work they do, and having fellow AANHPI coworkers and mentors to look up to shows me that I can really grow my career here.

What part of your job has been the most rewarding?
Niyati: It’s a great experience to be able to go to work every day knowing that I am working on a product that will be used by millions of people worldwide. Disney Streaming is also at the forefront of streaming platforms – we are consistently pushing to innovate, improve, and build new technologies. This motivates me to continue learning and adapting as we grow.

What advice do you have for folks looking to pursue a role similar to yours?
Niyati: This is my first job out of college, and I’m so grateful to be able to say that! I’ve found that being a quick learner and not being afraid to ask for help are two qualities that help me most in my day-to-day as an entry-level software engineer.

Tell us about your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community. What does being a part of this community mean to you?
Kevin: I see being a member of DMED’s AANHPI community as both a privilege and an important responsibility. Growing up without seeing many Asian figures in traditional TV or media, I believe representation is supremely important. I do believe Disney is one of the companies leading the charge in terms of diverse and inclusive content, and working here is a privilege because not everyone gets the opportunity to influence or enact change at an organization like this from within. However, for the same reason, I do feel a calling or a responsibility to represent myself and the AANHPI community internally as outspokenly and authentically as I can.

What does a “day in the life” of your role look like? Are there any special projects you’re especially proud of?
Kevin: I am responsible for ESPN+’s affiliate marketing program, managing relationships with editorial publishers to ensure they are covering all of ESPN+’s amazing programming accurately and regularly. If you’ve ever seen a news article on “How to stream UFC PPV” or “Where to watch La Liga,” that was likely a piece of content that I helped generate! I also work with cashback and loyalty sites such as Rakuten to drive interested users to sign-up for ESPN+ with cash back incentives. My day typically involves liaising and negotiating with our 200+ partners to ensure that we are getting priority coverage and driving new sign-ups at an efficient cost.

What advice do you have for folks looking to pursue a role similar to yours?
Kevin: The best advice I ever received was to follow my curiosity. My career path has been far from linear, but I can say that I’ve ended up in an immensely fulfilling role here at DMED because I stayed true to what I found interesting, every step of the way. I’ve found this advice to be more actionable than the trite saying “follow your passion,” because passion often is the result of doing fulfilling work and discovering what you love. Not everyone knows what their passion is, but everyone can be curious about something right now. For me, I’ve always been curious about digital media, diversity & representation, and storytelling, and never knew when I started my career that those curiosities would lead me to where I am now!

What quote represents your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community?
Genta: “There are people in the world who are waiting to hear your story. They just don’t know it yet.”

What does a “day in the life” of your role look like? Are there any special projects you’re especially proud of?
Genta: Our team is relatively small, so we all wear many hats. On any given day, my role could be giving creative direction, writing, designing, building presentation decks, presenting to clients, or all of the above. In early 2021, we saw a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes across the nation, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy Truong, my colleague at the time, and I set out to shed light on what was happening in the AANHPI community – an issue personal to both of us – via the Stop Asian Hate PSA. The goal of the PSA was simple: to urge our ESPN audience to help create unity and change. The objective was to drive fans to Stop AAPI Hate’s website to grow awareness and action in relation to a new spate of attacks against Asians at the time. The spot ran on ESPN linear networks, ABC News, Hulu, and ESPN’s digital and social distribution channels.

What part of your job has been the most rewarding?
Genta: This is going to sound corny, but the most rewarding part of my job has been sharing what I do with my sons for the past two years. They have seen first-hand the projects I’ve worked on, and when a commercial I helped create or a logo I designed pops up on TV (or iPad or iPhone), they say, “You made that!” My 8-year-old is an aspiring artist/designer, so if I don’t get myself fired in the next 13 years, maybe he’ll want to work with the old man at ESPN. Or take my job. I’m good either way.

Tell us about your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community. What does being a part of this community mean to you?
Natalie: Our DMED HAPI Business Employee Resource Group (BERG) has a strong emphasis on supporting and advocating for our community inside and outside of Disney. I can’t understate how important this community has been for me, not only in deepening my identity as a proud Chinese-American but also in opening my eyes to larger social issues our group and others face and giving me opportunities to develop professional skills. And last but not least, meeting amazing people in different segments of the company.

What quote represents your experience in DMED’s AANHPI community?
Natalie: “If you want to do something, find a group of like-minded people.”

Learn more about Disney’s efforts to highlight underrepresented and untold stories and champion the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment by visiting our Reimagine Tomorrow website.

by Disney Career Recruitment