A Pipeline of Talent
The gambling industry is constantly in search of talent, and AISES knows exactly where the next generation of industry leaders can be found.
“It’s far more than just a picture with a big check, which is what we used to do… How would we bring this partnership to life, and not just from a financial standpoint? How would we drive awareness so others want to do the same thing.”
Hector Fernandez, CEO, Aristocrat Gaming.
Author’s Note: Fridays are usually reserved for a feature column for paid subscribers, but today’s entry will be free to all, as I feel this is an important entry that needs to be spread far and wide.
Monday marks the beginning of the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Conference, and today’s feature column delves into an organization I’ve long wanted to write about: The American Indian Science & Engineering Society, or AISES for short.
The organization was initially put on my radar by Jodi Dilascio, a Gaming Development Representative at AISES and one of the most passionate people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in the gaming world.
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So, what exactly is AISES?
It’s a “national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers.”
AISES has existed for nearly 50 years, and in the last ten years, it has grown from serving just a couple of thousand members to some 7,500 individual members, with around 250 affiliated pre-college schools, 200 chartered college and university chapters, along with tribal and professional chapters in the US and Canada.
To date, ASIES has awarded $12 million in academic scholarships and offers everything from internships to career resources.
But those topline numbers barely scratch the surface of this tremendous organization.
Thanks to Jodi, I was able to chat with Kellie Jewett-Fernandez, the Vice President of Business Development at AISES, Anika Howard, the President and CEO at Wondr Nation, and Hector Fernandez, the CEO of Aristocrat Gaming, to get a bird’s eye view of what AISES has to offer.
The AISES Mission: Create Opportunities
As Jewett-Fernandez explains, AISES’s overarching goal is to increase the representation of indigenous people in STEM. To accomplish that mission, it works with various corporations, tribal entities, governments, businesses, federal agencies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and foundations with “a sincere interest in connecting with diverse STEM talent, and that being indigenous talent.”
The key is opportunity. Something Jewett-Fernandez knows firsthand, having grown up in a small, rural tribal community in the middle of South Dakota as a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
“I was fortunate enough to get a few opportunities as a kid to go to summer camps and space camp,” Jewett-Fernandez said. “A lot of other students didn’t have those same opportunities. And for me, I’m really passionate about trying to give those opportunities to as many students as possible,” and as early as possible.
“We have programs starting with school-age students that expose them to STEM. As they get to middle school and high school, we have programs that are aimed at career exploration.”
Those career opportunities are attuned to the needs of tribal communities.
“When you think about tribal communities, we try to emphasize the need for health professionals, environmental scientists, educators, and people helping to advance tribal industry,” she said. “We try to expose them to careers in their tribal community and connect them with opportunities beyond that.”
And that’s where AISES partners come in.
Partnerships
AISES is partnered with some of the biggest names in business. Apple, Boeing, Intel, 3M, Google, IBM, Ford, Nike, and Wells Fargo, to name a few. It’s also partnered with some of the biggest names in gambling: Foxwoods, BetMGM, BMM Test Labs, Aristocrat, San Manuel, GeoComply, and Everi. However, considering the importance of gaming in many tribal communities, the list of gaming partners could be far more extensive.
AISES partnerships come in all shapes and sizes.
Through its partnership with AISES, Foxwoods (Wondr Nation) launched its own STEM program and learning center at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Community Center Afterschool Program.
“We take immense pride in our enduring partnership with AISES,” Anika Howard, the President, and CEO of Wondr Nation, told Straight to the Point. “Our collaboration was a critical part of the success of our Wondr Nation Smart Labs. Teaming up with AISES allowed us to support tribal youth with invaluable STEM opportunities and contribute to the growth and empowerment of young minds. We look forward to continuing to make a meaningful impact together to further bridge STEM education with the cultural heritage of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.”
Aristocrat Gaming, a leading premium provider of casino games and innovative technology, has partnered with AISES in several exciting ways, from funding programs and scholarships to internships.
Hector Fernandez, CEO of Aristocrat Gaming, spoke with Straight to the Point about its values, saying, “A lot of our business is tribal, and one of our core values is striving to set new standards or responsibilities in our industries; we call it “Good Business; Good Citizen.”
Fernandez added, “This means we wholeheartedly work to bring our partnerships within the community to life. It’s important to take the time to have intentional conversations to learn and align as we go along.”
ASIES’s focus on education aligns with those values.
Fernandez was born in Guatemala and called “education” The Great Equalizer.
“If you’re committed to education and hard work, you can walk into any room and be equal to everybody else, no matter the socioeconomic background you come from,” Fernandez said.
He believes giving back to those in need and bringing others along on the journey is imperative to having a positive impact on those around you.
“The greater accomplishment is elevating others and paving the way for younger generations,” says Fernandez. “No one can be successful alone; it really is a team effort.”
As Fernandez explained, providing opportunities is great, but that can’t be the endpoint. The access point needs to be buoyed by a network of support.
“AISES provides not only the infrastructure to help a student, but you get to meet other people who are in the same situation as you,” Fernandez explained. “Meeting colleagues who are going through a similar journey with similar goals in mind for the future validates the fact that you’re not alone.”
“Aristocrat Gaming is an amazing partner,” said Jewett-Fernandez. “They continue to support academic scholarships for students, host interns annually, and invest in the RISE program. Aristocrat Gaming believes in our students and our communities.”
And speaking of the RISE program…
The RISE Program
ASIES is a STEM-focused education and workforce development organization that runs the gamut regarding opportunities.
“If they’re interested in healthcare, if they’re interested in education, if they’re interested in engineering, if they’re interested in aerospace manufacturing, the opportunities are virtually endless in STEM,” Jewett-Fernandez said. “But we also want to make sure that we’re supporting STEM careers that are most relevant to Indian country.”
The Resources for Indigenous STEM Education (RISE) Program was launched in 2023 in conjunction with Aristocrat.
According to the RISE homepage, the program “aspires to engage and support Indigenous students, professionals, and tribes by offering exposure, resources, and programming to increase Indigenous talent in gaming education and careers.”
“We want to provide academic scholarships, mentorships, internships, and opportunities for students to travel to gaming conferences and then develop programming where our membership can explore the wide variety of careers in gaming,” said Jewett-Fernandez. “From slot machine technicians to gaming commissioners to marketing to management positions at our tribal casinos.”
“We’re going to be talking about the history of tribal gaming. We will be talking about innovation, video game design, and all of those amazing things.”
The hope is that college students and current professionals will become interested in a career in tribal gaming and learn about the resources and pathways to enter the workforce and work for companies like Aristocrat, BMM Test Labs, and GeoComply (all AISES partners).
“Gaming is driving the economies of so many tribes, and we want to see more indigenous people working for the manufacturers and vendors,” Jewett-Fernandez said. “We want to see the gaming industry reflect a little bit more the communities that they serve. And that means, in our case, Indian country.”
You can visit the AISES website for more information on partnering with or sponsoring AISES programs and events. This is a terrific organization that every company in the space should consider working with.