we're
Celebrating
5 Years!
In 2021, two aquarists looked around and noticed a disturbing lack of racial and ethnic minority representation within the aquarium and zoo field. They decided to do something about it. MIAZS was born.
Five years later, we have become a leader of inclusion, accessibility, and representation in the field. Hundreds of people representing both minority and non-minority identities have come together to advance conservation by increasing diversity. We've awarded tens of thousands of dollars to create access to professional development opportunities for minority-identifying individuals. And we have continued to grow our influence and reach in helping create a world where we will no longer be needed.
Scroll down to read our origin story, learn more about the programs we've launched, and find out how you can support and be part of the incredible community we've created during the last five years.
Frustration, Inspiration,
Impatience, & Hope:
The Beginning of MIAZS
by Jennie Janssen, Co-Founder, President, & Managing Director
In early 2021, Dr. Meghan Holst and I convened on the unchanging imbalance in racial demographics we observed at professional conferences. In our frustration, we identified a variety of simple actions to spur change in our industry. This gave us a grounded sense of hope. However, neither of us felt we had the authority to make change happen within our professional circles. But witnessing the birth of another nonprofit – Minorities in Shark Sciences, co-founded by four young Black women – we were inspired.
We felt the aquarium and zoo science communities would best respond to perspectives from within our ranks. Being often misunderstood even within our own industry, as aquatic husbandry professionals, we knew that the messenger would be just as important as the message, and it would impact how the message would be received by our colleagues.
There is a level of camaraderie and trust that often exists within professional animal care teams that I have found uncommon in many 9–5 fields. Particularly when working with large predators, and for aquarists with scuba diving as part of our regular duties, we rely on our dive buddies and topside team to efficiently extract us from the water in the event of an emergency. Specific safety protocols, plus CPR and AED certifications repeated every two years, become ingrained in our psyches, being trained to cut a coworker out of their wetsuit down to the skin to apply life-saving measures – and trusting them to do the same in return. We all share dedication to our animals and the emotional roller coasters of caring for them, often through their entire life cycles.
Raised in this professional culture, Meghan and I felt our combination of experiences made us the right messengers for our audience. I, a Manager of Color who had gained enough experience, professional clout, and financial stability to risk being open and vulnerable, who was willing to say, “This is what I experience”, and Meghan, a White colleague and ally, who could say “This is what we need to do.” So, out of our frustration, inspiration, impatience, and hope, we took our list of simple actions and said, “We’re done waiting!”
Later that year, Meghan and I co-founded the nonprofit organization Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Science (MIAZS) with the mission to advance the science done by aquariums and zoos by diversifying the professionals and perspectives within those fields. Our primary goals are (1) to increase the number of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in aquarium and zoo science fields, and (2) to support and retain the existing minorities working in these fields and those that will follow them. This is not, however, to the exclusion of other types of minorities that can and often intersect with being a racial or ethnic minority.
A Few Years...
An Immense Impact
MIAZS began five years ago as an idea of two aquarists who hoped they could make a difference in their industry and by extension, in the world. They wanted to increase access to and inclusivity within the aquarium and zoo field for people of racial and ethnic minority identities. In five short years, their upstart nonprofit has cultivated a vibrant community, created meaningful support and development, and shined a spotlight on minority professionals throughout the field.
MIAZS has created a community for minorities and allies within the field through membership, friendship, continual connection, sharing of opportunities and expertise, celebration of identity, and formation of safe spaces. The opportunities that MIAZS members and friends have to come together online, virtually, and in-person has sparked connection and joy that goes far beyond professional acquaintance by creating a feeling of chosen family within the professional space.
MIAZS has upheld its commitment to the advancement of minorities within the field by providing funding through member financial support awards, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars given to members to complete various growth opportunities. In 2024, the organization partnered with Leadby and Canopy Strategic Partners to launch AMLAZ, an 8-month development program for mid-level leaders of color. The third cohort of this annual program is currently in session, with seven of the nine participants being sponsored. The MIAZS community also offers the opportunity to network and explore opportunities within the field.
MIAZS has been able to highlight minority professionals in zoos and aquariums through social media, articles, webinars, workshops, and more. Each week, "Member Mondays" allows a different minority member to be featured across all MIAZS social media. Both MIAZS and Canopy Strategic Partners also spotlight AMLAZ participants throughout the eight-month program period.
MIAZS is proud of all it has been able to accomplish in five short years. And this is only the beginning. As the organization brings on its first paid team member in 2026 and works to increase its reach through through enhanced fundraising and new resources, the future looks to be even brighter for Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Science.
