
Environmental, Social & Governance
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Commitment
At Bridgewater, we are committed to establishing and advancing impactful initiatives that support our corporate responsibility as a growing local bank in the Twin Cities, while regularly sharing our progress with our stakeholders.
“After formally launching our ESG program in 2021, Bridgewater is focused on making incremental progress on our ESG Priorities going forward. Our progress in 2022 included expanding our DE&I initiatives, making further investments in enhancing cybersecurity, earning ENERGY STAR® certification for our corporate center and engaging more formally with stakeholders regarding ESG. With board oversight and integration into our business more broadly, we are well-positioned to do our part to make a positive impact both within our organization and across our communities.”

Our ESG Priorities
Team Members, Clients & Communities
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Corporate Governance
Environmental Impact
ESG Oversight
In October 2021, the Bridgewater Bancshares Board of Directors changed the name of the “Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee” to “Nominating and ESG Committee” to emphasize its commitment to and oversight of ESG. The committee's responsibilities have expanded to take on the role of overseeing Bridgewater’s strategy and practices related to environmental, social and governance issues. The charter for the Nominating and ESG Committee can be found here.
In addition to board-level oversight, a management-level ESG Committee was formed in 2021 with the role of developing, implementing and growing a formal ESG program at Bridgewater. This cross-functional committee regularly conducts peer gap analyses and engages with stakeholders to help identify the aspects of ESG with the most impact on our business and assist the Nominating and ESG Committee of the Board in developing a formal ESG strategy. The ESG Committee is focused on emphasizing current ESG initiatives at Bridgewater, implementing future ESG initiatives, and monitoring and communicating progress on ESG to stakeholders.
Recent ESG News
— April 3, 2023
Bridgewater Bank Receives Esteemed ‘Outstanding’ FDIC Rating for Community Reinvestment Act Performance
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— February 8, 2023
Bridgewater Corporate Center earns ENERGY STAR certification, outperforming similar U.S. buildings on measure of energy efficiency
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— November 15, 2022
Best Banks to Work For 2022
American Banker
— September 28, 2022
Bridgewater’s Katie Klug Recognized by Finance & Commerce as a “Top Women in Finance” Honoree
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— August 19, 2022
2022 Best of Business
Twin Cities Business
— June 21, 2022
2022’s Finance & Commerce Reader Rankings Final Winners
Finance & Commerce
— June 15, 2022
Bridgewater Bank Named a Top 200 Workplace for 2022
Star Tribune
— September 28, 2021
Bridgewater Named a Top 175 Workplace for 2021
Star Tribune
— July 13, 2021
Locally Led Bridgewater Bank Raises Minimum Wage to $20 Per Hour
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— June 28, 2021
Bridgewater Bank Welcomes Joseph Birkholz as Chief Risk Officer
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— November 11, 2020
Bridgewater Bank only Minnesota bank Named in American Banker’s 2020 “Best Banks to Work For”
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— October 28, 2020
Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. Appoints Mohammed Lawal to Board of Directors