During the beginning of 2018 we should roll back the timeline. The H&M advertisement shows a Black child dressed in a hoodie that states “coolest monkey in the jungle.” A loud justified and expensive international backlash occurred after that decision. The problem? A glaring lack of diverse voices in the decision-making room. Late in 2024 Microsoft launched their Inclusive Tech Lab which gained attention because they partner with people who have disabilities to develop accessible technology. That difference? It’s not just PR polish. It’s real, systemic inclusion. The approach makes sound business sense alongside being the proper business ethic.
Companies now measure success through ethical practices and market understanding since product quality and pricing no longer provide sufficient competitive advantage. Teams formed solely from individuals residing within a single district or educational institution fail to grasp significant business opportunities and fail to acquire varied talent.
Let’s Talk About Real Inclusion, Not Just Optics
The D&I terminology has swept through organizations as a trendy jargon yet people fail to identify its genuine meaning. The act of hiring people who meet demographic criteria does not constitute diversity in organizations. And inclusion? Single opportunities for someone to speak in company meetings during a whole month do not qualify as genuine inclusion. The process actively incorporates their ideas into final performance outcomes. The result becomes simple tokenism under pretentious new packaging.
Our research shows us this conclusion to be true. McKinsey reported in its “Diversity Wins” February 2024 update that organizations leading in ethnic and cultural diversity among executive teams recorded a 36% increase in profit over those with fewer such leaders. A business model uses this number to generate profit rather than considering it an insignificant rounding figure. Teams that consist of members with varied perspectives including gender and geography and neurodiverse members and life experience backgrounds become better at resilient decision-making. They fight more. But guess what? That friction creates firepower.
The approach of placing rainbow filters on logos for Pride Month does not count as real progress despite its pretty appearance. Not cutting it anymore. The audiences from 2025 have developed an allergic reaction to inclusivity that exists only in shows. The human nose becomes superior to marketing trickery at the rate of “corporate allyship” speech.
Innovation Lives in Discomfort, Not in Echo Chambers
The attempt to solve problems within agreed environments with no opposing opinions usually ends in failure. Feels great. Solves nothing.
Innovation cannot emerge from environments devoid of differences because it originates from challenging experiences. When different people with differing viewpoints assemble at a table the result produces discomfort as a natural consequence. Sometimes it’s frustrating. A blend of problematic circumstances creates this optimal realm for incredible chances to occur.
Take Airbnb. The platform of Airbnb faced criticisms for discrimination in 2020. Their fix? Developing solutions that embrace inclusion results from directly listening to voices that have faced discrimination. User trust increased significantly through combined policy modifications as well as product refinements implemented by the company. In 2024 Airbnb achieved its best user trust score during the previous five years among underrepresented renters.
The trend only requires observation within my social network. Our team in London which carried out the redesign of an educational technology platform meant for South Asia failed to identify an essential accessibility flaw affecting users with low bandwidth. A junior designer based in Nairobi discovered the issue through Slack communication during the late evening. After modifying the mobile features we deployed them into the world and success followed. The retention rates within rural India along with East Africa improved by 23%. The process behind insight creation cannot be duplicated by brainstorming workshops since their results are inferior.
The process of innovation does not have to equal a sudden discovery. The examination of users without broadband capabilities becomes apparent when someone quietly poses this question.
Global Mindset and Global Market Domination (Failure Leads to Being Left Behind)
A global economy exists in an intensified state. Foreign markets offer an opportunity to create new products in Berlin which developers can test beta in Bangalore followed by pan-continental releases from São Paulo to Seoul within a single working week. The critical requirement is that your product must understand their cultural preferences. Not just linguistically, but culturally.
The content approach employed by Netflix surpasses almost every other company worldwide. Through local content production strategies worldwide Netflix transformed both “Squid Game” and “Money Heist” into international cultural icons. The payoff? The Q3 2024 investor report of Netflix revealed new subscribers exceeded 67% outside North America. That’s not just content. That’s strategy wrapped in empathy.
A significant setback for Pepsi appeared with its Kendall Jenner ad released in 2017 that continues as an industry lesson in what not to do. The idea to solve racial unfairness through promoting soda appeared as an actual plan to someone who lacked creative thinking. My bet? The creative teams lacked any minority presence during the meeting. The practice of designing without world presence leads to this outcome.
The product presentation extends beyond simple advertising activities. Nielsen’s 2024 Inclusive Media Report demonstrates that multicultural consumers choose brands who show authentic cultural representation because they develop loyal support (73%). So yeah, representation pays. Literally.
Who’s Doing It Right (And Reaping the Rewards)?
Let’s name names—for good reasons.
The organization demonstrates genuine action through its multi-million-dollar funding effort. The Ventures Impact Fund of Salesforce received $100 million in funding which supports startup ventures led by minority founders. Mastercard launched the “True Name” card across the globe in 2023 to enable trans and non-binary customers who can use their selected names instead of legal names on their credit cards. Salesforce achieved their first-ever world-first initiative which led to a 17% growth in new LGBTQ+ demographic accounts during a period of nine months.
Start-up businesses in Toronto find great success through Wealthsimple. The platform unites Islamic investment choices with environmental-friendly investment portfolios. Sounds niche? It’s not. Their customer base exceeded 3 million people during Q1 2025 with numerous users from demographic groups which traditional fintech products rarely include.
A wellness SaaS brand I worked with in 2020 failed to achieve market success in Thailand. Their UI was clean. Their messaging? All wrong. After implementing regional consulting services and adopting Thai Buddhist holiday calendar items alongside color symbol modifications revenue within Southeast Asia grew by 38%. Research reveals that human beings feel positive emotions when they become visible to others.
Final Thoughts: Inclusive Teams Build Enduring Empires
Let’s be real. Diverse teams can be slower. The entire process contains various competing viewpoints leading to occasional disorder. The confusion from diverse teams results in solutions which effectively serve actual users.
Constructing your products inside your comfort zone while gathering praise from friendly colleagues might result in failed launches when you launch them externally. You need to build with future success on the line since our present situation demands it.
The survival of organizations will hinge on how well they incorporate diversity because this becomes a fundamental business requirement. Brands that emerge victorious care about listening to their customers in addition to merely going to market with products. That challenge? It’s yours to take.
The essential question should be about your willingness to establish an organization that deserves its diversity advantages instead of debating diversity’s business advantages.