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Having a diverse team could be the difference between a predictable idea and a proposal with real value. When people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities or experiences come together, new questions arise. The way problems are approached changes. Needs that previously went unnoticed are identified. And this results in products and services that are more accessible, useful, and universal.

Sodexo is committed to a diverse culture: it hires people with disabilities, supports LGTBI+ networks, sets parity goals and encourages intergenerational exchange. An internal study covering five years and 50,000 managers revealed that teams with gender parity (between 40% and 60% women) achieved better results in all areas: higher talent retention, better customer satisfaction, fewer accidents, and greater profitability.

We’re not talking about perceptions: these are concrete data on how diverse teams perform. Everything points to environments where it’s easier to suggest improvements, anticipate needs, and bring forward ideas with real impact.

At Microsoft, diversity is a basic ingredient in the way new products are developed. Its corporate culture values diverse profiles—neurodivergent people, people with disabilities, those from different cultural backgrounds or generations—which broaden the team’s perspectives.

Inclusion is part of the creative process from the very beginning. That’s how tools with built-in accessibility, adapted devices or AI assistants designed for people with different abilities come about. These are not innovations added at the end: they are decisions made from the earliest development stages; the result of teams connected to different realities.

SAP has made neurodiversity a driver of innovation. Since 2013, its Autism at Work programme has integrated over 240 neurodivergent people in 16 countries. This is not symbolic inclusion, but rather harnessing talent in areas such as error detection, data analysis or product development.

The case of Nico Neumann illustrates this perfectly. Hired by SAP Argentina through the programme, he developed a tool to automate invoice management between companies. What used to take two days can now be done in 20 minutes. Thanks to this breakthrough, he became the first employee to receive the Hasso Plattner Founders’ Award individually, the company’s highest internal recognition. His example shows that this is not philanthropy, but business vision.

When perspectives are broadened, so too is the range of solutions. Diversity not only reflects the world as it is but helps to imagine it better.