Standing Strong: Companies Championing DEI in a Shifting Landscape

On the day President Trump was inaugurated for the second time, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to end all DEI programs. 

The order encouraged private companies to end their diversity programs as well. Now, dozens of companies are dismantling or walking back their diversity programs.

Despite challenges and shifting political climates that have led some organizations to reconsider their commitment to DEI initiatives, many companies continue to demonstrate unwavering support for DEI initiatives.

These organizations are not just maintaining their programs; they are actively promoting a culture of inclusivity. Let’s take a closer look at a few companies that are boldly standing up for their ethics (and customer base) and leading the way in fostering diversity and equity in the workplace.

A unified group of individuals with different disabilities, exemplifying diversity and inclusion with cohesion and assurance.

 #1 e.l.f. Beauty

The cosmetic company is continuing to champion DEI because its employees and their young, diverse consumers support its efforts.

E.l.f., which stands for “eye, lip, face,” doesn’t have a DEI team, but they’re still committed to hiring a diverse workforce. About 75% of its approximately 500 employees are women, and 40% are people of color. 

The company also features trans and nonbinary models in its advertising.

Their commitment to diversity seems to be paying off: e.l.f.’s stock has increased by over 700% since 2020.

“Diverse voices actually help us because they’re bringing different perspectives,” e.l.f. CEO Tarang Amin told CNN in an interview in January. 

Companies that abandon their diversity efforts risk losing out on “incredible talent that has different points of view and that add perspective to a company,” Amin said.

One of e.l.f.’s most memorable advertising campaigns was their 2024 “So Many Dicks” campaign, which highlighted that nearly as many men named Richard, Rick, or Dick served on public US company boards as the number of women put together.

“There’s nothing wrong with being Richard, Rick or Dick, but we wanted to shine a light on ‘let’s give other people a chance’ because we’ve seen the benefits in our own business,” Amin told CNN. 

E.l.f. is one of just two publicly traded companies with a board made up of more than 78% women and 44% people of color.

In 2024, e.l.f. planned to help double the rate of women and diverse membersplanned to help double the rate of women and diverse members added to corporate boards by 2027.

#2 Costco

Costco shareholders forcefully rejected a proposal that advised Costco to consider the risks of their DEI practices.

The proposal, made by a conservative think tank, stated that Costco’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices pose “litigation, reputational and financial risks to the company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders.”

Costco’s board of directors voted unanimously to ask shareholders to throw out the proposal. 

The board said that Costco welcomes diverse people from “all walks of life and backgrounds” because it spurs employee satisfaction and improves the company’s “originality and creativity.” They said their programs follow the law and the company’s code of ethics.

“Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary,” the board said.

Ultimately, shareholders agreed and more than 98% of shares voted against the proposal.

Costco’s board chairman, Tony James, said its diversity, equity and inclusion programs are “consistent with the company’s values and code of ethics.”

#3 Apple

In some ways, Apple’s situation is similar to Costco. 

The same right-wing think tank that advised Costco to do away with its diversity, equity and inclusion programs also advised Apple to get rid of their programs. 

Like Costco’s board of directors, Apple’s board of directors also urged its shareholders to reject the think tank’s proposal.

The think tank presented its proposal to Apple’s shareholders on Feb. 25. Ultimately shareholders voted to keep the tech giant’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies, just as Costco’s shareholders did.

At the meeting, Apple defended its diversity program as an integral part of its corporate culture and credited its policies for making it such a valuable company.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple’s “strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate.”

He also said “as the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our North Star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waiver.”

Those in favor of Apple scrapping the proposal argued that recent legal changes could mean that Apple would see an uptick in discrimination cases if it kept its DEI policies. Apple argued that it had oversight to avoid legal risks and that the proposal to throw out its DEI policies inappropriately restricted their management.

The company discloses data about its employee base, but doesn’t set targets or quotas. Its DEI programs include a racial justice initiative that has lent support to historically Black colleges and universities in the United States.

Apple also has DEI efforts outside of the country, including helping indigenous populations in Mexico to learn coding skills and working with an Aboriginal community-led nonprofit aiming to reform criminal justice in Australia.

#4 Delta Air Lines

The airline, which employs more than 100,000 people around the world, is “steadfast” in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.

During the airline’s 4th quarter earnings call in January, a Wall Street Journal reporter asked whether the airline would rethink its support of sustainability and DEI.

“We are steadfast in our commitments because we think that they are actually critical to our business,” Peter Carter, Chief External Affairs Officer said. “Sustainability is about being more efficient in our operations and really DEI is about talent and that’s been our focus.”

These companies aren’t alone.

These companies aren’t alone in standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion. One website has identified and is tracking 130+ companies that still have active DEI initiatives.

Some of those companies include:

• Ben & Jerry’s

• Etsy

• Dollar Tree

• Lidl

• Ikea

• Shutterstock

To see the full list visit dei.watch.

In other good news: Trump’s executive orders have largely been blocked – for now.

On Feb. 21, a federal judge largely blocked Trump’s executive orders that aim to end federal support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson found that the executive orders likely carry constitutional violations. 

He granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from ending or changing federal contracts they consider equity-related.