living the dream with curveball
DEI Without Backlash: Making Money Through Inclusion
Published: 31 March 2025 at 06:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
What if improving company profits and creating a more diverse workforce weren't competing goals but complementary ones? Paolo Gaudiano, founder of DEI tech company Aleria, flips conventional wisdom on its head with his revolutionary approach to workplace inclusion.
With advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and neuroscience, Paolo brings a unique analytical perspective to diversity challenges. "I like to joke that I'm the white elephant in the room," he shares, acknowledging his unusual position as a white, cisgender, heterosexual man working in DEI. Yet this perspective, combined with his computational expertise, has allowed him to develop groundbreaking methodologies for measuring inclusion and its financial impact.
Paolo's mantra—"inclusion is what you do and diversity is what you get"—perfectly encapsulates his philosophy. Rather than focusing primarily on diversity metrics, which can create zero-sum game perceptions and fuel backlash, his approach prioritizes building inclusive environments where everyone can succeed. This subtle shift produces dramatic results: companies naturally become more diverse while avoiding the perception of discrimination or favoritism.
The financial stakes couldn't be higher. Through Aleria's innovative calculator, Paolo has demonstrated that companies typically lose 20-30% of their net profits through poor inclusion practices. By measuring how different identity groups experience the workplace and quantifying the productivity and turnover costs associated with exclusionary behaviors, organizations can make data-driven decisions about inclusion initiatives with clear ROI.
Paolo's book, "Measuring Inclusion: Higher Profits and Happier People Without Guesswork or Backlash," provides a blueprint for this revolutionary approach. In an era where DEI efforts face political scrutiny and corporate hesitation, his methodology offers a path forward that transcends political divides by focusing on universal business goals and human needs.
Ready to transform your approach to workplace inclusion while boosting your bottom line? Discover how treating all employees equally isn't just the right thing to do—it's also the profitable thing to do.
www.aleria.com
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