Why diversity matters to your tech company

[Commentary] As the push for diversity in tech continues, a growing number of companies and leaders are confronting the topic for the first time. Those that are new to diversity and inclusion are often unsure how to approach it -- how to talk about the subject internally and externally, how to rank it among competing priorities, and how to allocate appropriate resources. Before answering these questions, it’s helpful to identify why diversity and inclusion matters to you and your company specifically. Diversity efforts are most successful when they’re driven by a commitment from company leaders. And meaningful commitment requires leaders to understand why diversity matters. At Paradigm, we spend a lot of time brainstorming with CEOs and other company leaders about what is or should be driving their diversity and inclusion efforts. Here are five themes that have emerged from those conversations:

1. Diverse teams are smarter and more creative
2. Diverse companies perform better
3. Companies are losing out on great talent
4. Diverse companies can better serve a diverse user base
5. It’s the right thing to do

[Joelle Emerson is co-founder and CEO of Paradigm]