Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
IDEO
FAIL
ideo.com
TYPE: Global Design + Innovation Consultancy
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Kyu Collective, Steelcase, RockawayX, Rockefeller Foundation, et al.
OWNER: Kyu Collective (majority), Steelcase and Rockefeller Foundation (minority)
SUBSIDIARIES: Ideo.org (501(c)(3), nonprofit), IDEO CoLab Ventures, IDEO U
2019 REVENUE: $100 million to $1 billion
HEADCOUNT: < 400
395 Hudson Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10014
+1 415 615 5000 (SF Office)
Contact link
IDEO’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives, led by Global Chief Impact Officer Lauren Collins (a Black woman), who designs and oversees the firm's global DEIB strategy alongside ESG and CSR efforts, are worrying. IDEO publicly articulates a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), framing it as an integral part of its design process and core mission. The company’s explicit policies, as articulated in its 2023 DEIB report, prioritize increasing representation of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx employees through targeted programs like BIPOC-exclusive* leadership development and coaching for “people of color,” orchestrated under former Head of DEI and Senior Talent Director (and Black woman) Jen Casimiro’s philosophy of prioritizing "giving the resources to our most marginalized to thrive" and focusing DEI initiatives on "centering the most marginalized.” Casimiro, alongside IDEO leadership, “integrated equity into the design of our people processes across the employee lifecycle,” and “coach[ed] leadership (executive team, business leaders, people leaders) on how to make decisions with an equity lens around budgets, people team priorities, and communications,” among numerous other DEI actions. She guided the “Color by Design” Access program at IDEO, a program designed for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color). As the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a member of IDEO’s Global Talent team, she spearhead the development and implementation of DEI programs, resources, and tools across IDEO. These initiatives, coupled with internal tools directing spending to BIPOC-owned businesses, seemingly disadvantage White employees systematically. Additionally, mandatory training on “power, bias, and equity dynamics”** and allyship programs aimed at the “majority” (implicitly White employees)***, overseen by Chief People Officer Michele Lanza and CEO Derek Robson, risk creating a hostile work environment by framing White employees as inherently privileged or complicit in systemic inequality, which could be deemed harassment under EEOC and NYSHRL standards. Based on online interviews, Lanza appears to frame the world in terms of a BIPOC versus White dichotomy and believes performative DEI needs to be replaced with meaningful action (apart from IDEO, she started Work Wider, a job recruitment service for non-White “BIPOC” people “of all levels” but especially at executive levels to create a more “equitable” society, which is now offline. Glenn E. Singleton, a Black man, was an advisor. Only companies committed to DEI and signed a pledge were allowed to partner). Beyond mandatory DEI training, employees have access to learning modules covering DE&I fundamentals. Lanza’s online views IDEO also utilizes facilitation frameworks that prompt design teams to reflect on "power, bias, and equity dynamics" within their projects. A specific learning community exists for employees possessing "representational power" – implicitly referring to White and/or male employees.
IDEO’s 2020-2023 DE&I and 2024 DEIB Summary reports raise potential concerns about harassment and discrimination against White employees and hires. Under federal law, including Title VII, and NYSHRL, employment practices must not discriminate based on race, and initiatives favoring certain racial groups could be seen as creating a hostile work environment or disparate treatment for White employees. IDEO’s reports emphasize increasing representation of non-White people, particularly in leadership roles, with specific programs like a BIPOC (non-White) fellowship, coaching for non-White people, and a leadership development program for non-White employees, led by CEO Derek Robson and supported by DEIB leadership groups across IDEO’s global offices. The 2024 report highlights a strategic shift to four pillars, including fostering a diverse workforce and equitable opportunities. The targeted focus on non-White groups, coupled with tools like an internal resourcing tool directing spending toward BIPOC/non-White and women-owned businesses, could be interpreted as marginalizing White employees, potentially violating EEOC guidelines and NYSHRL by creating unequal access to opportunities. The lack of equivalent programs for White employees and the framing of White dominance as a cultural issue to be dismantled, as noted in 2020 commitments, may foster an environment perceived as hostile, risking claims of reverse discrimination under federal and state law.
IDEO's policies and training seem to present White employees and people as a group inherently connected to racial discrimination and potential threat. IDEO partnered with RepresentED on a fellowship program designed to expand opportunities for BIPOC/non-White individuals in the design field. The absence of equivalent opportunities or Employee Resource Groups for White employees exacerbates this imbalance. Former CEO and current Chair Tim Brown’s influence in institutionalizing these practices further implicates leadership accountability. IDEO’s DEIB framework exposes the company to legal liability for discrimination and hostile work environment claims, undermining equal employment principles and warranting social critique for its discriminatory impact on White employees.
*IDEO’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC/people of color vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
**DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
***In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. IDEO, despite being a professional global consultancy tasked with solving complex client problems, fails in its basic assesment of White people as an overarching majority.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
It is illegal and contrary to public policy for any organization, including nonprofits, to instruct companies on discriminatory or harassing practices, potentially resulting in serious legal and financial repercussions such as lawsuits for facilitating discrimination, reputational harm, loss of IRS tax-exempt status, and investigations by state and federal civil rights authorities.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of IDEO’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.