Honestly, if you’ve been scrolling through LinkedIn or catching the morning headlines lately, you probably think corporate diversity is dead. Gone. Buried under a mountain of legal threats and political U-turns. But that’s not actually the whole story. While some massive names like Microsoft, Google, and Meta have reportedly stopped public diversity reporting in late 2025, a surprising number of heavy hitters are doubling down.
It's messy.
Some companies are sprinting away from the "DEI" label while keeping the actual work alive under boring names like "talent strategy" or "human capital management." Others? They're basically telling the critics to back off. They aren't just checking boxes; they’re betting that a diverse workforce is the only way to survive a global market.
The Brands Still Standing Firm
Let’s look at the "holdouts"—the companies committed to DEI 2025 who haven't scrubbed their websites or fired their inclusion teams.
Apple is a big one. They recently rejected shareholder proposals that tried to force them to scale back their inclusion efforts. Their board basically called those proposals an attempt to "micromanage" the company. They’re sticking to the idea that diversity is just... good business. Simple as that.
Then you’ve got Costco. In early 2025, their board—including CEO Ron Vachris—flat-out rejected measures to limit their DEI initiatives. They’ve tied it directly to their code of ethics. For them, it’s not a trend; it’s how they operate.
And it’s not just tech and retail. Delta Air Lines is still very much in the game. Their Chief External Affairs Officer, Peter Carter, told investors that DEI is about "talent," and at Delta, talent is the only differentiator that matters. They aren't stopping. They’re leaning in.
- Cisco: Consistently ranks at the top of the Financial Times and Denominator "Diversity Leaders 2025" list.
- e.l.f. Beauty: Reaffirmed an "unwavering commitment" even as others flinched.
- Disney: Shareholders voted overwhelmingly in 2025 to keep participating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.
- American Express: Still publicly pushing for merit-based equity and inclusive workplace culture.
The Great "Reframing" of 2025
Something weird is happening. It’s called "hush equity."
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A report from The Conference Board in August 2025 found that over half of S&P 100 companies changed their DEI messaging. They aren't necessarily deleting the programs—they're just changing the words. The acronym "DEI" dropped by nearly 68% in annual filings.
Why? Lawsuits.
Ever since the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling, lawyers have been freaking out. So, instead of talking about "diversity quotas," companies are talking about "expanding the talent pool." Instead of "equity," they use "belonging." It’s a linguistic shell game.
PepsiCo is a prime example. They dropped the "DEI" branding in February 2025 for a new strategy called "Inclusion for Growth." They moved their Chief Diversity Officer into a broader role. Is the work gone? No. Is the label gone? Mostly.
Who Actually Walked Away?
We have to be real here: the retreat is significant.
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AT&T reportedly scrapped its "pronoun pins" and deleted the Chief Diversity Officer role entirely. Victoria’s Secret halted its promotion targets for Black employees. Even Goldman Sachs—which used to refuse to take companies public if they didn't have diverse boards—scrapped that policy in early 2025, saying it had "served its purpose."
Even Amazon, which still publishes stats, had its VP of Inclusive Experiences admit the company is undergoing an "evolution" of these programs. That’s corporate-speak for "we’re changing things, and you might not like it."
The Transparency Gap
The biggest hit in 2025 was transparency. For a decade, we got used to "Diversity Reports." Now, the curtains are closing.
According to reports from late 2025, Google and Microsoft confirmed they wouldn't publish their usual gender and racial breakdown data. It’s a huge blow for researchers and activists who use that data to hold the tech giants accountable. If you don't measure it, you can't fix it.
Why Some Still Care (The Business Case)
If the political heat is so high, why bother?
Because the world is still diverse. Gen Z and Alpha—the people these companies want to hire and sell to—don't care about the political backlash. They care about whether a company looks like them.
Johnson & Johnson is still aiming for 50% women in management globally by the end of 2025. Salesforce is pushing for 40% representation for women and non-binary employees by 2030. They know that if they stop now, they’ll lose the talent war in five years.
What This Means for You
If you're looking for companies committed to DEI 2025, you have to look past the press releases. You have to look at the board oversight.
Interestingly, while the "DEI" acronym is disappearing from 10-K filings, 79% of S&P 500 firms actually increased board committee oversight of these issues. They are moving the responsibility from a lonely "Diversity Officer" to the actual Board of Directors.
It's becoming a governance issue, not a HR project.
Actionable Next Steps for Leaders and Candidates
- Look for "Governance" not "Glitz": Check if a company has a board committee dedicated to "Human Capital" or "Culture." That's where the real power is now.
- Verify via the Disability Equality Index: Companies like Accenture and Kaiser Permanente have hit perfect scores here for years. This index is often a better "pulse check" than a standard diversity report.
- Watch the "Talent Strategy": If a company talks about "skills-based hiring" and "expanding outreach," they are likely doing DEI work without using the "toxic" words.
- Check Internal Mobility: Real commitment shows up in who gets promoted, not who gets hired. Ask about retention rates for underrepresented groups during interviews.
The 2025 landscape isn't about "woke" vs. "anti-woke." It's about who is quiet and who is loud. The companies that will win are the ones that realize inclusion isn't a political statement—it's an operational necessity.