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Inclusivity and Diversity in the Workforce particular, has seen a lot of growth in recent years, with more
and more people interested in trying new and different coffees.
Inclusivity and diversity are two words that go hand in As the industry continues to grow, it’s important that we create
hand, especially in today’s society. However, even though a an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of race,
large number of businesses and organizations are striving to be ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other factor.
more diverse, they fail to be inclusive. In her essay, Diversity There are other important aspects of inclusivity such as
Is Useless Without Inclusivity (Harvard Business Review, age, religion, and ability, however this article focuses on race,
2014), Christine M. Riordan, professor of management at the ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. History has
University of Kentucky, explains that while many organizations shown that color has had both a positive and a negative conno-
are better about creating diversity, many have not yet figured tation under each of these topics. The LGBTQIA+ community
out how to make the environment inclusive — that is, create an has used the vibrant rainbow colors, as symbols of the diversi-
atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and ty and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. On the
have access to the same opportunities. other hand people of color have often been discriminated
Essentially, diversity in business means a workforce against based on the color of their skin. Learning more about
composed of a variety of people with different backgrounds, their experiences will help us understand how we can be more
cultures, experiences, and perspectives. Inclusivity, on the inclusive both in our own lives and in the workplace.
other hand, is about making sure that every single one of these
people feels welcome, respected, and valued. It’s about creating

an environment in which everyone can thrive. Businesses that
have managed to successfully create an inclusive environment
are the ones that understand that a diverse workforce is not
only beneficial for the future of the business, but necessary for
Even though a innovation and creativity.
Let’s take a look at the United States as an example. The
large number of U.S. Census Bureau report Projections of the Size and Compo-
businesses and sition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060, estimates that by
2044, the United States is projected to become a plurality nation.
While the non-Hispanic White population will still be the
organizations largest, no race or ethnic group is projected to have greater
are striving to than a 50% share of the nation’s total. The same report projects
that by 2060, 43.6% of the U.S. population will be white. These
be more diverse, statistics show us that the U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse,
so it’s more important than ever for businesses to create an
they fail to be inclusive environment.
And what is the coffee industry, if not full of businesses?
inclusive. Coffee is a global industry, with coffeehouses popping up in
every corner of the world. The specialty coffee industry, in

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