Diversity makes us stronger every day.

Our commitment to diversity is part of everything we do. We foster an environment that allows all employees to contribute, grow, and push their talents to achieve incredible things. It’s why we work with suppliers who share our values. And why we continue to launch initiatives that will lead to a stronger, more representative workforce.

Instilling inclusion throughout our company culture.

“Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship, or who they love.”
Tim Cook

CEO, Apple Inc.

All our employees should enjoy the same rights regardless of their gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or other differences. At Apple, this belief is fundamental. To fight for it, we’ll lobby those we have to lobby. We’ll live up to this standard in every office, in every Apple Store, and in every place Apple touches. When we work hard to encourage people to see things differently, the ideas they contribute may change the world.

Championing a more diverse developer community.

In less than a decade, our app economy has grown into a $17 billion industry. More and more, we’re fueling the talents of different people to come up with world-changing apps. We’re also working with a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) organizations that offer scholarships to developers from different backgrounds. This year, we awarded scholarships to winners from 41 countries. We believe the more perspectives we have, the more innovative and powerful apps can be.

At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Get Togethers are events where like-minded developers and experts can discuss topics such as Women in Technology, Coding and Your Community, and Apps for China. And they’re a great way for people to learn new things, get inspired, and motivate each other to take their ideas from concept to reality. WWDC attendance hit an all-time high this year, with developers from over 70 countries and the largest number of women ever in attendance.

Our 2015 STEM partners.

Drawing on our differences.

We want to encourage people to share their cultures with each other. Diversity Network Associations (DNAs) are Apple employee groups representing different ethnicities, religions, orientations, and interests. We’ve also welcomed leaders like Congressman John Lewis, Apple Board Member Andrea Jung, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to share their experiences. And we’ve invited experts from the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of California, Berkeley, to develop programs about unconscious bias. By engaging with others and learning from each other, we’re creating a culture that’s open to new ideas.

Our Diversity Network Associations.
Standing up for human rights.

We partner with groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which is the largest LGBT civil rights organization in the United States. We share their mission to protect the civil and workplace rights of all our employees. We’ve also earned a perfect score on their Corporate Equality Index since it started in 2002. The index measures a company’s commitment to equality, and it’s an incredibly high standard. A standard we’re determined to meet for years to come.

Our employees also take action. To celebrate the right of everyone to love whomever they choose, Apple employees march in Pride parades in both San Francisco, California, and Austin, Texas. This year thousands of employees, friends, and family marched in San Francisco spreading a positive message of love and equality.

Insisting on diversity across our supply chain.

We launched our Supplier Diversity Program in 1988, and it’s been growing and thriving ever since. Through the program, we work with a variety of organizations to identify new suppliers whose values match ours. And in just the last year, we spent over $3 billion with more than 6000 small and diverse suppliers.

Empowering workers through free education.

The people who provide goods and services to our company are extremely important to us. Our Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program offers free courses in many different subjects, such as economics, culinary arts, welding, and graphic design. Since 2008, over 861,000 workers in our supply chain have used the classes to further their careers. The SEED program also helps workers understand their rights, and ensures that they have a safe place to speak up if their rights are ever violated. We feel everyone we work with should benefit from their partnership with Apple.

Opening doors for diverse financial firms.

We work with many of the world’s leading financial institutions, but we also want strong ideas and points of view that can only come from small, diverse firms. We feel this gives us a broader financial picture and makes us more informed. We rely on these firms for some of our most crucial transactions. Samuel A. Ramirez & Co., Inc. (Hispanic-owned) and The Williams Capital Group (African American–owned) were active comanagers in our $6.5 billion bond offering in February. CastleOak Securities (African American–owned), Lebenthal Holdings (female-owned), and Mischler Financial Group (veteran-owned) comanaged the $8 billion bond offering in May.

$3 billion+

spent with small and diverse suppliers.

Supplier diversity organizations.

  • National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
  • National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
  • National Minority Supplier Development Council
  • National Veteran-Owned Business Association
  • United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

“We’re changing by bringing in more people with different perspectives and ideas. But we also need to change the culture outside our own walls. We have to create a ripple effect that extends far beyond Apple.”

Denise Young Smith

Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources, Apple Inc.

Inclusion & Diversity

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How we’re changing tomorrow

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