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    The word "minority" is wrong. Women are 51.1% of Brazil. Black and mixed-race people are 55.9%. About 12% of the adult population identifies as LGBTQIA+. And 23.9% have some type of disability. When you add these groups together — considering the overlaps — the result is uncomfortable for those who still use the label: the "minoritized" are, in fact, the absolute majority of the Brazilian population.

    The uncomfortable truth that needs to be stated at the beginning of this article is this: the Brazilian technology market is still commanded and designed by a minority — mostly male, White, cisgender, straight, able-bodied, and middle- or upper-class. This group, which is numerically smaller, defines the product, defines hiring, defines culture, and decides who gets in and who stays out. And the results appear every day: apps that don't work for wheelchair users, platforms that don't account for social names, user journeys designed for those with broadband at home and free time, and ads that stereotype.

    This article is for the founder who is starting now and has the chance — rare and brief — to build a startup with diversity from day 1, instead of paying 5× more to fix it later. We will go through real data from Brazil, affirmative actions, breakdowns by gender, race, LGBTQIA+ and PwD, managing diversity day-to-day, and close with the 21 questions your startup needs in a socio-affirmative form.

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    Diversity is not a minority issue: it is the mathematics of the majority

    The four most common categories, in numbers from IBGE, Datafolha, and the Ethos Institute — keep in mind that the categories overlap (a Black LGBTQIA+ woman appears in all four), which reinforces the point: combined, they are the majority of Brazil.

    51%

    Women

    of the Brazilian population (IBGE 2022).

    56%

    Black people

    Black + mixed-race, self-declared (IBGE).

    12%

    LGBTQIA+

    self-declared adults (Datafolha 2023).

    24%

    PwD

    declared having a disability (IBGE/Census).

    Now compare that with a snapshot of the top of Brazilian technology: less than 15% of funded startups have a female co-founder; Black and mixed-race people occupy less than 5% of executive positions in the 500 largest companies (Ethos/IBOPE); the declared presence of LGBTQIA+ people in leadership roles rarely reaches double digits; and PwDs in tech roles are below 1%. The disconnect between who Brazil is and who makes decisions for technological Brazil is brutal — and that is exactly where the competitive opportunity lies.

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    Diverse team meeting in a Brazilian startup, with men, women, Black and White people discussing around a table

    What are affirmative actions — and why they exist

    Affirmative actions are policies — public or private — that treat unequals unequally to correct a historical difference in starting points. They are not a "favor" or "privilege": they are an acknowledgment that two candidates with the same resume, coming from absolutely different backgrounds, did not get there with the same relative effort — and that ignoring this perpetuates inequality.

    Practical examples for a startup: affirmative job openings exclusive to women, Black people, LGBTQIA+, or PwD; training scholarships to close technical gaps; blind hiring processes (no name, photo, or age in the first round);internal mentorship dedicated to underrepresented groups; targetsfor team composition by hierarchical level, not just at the entry level.

    The golden rule is simple: affirmative action does not lower technical criteria — it expands the universe of candidates who can demonstrate that criteria. When a startup opens a role "only for women," the technical criteria remain the same; what changes is that they stop competing for 1 female candidate against 9 men (on an unequal footing) and start competing for 10 female candidates on an equal footing among themselves.

    Real data on diversity in the Brazilian job market

    Five numbers that a founder needs to have on the tip of their tongue when someone says "it's different in Brazil" or "there are no diverse candidates in our market."

    Gender

    Income

    Women earn, on average, 78% of the salary of men in the same role (IBGE).

    Race

    Leadership

    Black people hold only 4.7% of executive roles in the top 500 (Ethos).

    PwD

    PwD

    Only ~50% of companies comply with the Quota Law (8,213/91).

    LGBT+

    Dismissal

    33% of LGBTQIA+ individuals have faced discrimination at work.

    Tech

    Tech

    Women represent only ~20% of technical roles in IT in Brazil.

    Each category tells its own story — and requires its own response

    Treating "diversity" as a single block is mistake number 1. Each group has specific data, barriers, and affirmative actions. Check the carousel:

    56% of Brazil is Black — yet only 4% of tech leadership is
    RACIAL DIVERSITY

    56% of Brazil is Black — yet only 4% of tech leadership is

    Black and mixed-race people are the majority of the Brazilian population (IBGE), but they represent less than 5% of executive positions in the 500 largest companies and an even smaller slice of startup leadership. Building a diverse team from day 1 is not charity — it is capturing the talent that the rest of the market ignores.

    1 / 4

    Racial diversity: the real Brazil vs. the pitch deck Brazil

    When the 2022 Census confirmed that 55.9% of Brazil is Black or mixed-race, many tech companies continued swapping slides with photos of 90% White teams. This disconnect is not just aesthetic — it determines what product gets built. Facial recognition systems that fail more on Black faces, credit scoring algorithms that deny credit in peripheral zip codes, UX design that ignores Black cultural references: it all stems from homogeneous teams.

    For the founder who wants to build differently, here are three practical steps in the first year: (1) internal quotas — set target % for Black people by level, not just at entry; (2) partner with bootcamps like AfroPython, Reprograma Pretas, Olabi, and PretaLab to open up a real technical funnel; (3) review the "cultural fit" criteria — this term is where unconscious bias silently excludes Black people the most.

    The harsh rule stands: if your startup has more than 10 people and zero Black people in technical roles, it's not a lack of candidates — it's a broken process. The candidates exist; your search radius is just too small.

    Black professionals in a tech workplace, symbolizing racial diversity in startups
    Two LGBTQIA+ women making a heart with their hands — representation in the workplace

    LGBTQIA+ at work: safety is not a perk, it is a prerequisite

    The survey "Fired for being LGBT" (Out & Equal Brazil, 2023) showed that 61% of LGBTQIA+ individuals hide their orientation or identity at work out of fear of retaliation. In a small startup, where the team lives together 10 hours a day, the effort of hiding is exhausting — and it costs productivity, creativity, and retention.

    What a startup of any size can do in month one: a written anti-discrimination policy(it can't just be words), the use of social names across all internal systems right from onboarding, health plans with coverage for same-sex couples and dependents, equal parental leave (not just maternity), and literacy trainingfor the team — basic vocabulary prevents 80% of involuntary awkwardness.

    Most importantly: those at the top need to take a stance. A silent founder gives a clear signal that "it's not safe here." A founder who signs an internal letter, puts pronouns in their profile, or shows up on symbolic dates is creating a psychological contract of safety that is worth more than any financial perk.

    PwD: ableism is the most invisible bias — and the easiest to combat

    Ableism is discrimination against people with disabilities — usually without even realizing it. It’s in a "job for a programmer who can lift heavy objects occasionally," in a video interview with no Sign Language option, in a UI with insufficient contrast, in an office with stairs but no ramp, in a scanned PDF that a screen reader can't read. As authors Allyne Cristina dos Santos, Bianca Salles Conceição de Andrade, and Tamiris Aparecida Fachinetti say in the book"I was ableist, now what? Deconstructing ableism in practice", the first step is to acknowledge that everyone has been ableist at some point — and from there, build a different practice.

    For a newly created startup, three decisions raise the bar: (1) accessibility in the product starting from the MVP — semantic HTML, WCAG AA contrast, keyboard navigation, image alt text; (2) an accessible hiring process — asking about reasonable adjustments at first contact, offering text versions, providing a Sign Language interpreter when requested; and (3) hiring PwDs in technical roles, not just administrative ones, which is where the Quota Law often turns into a "checkbox."

    And yes, your startup will build a better product: technical accessibility is, in practice, good engineering. An app that works with a screen reader also works better with a weak signal, in the dark, with one hand, or in the car. Those who design for the extremes serve the middle better.

    Person with a disability using a wheelchair working on a computer in an accessible tech environment

    Gender in entrepreneurship: three real paths to close the gap

    Women receive less than 2% of global venture capital. In Brazil, the number is similar. It's not a lack of female entrepreneurs — it's structure. Here are three fronts for a founder to turn the tables in their own startup:

    FRONT 1

    Intentional co-founding

    Before seeking a co-founder, actively map out women with complementary technical or commercial profiles. Communities like WoMakers, PrograMaria, and Women in Technology (MET) are starting points. A mixed team from the C-level raises capital 30% earlier and has 25% less turnover (Boston Consulting Group).

    FRONT 2 · HIGH IMPACT

    Care policy

    Equal parental leave (same duration for mothers and fathers), flexible hours for those caring for dependents, daycare reimbursement, and a culture that respects school pick-up times. Small changes unlock the careers of mothers — a demographic the market historically discards at 30.

    FRONT 3

    Transparent pay equity

    An internally published salary and role table, annual reviews with automatic correction of gender/race discrepancies, and a public goal to close the gap within 24 months. Transparency eliminates 70% of differences without needing to "re-negotiate" — you just fix it.

    How to value diversity in the day-to-day of a startup

    Diversity that becomes just a poster on the wall has a short shelf life. What makes a real difference is repeated practice — four habits a founder needs to install in their routines:

    Meetings with balanced speaking time

    Who speaks first? Who gets interrupted? Note it for 1 month and correct it.

    Decisions with a diverse perspective

    Before closing a feature, ask: 'who hasn't weighed in yet and should?'

    Two-way feedback

    Anonymous quarterly question: 'do you feel like you belong here?'

    Celebrating real dates

    Trans Visibility Day, Black Awareness Day, Diversity — pay the cost to do it.

    Each of these habits costs almost nothing in money and everything in attention. A founder who lacks the attention for this will have to pay 4× more for consulting later — when the first public departure due to discrimination hits social networks.

    Including Social class in your hiring process

    Racial, gender, orientation, and disability diversity are the most visible — but social class is the demographic that operates most silently. Even within each group, someone from a peripheral background faces different barriers than someone from a middle-class background. The "standard" resume filters them out silently: fluent English, studying abroad, an elite university, a professional photo, a "clean" email address, references from a famous boss. Each of these items structurally eliminates those who didn't have access.

    Including social class in the process means designing stages that measure real capability, not a proxy for background. Replace theoretical tests with practical ones; accept portfolios in any format (video, GitHub, personal project, community work); pay candidates for the time spent on a long case study; allow interviews via phone with the camera off; offer a mid-month salary advance for those who need to cover transport and food during the transition.

    A startup doing this is not "lowering the bar" — it is removing friction that shouldn't exist. And it gains access to fiercely underestimated talent: anyone who made it to your interview stage despite all of this has already proven a level of resilience that a candidate handed everything will never have the chance to demonstrate.

    Managing diversity day-to-day: three practical pillars

    It's not a program, it's a routine. Three pillars that the founder needs to operate personally — not delegate to "someone in HR" a year later.

    PILLAR 1

    Language

    Review website copy, job ads, welcome emails, internal glossary. Terms like "manpower", "blacklist", "denigrate", accent jokes, "that's women's work" — eliminate them from the collective vocabulary. Zero cost, massive cultural impact.

    PILLAR 2

    Accessibility of tools

    Do the software programs the team uses have high contrast modes? Does the internal chat support screen reading? Is the physical office prepared for neurodivergent employees (quiet spaces)? Provide the structure before the person asks for it.

    PILLAR 3

    Sponsorship, not just mentorship

    Mentorship is giving advice. Sponsorship is putting your name on the line to promote someone. Founders need to sponsor talent from minority backgrounds, ensuring they have access to strategic projects, budget, and visibility before investors.

    21 questions for a socio-affirmative form

    A socio-affirmative form is not a checklist to "fulfill quotas." It is an instrument of context. It serves to read a candidate's resume through the lens of their starting point. These 21 questions — which must be optional, secure, and used ethically — are the foundation for a hiring process that doesn't just evaluate where the candidate is, but the speed at which they ran to get there.

    • What is your social name and how would you like to be addressed?
    • What is your self-declared color/race (Black, Mixed, White, Indigenous, Asian)?
    • Do you identify as LGBTQIA+? (optional)
    • What is your gender? (open options, including non-binary and prefer not to say)
    • Are you a person with a disability? If so, what adjustments do you need to participate in the process?
    • In which neighborhood/city did you grow up? (to understand socioeconomic background)
    • Did you attend public school, private school with a scholarship, or full-tuition private school?
    • Are you the first person in your family to attend higher education?
    • In which minimum wage bracket does your current family income fall?
    • Do you rely on public transportation and how much time do you spend commuting daily?
    • Do you have children or dependents under your care?
    • Do you need flexible hours for caregiving, health, or study reasons?
    • What tools/technologies did you have access to for learning (paid courses, free courses, self-taught)?
    • Have you faced any access barriers (financial, geographic, language) in the job market?
    • Have you felt discriminated against in any previous selection process? Can you briefly describe?
    • Do you have any dietary, religious, or cultural restrictions we need to consider?
    • Which communication channel do you prefer (WhatsApp, email, call, video, text)?
    • Is there any accessibility resource we should prepare for the interview (Sign Language, screen reader, quiet room)?
    • Would you feel comfortable working in a team where you are the only person from your identity group?
    • What can the company do to make you feel genuinely a part of the team?
    • Is there anything important about your journey that a resume usually fails to show?

    Rule of use: Never use these responses to discard candidates. Use them to advance candidates who meet the technical criteria and demonstrate resilience overcoming structural barriers.

    Diversity is not HR — it's strategy

    If your startup's product is going to be used by the Brazilian population, but your team doesn't look like the Brazilian population, your product has a structural flaw. Diversity is not a favor you do for society; it is the most intelligent way to mitigate risk and capture value in an uneven market.

    The founder who understands this early on stops viewing affirmative action as a "cost of compliance" and starts using it as a talent acquisition engine. While large companies struggle to change entrenched cultures, your startup can be born right. The choice is yours.

    Build your startup with the right culture from day 1

    Validate your idea, create your persona, define your business model, and plan a culture of real diversity with the Shinier Accelerator.

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    Referências

    • NUNES, Caroline. Diversity in organizations: gender, social, and representation — Undergraduate Thesis, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), 2021. Access the full thesis (PDF — UFF)
    • SANTOS, A. C. dos; ANDRADE, B. S. C. de; FACHINETTI, T. A. I was ableist, now what? Deconstructing ableism in practice — reference book on the inclusion of people with disabilities. Get to know the book
    • IBGE — Continuous National Household Sample Survey Data on race/color, income, education, and the labor market in Brazil — base used for population and employment percentages. PNAD Contínua — IBGE
    • Ethos Institute Social, Racial, and Gender Profile of the 1,100 Largest Companies in Brazil and their Affirmative Actions (2023–2024) — diversity diagnosis at the top of organizations. Ethos Report 2023–2024