Invisible Identities Project
Objectives
Interest in creating academic and professional environments where diverse individuals feel included has grown exponentially in recent decades. Under this light, the Invisible Identities Observatory seeks to generate deep knowledge on how individuals navigate hidden dimensions of diversity, such as neurodivergence, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation, within both educational and professional spheres. Our research explores the experiences, disclosure strategies, and psychological well-being of undergraduate and post-graduate students as they transition into the workforce. By analyzing critical gaps and areas of perceived vulnerability, we aim to uncover actionable insights that help bridge the gap between student anxieties and inclusive academic and corporate practices. We aspire to make invisible identities better understood, dismantle the taboos surrounding disclosure, and create strategic collaborations among educators and employers. Ultimately, our goal is to advocate for safer, more flexible spaces where students feel supported to bring their authentic selves to school and work.
Activities
- Research projects
- Articles
- Guest lectures
- Case studies
- Workshops
- Seminars
Team
Paris Campus: Geraldine Galindo, Vedika Lal, Alessandro Ghio, Olivier Wurtz
Madrid Campus: Minna Paunova
Turin Campus: Luisa Carrer, Marie-Catherine Mignault, Chiara Succi
London Campus: Daniela Lup
Research Team Workshop at ESCP Paris 2026
In April, the research team convened at ESCP Paris to evaluate the inaugural findings of the Leadership and Inclusive Management Institute (LIMI) Invisible Identities Observatory. The workshop focused on the critical tension points revealed in the baseline data of 576 students, specifically, that nearly one in four respondents identify as neurodivergent, alongside the significant behavioral gaps we uncovered regarding identity disclosure and corporate policy-checking.
Compounded by the finding that identity disclosure negatively correlates with psychological well-being, the team recognized that traditional academic and professional strategies are falling short of reassuring incoming talent.
Following this session, the Observatory is initiating the following strategic next steps:
1. We will launch a new round of data collection specifically designed to isolate and understand the underlying mechanisms driving these disclosure and policy-checking gaps.
2. The team will actively follow our neurodivergent cohort as they transition from higher education into their first post-graduation roles. This will allow us to measure the shift from anticipated workplace friction to actual professional experiences regarding disclosure, masking, and overall well-being.
3. ESCP Paris will host a series of interactive workshops bringing together business practitioners and academic educators. These sessions will focus on how both academic and professional environments can build genuine psychological safety and signal authentic, credible stances toward supporting invisible identities.
For Schools:
1. Create Safer Spaces and Normalize Partial Transparency: Create low-risk environments to reduce fears and taboos around informal identity disclosure
2. Targeted Well-being Support: Prioritize support for students with salient invisible identities to reduce entry-level professional anxiety
3. Facilitate Discussions with Educators: Organize discussions and trainings with educators to make classrooms safer and more flexible for student needs
For Businesses:
1. Normalize Partial Transparency: Ditch the rigid, all-or-nothing corporate disclosure mechanisms. Provide structural avenues for employees to request functional adjustments (e.g., sensory workspaces, written-first communication) without forcing them to formally register a medical or clinical label.
2. Authentic Signaling: Replace generic corporate DEI messaging with objective, verifiable operational metrics, such as clear internal burnout protocols, utilization rates of mental health resources, and authentic internal representation data, in line with recent research highlighting the need for more authentic organizational signaling.
3. De-bias Recruitment: Eliminate vague cultural fit metrics during interviews, which are likely embedded in ideal worker norms (and thus heteronormative in nature), that likely penalize neurodivergent, non-traditional, or lower-class communication styles. Implement structured, work-sample-based assessments and explicitly publish interview parameters in advance.
4. Shift DEI Ownership: Because entering talent restricts disclosure to tight-knit personal safety circles, corporate HR policies are distant.
Companies must heavily train direct line managers and/or colleagues to build day-to-day psychological safety and seamlessly execute accommodations on the floor.