Edinburgh Innovations is the commercialisation service of the University of Edinburgh. We support staff, students, and alumni to bring their business ideas to life and make a positive contribution to society and economy. The University of Edinburgh is a major anchor institution within the wider Scottish tech ecosystem - in the 2020/21 academic year, Edinburgh Innovations support the creation of over 115 students and staff start-ups and engaged in enterprise activities with over 3500 University of Edinburgh students, staff and alumni.

Despite UK having a relatively high ranking on ILGA - Europe Rainbow Index in 2015 (86%), the UK has recently dropped to 64% on the same map suggesting that more needs to be done to support and promote the rights and human rights of LGBTQ+ people.

In light of this, we are collaborating with Hoppers (the society for gender minorities in Informatics) on the wider Women EmpowerED celebration, the Staff Pride Network and Studio Lutalicia, a feminst and LGBT+ Design Studio. Studio Lutalica are giving University of Edinburgh staff and students the chance to take part in a free workshop on the fundamentals of launching a business in 2022. In this one hour long workshop, you'll come up with a new pro-feminist or LGBT+ venture, followed by a networking session with free food and drinks!

The Staff Pride Network is an inclusive network that serves as a resource for the rich diversity of LGBT+ employees across the institution, including PhD students who prefer to attend staff events.

Studio Lutalica was born out of Cecilia Righini’s passion for design and activism. An advocate for design as a tool for transformation, they aim to support Feminist and Queer communities through the provision of bold and accessible design. Defying boundaries on every level, the name ‘Lutalica’ means ‘the part of your identity that doesn’t fit into categories.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at Sraddheya.Gurung@ei.ed.ac.uk