The team at Bright Red Triangle wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Pride Month!
People in the LGBTQIA+ community often choose self-employment as it gives them greater opportunity to be themselves, have more control over their working environment and to be more selective with their customer or client base.
Researchers from the University of Bath and Radbound University found that negative experiences in the workplace proved to be a “motivating force” in starting their own entrepreneurial journey.
Analysis also showed however that some LGBTQIA+ business-owners did still face hardship when battling against entrepreneurial stereotypes in the male dominated, highly competitive sector.
At BRT, we champion the diversity in our community, and have a long tradition of supporting LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs. To name a few:
- We’ve had several LGBTQIA+ businesses win big in our Bright Red Sparks pitching competition, and in fact our last event in March had two such founders winning £500 for their work
- In our Changing Perceptions project, we highlighted trans-entrepreneurs and their successes in the sector
- Our ongoing collaborations with organisations such as OutBritain mean we are able to connect in with the wider ecosystem, by attending events such as the fabulous OutConnect
- Our Co-ordinator Amber is co-chair of the Napier LGBT+ staff network, ensuring that the Napier staff community is represented and supported
- We made our pioneering Women’s Enterprise courses inclusive of intersex, trans- and nonbinary entrepreneurs
- We recently added the “LGBTQ+ friendly” badge to our Google profile, so the community can easily recognise us
But, we don’t think that’s enough. We have plans for the near future on how we can increase our support for the community and further promote inclusivity, such as:
- Overhauling our web pages to make clear our commitment to inclusivity in our digital and physical spaces
- Educating ourselves as a team on what is happening in the community and how we can support our entrepreneurs
- Dedicating one of our Startup Huddle events exclusively to Women and Non-binary entrepreneurs (inclusive of intersex and trans-people), a first for the Global Entrepeneurship Network! See our events page for more on this
- Consulting with partners to develop newer, fresher resources that are available to the entire ecosystem, that centre the experience of LGBTQIA+ business owners
LGBTQIA+ inclusion does not just happen in June, and BRT is committed to ensuring our spaces are always friendly and accountable to our entrepreneurs.
Do reach out to us if you have any suggestions for how we as a team, and our services, can be more inclusive.
Napier staff, including BRT Co-ordinator Amber Isaacs, at the 2024 Proud Scotland Awards, having won the Public Services award, recognising the impactful work being done across professional services and academia, including the work BRT do.
Bright Red Sparks winners Flowerpunk Films who received £500 towards their business.