PHILADELPHIA (February 13, 2023) –The Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is partnering with Gaingels, an LGBTQIA+/Allies private investment syndicate, to provide their portfolio of companies access to Penn’s academic research to make an impact into the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities.
“This academic-industry partnership will help shorten the pipeline from discovery to social impact. Often, great ideas are proposed by researchers and entrepreneurs, and yet there are limited opportunities for collaboration and synergy. Through the Eidos-Gaingels partnership, we seek to support founders and entrepreneurs with in-depth LGBTQ+ health knowledge and research expertise, and accelerate the delivery of evidence-based strategies and innovative solutions for LGBTQ+ people,” said José Bauermeister, PhD, MPH, the Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations and Founding Faculty Director of the Eidos Initiative.
A 2020 consensus report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine found that LGBTQ+ populations are more likely to experience physical, mental, and social health disparities than the general population. The report also called for greater partnerships between public and private funders to promote the well-being of sexual and gender minority populations. “The partnership between Eidos and Gaingels responds to the National Academies recommendation as a first-of-its-kind effort to magnify the reach and impact of discoveries and high-impact solutions. We are excited to support the discovery and evaluation of bold new efforts to improve LGBTQ+ well-being while providing opportunities for faculty, students, and staff at Penn to engage with the business sector,” shared Antonia Villarruel, PhD, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Research, discovery, and evaluation are often out of reach to many founders and start-ups, yet they are often crucial for companies to show impact as they seek to grow in the marketplace. These resources are even less likely to exist for founders and companies seeking to disrupt health inequities within specific populations such as the LGBTQ+ population. Therefore, investments in early-stage start-ups with new and innovative solutions to address these health concerns are key. “The percentage of people who identify as LGBTQ+ has doubled in the past decade, and yet they still remain severely underserved. This transformative commitment by Eidos and the University of Pennsylvania allows innovative private sector enterprises to benefit from leading academic research to ensure scalable and effective means of improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people everywhere,” observed Gaingels Partner, Jake Prigoff, MD.
Over the next five years, Gaingels portfolio companies will have the opportunity to engage with the academic, intellectual, and research resources of the University of Pennsylvania. “Eidos will bring together world-class teams of faculty, students, and staff across the 12 Penn Schools to solve problems, scale solutions, and answer research questions for these companies,” shared Jessica Halem, MBA, Senior Director of the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative.
The first round of projects is expected to launch later this Spring.
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About Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative
Anchored at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative brings together social enterprise, education, research, and community resources to create real-world applications that will transform LGBTQ+ health. Taking an action-oriented business approach and backed by world-class research, Eidos seeks to co-create innovative solutions that ensure impact for LGBTQ+ communities. www.penneidos.org
About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world’s leading schools of nursing. For the seventh year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University. Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has been ranked # 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report for two straight years (2022 & 2023). Penn Nursing is also consistently ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of best graduate schools and is ranked as one of the top schools of nursing in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Our mission is to make a significant impact on health by advancing science, promoting equity, demonstrating practice excellence, and preparing leaders in the discipline of nursing. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram.
About Gaingels
Gaingels is a leading venture investment syndicate in support of and representing the LGBTQIA+ community and allies in the venture capital space. Gaingels also supports its companies with a diverse talent and capital pipeline and provides an internal diverse board member recruitment advisory to help bring more diversity and representation within private boards. Gaingels invests in companies with diverse/LGBTQIA+ founders and C-suite leaders at all stages of growth, as well as in other high-growth companies resolved on building more inclusive teams. Gaingels is an ardent supporter the Diversity Term Sheet Rider Initiative to increase access to venture funding events for non-traditional check writers, and regularly co-invests with select VC leads across a variety of sectors, from technology, to B2B, healthcare and consumer, in competitive and over-subscribed rounds from Seed to Growth/pre-IPO. For more information visit www.gaingels.com.
