Profiling Gender Diversity With Innovation

Innovate UK Inspires Female Innovators with Unique Photographic Series

Partnership with acclaimed female photographer and Getty Images challenges perceptions about female innovators with the aim to remove a key barrier that prevents women for applying for business funding – lack of access to relatable and attainable female role models.

Gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to deliver better financial returns
Getty Images searches for ‘female business executive’ have increased 350% and ‘female entrepreneur’ by 66% over the past two years
BUT the proportion of UK women in entrepreneurial activity is around half the level of men
Only 14% of all people working in STEM are women

Getty Images and renowned UK photographer Amelia Troubridge have partnered with Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to create a series of photographic portraits that directly challenge the perception of what it looks like to be a female innovator in 2017. Continuing its women in innovation mission to challenge the low number of women entrepreneurs applying for funding, the portfolio is part of Innovate UK’s infocus campaign, an umbrella initiative to encourage diversity in innovation and boost the economy as a result.

Infocus women in innovation portraits

In an effort to challenge the fact that one in three women say their gender has negatively impacted their career in innovation, this unique series of portraits profiles Innovate UK’s women in innovation Award Holders and ambassadors. With inspiring imagery by acclaimed photographer Amelia Troubridge, the images challenge perceptions about female innovation, inspiration, creativity and entrepreneurship; redefining what we see, feel and believe about female innovation.

About the infocus campaign:

The infocus campaign is intended to be an umbrella communications campaign, designed to be flexible enough to underpin our chosen areas of focus in support of our diversity agenda. We are committed to improving our diversity and inclusion work as an investor, partner and employer. Our first focus area is addressing the disproportionately low numbers of women entrepreneurs engaging with Innovate UK.

Driving diversity in Innovation

The series profiles 12 of the women in innovation Award Holders associated with Innovate UK’s first funding competition, run solely for women. The pioneering innovations the subjects are developing range from the optimisation of cancer treatment, the creation of sustainable alternatives to animal products and even solutions to crises of air-pollution and waste. The real focus of the series, however, is to celebrate the inherent differences and diversity among this group of female innovators; across such broad spectrums as background, age, education, location and approach.