In October 2025, the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing hosted its first-ever Convening on LGBTQ+ Health Innovation, a two-day gathering that brought together more than 50 leaders from across academia, business, law, philanthropy, and community organizations. The event’s goal: to confront the growing challenges facing LGBTQ+ health and co-create new strategies to sustain progress in an increasingly difficult policy and funding environment.
Founded in 2021, the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative’s mission is to advance LGBTQ+ health and strengthen public health for all through cross-sector collaboration. Its work centers on bridging the silos that often separate researchers, practitioners, and innovators — ensuring that scientific evidence informs business and policy, that communities are heard in the design of solutions, and that the expertise of each sector strengthens the others.
This mission has felt especially urgent in 2025. Over the course of two days, participants took part in group discussions, design thinking workshops, and networking sessions aimed at coalition-building and creating tangible plans to address barriers within and across their respective sectors.
“Eidos was born out of both frustration and conviction: the frustration of seeing how our existing systems slowed progress, and the conviction that we could build something faster, braver, more collaborative, and more equitable. In a moment when polarization threatens to deepen silos and erode trust, convenings like this one matter. They allow us to test our ideas against one another, pool our strengths across sectors, and imagine together what true resilience can look like.”
The event was facilitated by Eidos’ Director of Engagement, Kevin Schott, with sessions designed by Julia Votto and James Wolfe, both Associate Directors of Innovative Projects. The convening intentionally broke from the traditional conference or leadership summit model, emphasizing doing rather than just discussing. Attendees engaged in interactive sessions grounded in human-centered design thinking, a framework Votto specializes in through her background in integrated product design. Participants were challenged to think outside their typical environments, workshop ideas alongside peers from other sectors, and explore how diverse expertise could intersect to generate innovative solutions.
Attendees applied these methods in collaborative exercises, including a co-design lab where they formulated “How Might We…” statements, mapped structural barriers, and identified partnership strategies. By the end of the convening, each participant left with actionable plans and new connections to support their work.
Participant Feedback
“At a time when many people are paralyzed by the enormity of the challenges we’re facing, getting exposed to the design thinking process to take action anchored in familiar personal and professional contexts was powerful,” shared one participant. Another reflected, “The connections made these past two days will help define future projects that my organization takes on in 2026.”
The convening’s structure—rooted in Eidos’ belief that innovation grows from connection—was as much about building relationships as it was about generating ideas. Participants consistently emphasized the value of meeting peers outside their typical circles: “It was so refreshing to be among such a diverse group of passionate people committed to LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing, most of whom I had never met. I appreciated the chance to reimagine community together.”
As attendees departed, one thing was clear: the work ahead will require not just resilience, but collaboration, creativity, and courage. Eidos plans to build on this momentum by continuing to create spaces where leaders can connect, co-design, and turn shared vision into tangible action for LGBTQ+ health equity.
