Unfortunately, due to recent government announcements, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the End of Year Social event that was scheduled for this Thursday. We feel that although we were very much looking forward to welcoming people safely in person, with COVID concerns mounting daily, postponing the event is the right thing to do to keep the community safe at this time.

If you bought a ticket you will have received an email with more information. Keep your eyes on your inbox and our social media channels for news on our January 2022 events.

As we end the year, it’s customary to reflect on the ups and downs of our personal and professional lives. Last year was yet another rollercoaster, and we’re sure you have some stories to tell and some big (or small) hopes for 2022.

At Startup Grind Scotland we’ve loved being able to use our platform to bring people together to share ideas, spark conversation and bring a sense of normality through the bad, the worse, and the downright weird of the past 12-months. Since January, we've hosted 10+ events with some of the most entertaining and inspiring speakers/startups from Ooni to ActiPH to showcase the incredible things going on in the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem.

While we hope that the earlier virtual sessions brought a sense of calm and connection through lockdown, what we’ve really enjoyed most is interacting with each other once again at our in-person events, hearing stories, ideas, expertise and plans for the future over a glass of wine or a cup of tea(!)

For our final event of 2021 we wanted to mix things up a bit and provide a space for connection and reflection to catch up with old friends, make new ones and share grand ideas and learnings with each other. With that in mind, we’re excited to invite you to our end of year Social at Edinburgh Innovations!

We’ll also be opening the floor to SG community members to talk as part of our open-mic on their 2022 plans. If you’ve got a story to tell, or want to be more involved in this event, talk to declan@startupgrind.com.

With that in mind, we’re excited to be partnering with Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service.

They offer advice, funding, and support at every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Their expert team can help you take your business or social enterprise from a raw idea right through to launch and beyond. Their service is available to UoE staff, students, and recent alumni. The Student Enterprise Hub is an ideal space for hosting events within Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Whether you’re looking to run an event, a customer feedback session, or large meeting, the space is available to you. Please contact Jack.McMillan@ei.ed.ac.uk for any booking requests

We are limited to 30 people in the room, so book your tickets now! We'll be operating 'cafe rules' for face coverings and suggest you take a Lateral Flow test before attending. See our full COVID safety information HERE.

Mini Interviews w/ Guest Speakers

Alison Wood, Co-Founder at Floco

Enoch Adeyemi, Founder & CEO at Black Professionals Scotland 

Steven Drost, CSO at CodeBase

Why attend?

- Share reflections from the year

- Connect with peers in person

- Catch up with friends and make new ones

- Get advice from industry experts

- Enjoy healthy, sustainable food, courtesy of our friends at Nourish@ Cyrenians 

- Wine, beer and soft drinks from local startups Nuisance Drinks & Quas Drinks

- Share an ask or a project you’re excited for with the community

About the Speakers

While still at university, Alison Wood was conducting research in rural Kenya working closely with a local charity. Through this research, she discovered that many young students were forced to exchange sex for access to period products. Sadly as it turns out, many girls all over the world face this problem, just to ensure they don’t miss out on school every month, valuing the freedom that their education could buy them above all else. Since then Floco has been committed to fighting period inequality. After incredible growth through the pandemic, Floco now works around the world, increasing access to period products and period education.

Enoch Adeyemi FCCA is the Founder & CEO of Black Professionals Scotland, a fast-growing organisation that supports its members and corporate partners alike. He has built a wealth of knowledge in initiating, starting and growing new ventures in multiple countries. He founded Bagafa.com an e-commerce platform in 2020 and in 2017 he co-founded VisitNigeriaNow, the premier domestic tourism platform in Nigeria. He also works as a consultant within the Financial Services industry and is a fellow of the ACCA.

Steven Drost is a two-time entrepreneur, once successful, once failed. He has extensive experience of hiring, building revenues, selling companies, fundraising, and more. He has the scars and war stories to prove it.

He is currently the CSO at CodeBase, and sees many startups per year. He loves to help business grow and network founders with peers, customers and investors. He's also the Co-Host of Startupification, a podcast about how technology is changing the world around us.

What you need to know!

What: End of Year Year Social

When: Thurs 16th December 2021

Time: 6.00 - 8.30pm (+ after-party at Peartree)

Where: Edinburgh Innovations Student Enterprise Hub, LG Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE (across the road from Peartree)

Safety: Please take a Lateral Flow test the day of the event for everyone's peace of mind

Bonus Extras: Free food & drink, awesome people, insightful conversation and advice, community, plus Q&A via Slido!