News
The Beginning
Hey, I’m Emma. I’m Elsie’s founder, and thought I’d carve out a bit of space to let you know how this all happened.
I’m originally from the US and studied Arts Administration in Indianapolis — basically, how to work administratively in museums and creative community spaces. During my final year, I saw a gap in how healthy relationships education was being addressed on campus. Students were expected to volunteer their time to educate each other on topics like consent and domestic violence, despite the university generating hundreds of thousands of dollars off our tuition.
So I pitched a staffed, paid role to the administration to serve as a (compensated) liaison between students and staff.
In one year, I organised and facilitated workshops that reached over 1,400 students, including first-year students, athletes and fraternity members. Before graduating, I helped train younger students to deliver workshops, and ensured they were paid for it.
This fellowship remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life and cemented a mission statement that continues to guide my work: finding creative ways to have hard conversations.
From the US to Scotland
In 2019, I moved to Scotland to pursue a Master’s in Sociology, with a focus on the sociology of emotions. My research explored how access to sex education impacts emotional wellbeing in adulthood, through interviews with nearly 30 women across the US.
That research is the second thing I’m most proud of — highlighting the need for holistic, pleasure-focused, inclusive and accessible sex ed. Not as a “nice to have” but an intrinsic human right that can change the trajectories of our lives.
Enter: Back Off Scotland
While studying, during the depths of COVID, I needed ways to fill my days and make friends digitally in a country I’d just moved to. So in 2020, I co-founded Back Off Scotland — a grassroots campaign advocating for 150-metre buffer zones around abortion clinics.
We gathered thousands of signatures, spotlighted the diverse experiences of abortion across Scotland, and eventually helped secure national legislation. The campaign was covered by BBC, STV, and The National.
It taught me a huge amount about community building, co-creation, and active listening. It also further tethered my heart to Scotland.
That Weird Visa Crossroads
After graduating, I found myself at a really bizarre juncture. There was no graduate visa to fall back on at the time, and my student visa was about to expire. I could either move home, take a full-time job during COVID, or launch a business.
That crossroads led me to GoodBridge — a freelancing platform designed to match ethical companies with purpose-driven freelancers. Think: a value-aligned swiping system like a dating app.
It was a great idea in theory and built around a philosophy that continues to underpin much of Elsie. I believed then (and still do now) that connecting people who care is one of the most powerful ways to improve lives and expedite innovation in sectors that need it most.
But the execution and positioning were off. It was too broad, too impersonal, too tech-heavy. Plus, I hadn’t yet developed the depth of experience needed to pull it off in a way that truly resonated.
Falling in Love With the Sector
To support myself while building GoodBridge, I started freelancing for brands in period care, menopause, bladder health, and fertility.
I fell completely and irrevocably in love with the sector — while also experiencing every pain point that comes with freelancing in this space.
Elsie Was Born
Elsie is the natural evolution of GoodBridge after years of learning about this industry, about freelancing, and about myself. A way to combine the sector I love with a new idea rooted in connection and community-led growth.
It felt like a Rubik’s cube finally snapping into place. After years of trying to force something that didn’t quite fit, I finally felt like I was building the right thing.
Where We Are Now
Just seven months after taking that leap, we’ve:
- Grown to over 100 paying members across 15 countries
- Won £10,000 in funding
- Secured a slot to pitch on the main stage of SxTech EU in Berlin
- Hosted three in-person events in London
After years of chipping away at GoodBridge with no real demonstrated traction, I don’t take a single ounce of this progress for granted.
Elsie is growing and taking shape faster than I could have imagined — and any stress or overwhelm I feel is genuinely outweighed by gratitude.
There’s still so much to build, but I’m so glad you’re here for it.