Our alum Vilppu Järvinen: Value-driven communications for the rainbow community

Information, support and influencer communication 

Vilppu Järvinen works as a communications manager at the Rainbow Families Finland association, established in 1997. The association aims to promote opportunities for sexual and gender minorities to have families with children and the inclusion of diverse families in society. The association provides support and counselling for rainbow families and strives to make legislation and the service system more equal.

One of Vilppu's key tasks is influencer communication. At the moment, issues such as co-parenting and surrogacy are on the agenda.

“When you want to make a change, you first have to get the issue on the agenda and in the public debate. You have to explain why the issue is important and how many people are affected by it. Only then is change possible,” says Vilppu.

When you want to make a change, you first have to get the issue on the agenda and in the public debate. You have to explain why the issue is important and how many people are affected by it. Only then is change possible.

Vilppu Järvinen, Communications Manager, Rainbow Families Finland

For Vilppu, it is rewarding to know that you are doing good with your work and that it has very tangible impacts on people's lives. The flip side of values-driven and often passionate work is that you must also keep enough distance.

“The themes of my work sometimes come very close to me. Before my current work, I used to promote the same causes as an activist. Now that I do this for a living, I’ve noticed that my professional identity works as a protective factor and gives me certain resilience,” says Vilppu.

Communications, gender diversity and game studies combined

Before starting work at Rainbow Families Finland, Vilppu studied at Tampere University and graduated as a Master of Arts in communication, minoring in game studies and gender studies. Vilppu's thesis was awarded as the best master’s thesis in the field of communication and interaction in 2022. The topic of the study was the importance of voice in the voice media of online multiplayer games from the perspective of gender minorities.

“I feel that I found a well-suited study package for myself at the university, and my thesis allowed me to combine many of my interests. I still recognise a dormant researcher ambition in myself, so I'm also keeping that door ajar,” Vilppu says.

Vilppu found communication studies to be quite practical, as they included subjects such as presentations, crisis communication and communication strategies. All these areas have also benefitted Vilppu later in professional life. In addition to the study contents themselves, Vilppu says that university studies provided many meta skills, such as critical thinking, cooperation and teamwork, that have come in handy in life in general.

Make the most of your student years

Vilppu looks back on their student days with fondness and feels they made the most of the period. During studies, Vilppu was a tutor and an active member of communication students' association Reettorit ry. Originally from Hämeenkyrö, a municipality of some 10,000 residents near Tampere, Vilppu still identifies strongly with Tampere despite now living and working in Helsinki.

“After upper secondary school, I really wanted to go to Tampere University, and not just because it was geographically the easiest choice. In Tampere, you could study subjects that were not available elsewhere.”

After upper secondary school, I really wanted to go to Tampere University, and not just because it was geographically the easiest choice. In Tampere, you could study subjects that were not available elsewhere.

Vilppu Järvinen, Communications Manager, Rainbow Families Finland

What Vilppu has particularly fond memories of is the sense of community at the university. 

“When the pandemic hit, I was fortunate enough to be on the home stretch with my master's studies. I wasn’t impacted by distance studies to any major degree. I sincerely hope that current and future students get to enjoy the sense of community that the university offers,” Vilppu concludes.

Text: Tiina Leivo