Anna Dobson– Love Mo Chuisle
For Anna Dobson – founder of Irish fashion brand Love Mo Chuisle – her three children are her inspiration. The name itself translates to “Love My Darlings” which is what she calls her three small boys to this day.
Asumpta Gallagher – Best Practice
With over 20 years’ experience working in Practice Management, Asumpta Gallagher witnessed first-hand the challenges that many General Practitioners face. This inspired her to set up her own business supporting GPs and helping them run successful and profitable practices.
Clodagh Shannon– Nonna Diary
Formerly a Kindergarten teacher in Abu Dhabi and hotel receptionist, the Killarney native took a leap of faith to establish her business in May 2018 having noticed a gap in the market for the quirky, motivational fitness and weight-loss diaries she designs.
Deirdre Doyle – The Cool Food School
Trying to encourage kids to eat healthy foods can be challenging, but Deirdre Doyle has come up with a fun and interactive way to educate children on healthy eating.
Emily Brick– Athena Analytics
Emily Brick turned her passion for data into a business by building a suite of analytics products to help schools analyse their students’ exam results, to support students and help them achieve their academic potential.
Erica Hargaden – Babogue
Trying to get a baby into a sleeping routine is challenging for all new parents, whether it’s their first time or their fourth time. When Erica Hargaden found a sleeping routine that worked for her own three kids, she found friends coming to her for advice. This led her to train as a Paediatric Sleep Consultant and set up her own practice, Babogue.
Gerardine Ryan – Allwoman
After a long and varied career in the beauty sector, Gerardine Ryan saw an opportunity to use her skills and knowledge to bring benefits to cancer patients.
Gillian Elliffe – Rúna Care Wear
When Gillian Elliffe had her first child, she noticed how hard it was to find functional and stylish baby bibs. But it was only when she was on baby number two that she decided to turn the problem into an opportunity, designing her own baby bibs from which evolved her company, Rúna Care Wear.
Jane Downes – Part-time.ie
A chartered accountant by background, Jane Downes decided to venture into entrepreneurship with a recruitment platform for part-time employees after taking a part-time role herself when her eldest child was starting school.
Jennifer Doyle – Millb
ee Studio
As a mother of two young children, Jennifer was inspired to create something meaningful that would address the problem of single-use plastics and combine her passions for design and beekeeping.
Joan Mahon– Elevate HR & Coaching
Joan’s journey into entrepreneurship started largely by accident when she took a leave of absence in 2017 to finish a Master’s in Business Practices with the Irish Management Institute and was offered freelance consultancy work within two days of her leave commencing.
Kate Dempsey – Kinsale Mead
Standing in the footprint of the Great Mead Hall of Tara inspired Kate Dempsey and her husband Denis to leave their multinational tech jobs and open Ireland’s first meadery in 200 years.
Kay Lyng– K Kajoux Jewels
Atrip to a bead shop in Dublin in 2011 resulted in Kay Lyng designing and creating a unique necklace for a friend and now West End show stars have been spotted wearing her jewellery.
Marie O’Dowd – Wilder & Gold
Marie O’Dowd was so committed to the idea of setting up a business venture of her own that she walked away from a career as a buyer with Penneys to set up her home living store and café/deli in Ballymahon, Co Longford.
Michelle Moyles– Ignite Design & Marketing
A love of art from an early age has blossomed into a successful career in Graphic Design for Michelle.In 2017, she decided to craft her own path with the establishment of Ignite Design & Marketing – specialising in graphic design, marketing and web design.
Nicola Grills – Grills Spirits
With the world experiencing a new gin craze in the last few years, it can be hard to break into the market, but Nicola Grills’ unique creation has become an award-winning gin less than a year after launching.
Phil Walsh – Wild Herb Elixirs
Living on a farm in the Wexford countryside instilled a deep interest in the natural healing properties of wildflowers and herbs in Phil Walsh. It’s a passion which she has turned into her own business, creating a range of natural balms and remedies.
Síle Headen– Machado Men’s Grooming
Having spent ten years working in female cosmetics, Laois woman Síle Headen came to a realisation – she had had enough of it! She was tired of what was on the market for women and a visit to a Hamburg tradeshow solidified what she already knew. High-quality, natural skincare options for men are nowhere near as plentiful as those for women.
Susan Bourke– LegalRSS.ie
Susan Bourke was training solicitors in digital marketing when she noticed many were struggling to market their firms online. So, she set up LegalRSS.ie, a powerful yet simple online marketing platform specifically for lawyers and legal services businesses in Ireland – a unique service in this country.
Taralouise McCaughey – Zinc Media Agency
Spotting a gap in the market in her local area for a service that she held all the skills and experience for, inspired Taralouise McCaughey to launch her own business. Originally from Merseyside in England, Taralouise moved to Donegal 11 years ago where she worked in the hospitality and events industries before deciding to set up ZINC Media Agency in Bundoran.
Triona Spellman – Darcybow
Triona Spellman has always been obsessed with clothes – dresses to be more specific. From a young age, she knew what she liked and was particularly interested in the colours, the fabric and where the ribbons were placed.