ACORNS 8

Abby Mahon – Bee Media

Abby Mahon had been lending her digital marketing skills to a small business in Kilkenny city when her talent for driving engagement came to the attention of other local firms.

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Agnes Maher – The Thoughtful Shopper

Agnes Maher admits to taking a somewhat circuitous route to entrepreneurship with her personalised shopping service, The Thoughtful Shopper.

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Alison McGrath – My First Steps

Alison McGrath’s experiences of shoe shopping for her two young daughters in the West of Ireland frequently left her cold. The young mum responded in June 2022 by opening My First Steps, a child-centric shoe store based in Ennis, Co. Clare.

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Anne-Marie Doran – Amella Coaching

A former All-Ireland winner with the Wicklow footballers, an international rules camogie player and now a world-class triathlete, Anne-Marie is the founder of Amella Coaching, a workplace wellbeing company offering services in wellbeing and nutrition.

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Bridget McAuliffe – Quest and Thrive

Recognising the importance of preventive habits, which tackles the underlying causes of health issues rather than just the symptoms, Bridget established her own company, Quest and Thrive, in Co. Kerry,
in 2022.

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Catherine Kinsella – Saltrock Dairy

Catherine Kinsella’s customers often remark on the difference in the taste of milk produced on her dairy farm and the name brands sold in her local supermarket.

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Eibhlin Fitzpatrick – The Refill Mill

Increasing dismay at the excessive use of plastic packaging for everything from groceries to cleaning products inspired Eibhlin Fitzpatrick to set up her own plastic-free retail store in Mullingar, Co.
Westmeath.

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Eileen Conlon – Apricity

Eileen Conlon had been providing health screenings to private companies when staff ’s common complaints of low confidence, low motivation and high levels of anxiety revealed to her the extent of the malaise affecting the modern worker.

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Eliya Lavine – Seed Scholars

Eliya Lavine has long been frustrated with the practice of restricting schoolchildren’s lessons to the decidedly unnatural space of the classroom. She responded by setting up Seed Scholars, a social enterprise with a mission to connect young people with nature, themselves and others through outdoor, immersive, and meaningful learning experiences.

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Fiona FahyFeed Me Mother

It was after Fiona Fahy had her first child that she recognised the need for fashionable, fitting, and functional clothing for new mothers hoping to breastfeed.

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Jan Carroll Fortify Institute

Jan Carroll pinpoints the cyberattack on the HSE in May 2021 as the moment at which corporate interest in cybersecurity peaked and made her realise the potential for a business in cybersecurity training.

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Jennifer Davidson Heartfelt Drama

Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Ireland and a writer on RTE soap opera Fair City for more than 10 years, Jennifer had always dreamed of setting up her own production company, one that places an emphasis on talent development and stories for TV and film that are female-led and carry a
commercial focus.

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Joan McCann The Code Lab

Joan McCann had been volunteering with a community coding group when she realised she could marry the skills gleaned from her 15-year career in the IT industry with her passion for teaching kids about technology to create a viable business.

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Kath WhiteFineOaks Alpacas

Kath White is the passionate owner of FineOaks Alpacas, nestled on a charming five-and-a half- acre smallholding near Millstreet, Co Cork. Originally from London, Kath’s love lies in breeding top-quality alpacas and training them to provide wonderful experiences for people.

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Katie NolanSleek N Easy

Due to the pandemic lockdown, Katie was confined to working on Zoom calls and, when seeing herself on screen, she decided she needed a quick, simple solution to make her hair presentable. So, Katie invented Sleek N Easy, a hair finishing solution that tames baby hairs and flyaways.

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Karena RyanKarena Ryan Artist

Karena Ryan, a native of Dublin who is based in Tuam, Co Galway, launched her business, which creates handmade textile gifts and artworks for people’s homes and business premises, from her home in September 2019.

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Kaz KearneySoak

Originally a native of Dublin, Kaz Kearney moved to Dromore West in Co Sligo in 2021. Kaz started her business as a side project, before deciding to give it her full-time attention in June 2022. Soak is a multi-award winning Atlantic sea salt and herbal wellness range that helps with sleep,
anxiety, mood and skin health.

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Lisa Connolly LMC Customs Clearance

Lisa Connolly, whose business is based in the village Emyvale, Co Monaghan, where she is also from, set up LMC Customs Clearance out of necessity when Brexit made it extremely difficult for motor traders to organise their imports and exports.

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Louise Jones Simpson Jones

Simpson Jones is a bespoke practice management service for busy barristers which supports the barrister in all admin areas, so they can focus on developing their practice.

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Lyn LuxfordA Sorted Affair

Lyn already had her own professional organising business when she met Kim on the set of RTÉ’s Home Rescue. The pair quickly formed a friendship and the idea for their business was born. A Sorted Affair helps individuals, families and businesses, declutter and get organised.

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Lyn Shead Nature’s Alchemy 

Lynn Shead set up her business, Nature’s Alchemy, at her home, which is outside the village of Tallow in Co Waterford, in November 2022 after pursuing it as a hobby for several years.

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Magda Seymour-  Pure Oskar

Magda Seymour, who lives in the village of Athgarvan in Co Kildare, came to Ireland on a short visit from her native Warsaw 20 years ago, but the visit became extended when she met her future husband.

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Petrina O’Halloran –  Mama’s Boobie Box

Petrina O’Halloran, who is originally from Athenry in Co Galway, set up her online business, Mama’s Boobie Box, which is based at her home in Tulla, Co Clare, in March 2021.

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Regina O’ConnorRegina Skin & Phibrows

Regina O’Connor worked in the beauty industry in the UK and Australia as an aesthetic practitioner before returning to Ireland and fulfilling a longstanding ambition by setting up her own practice in a converted cow shed beside her parents’ house in Rathaspeck, Co Wexford.

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Sarah Timony-  ADAPTAFASHION

As a community support worker at a respite house for children and adults with disabilities in Donegal, Sarah Timony became very aware of the frustrations experienced by her clients, their families and her co-workers when it came to finding suitable clothing. So, she decided to
do something about it.

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Sinead Ryan –  Aran Health Pharmacy

Sinead Ryan set up Aran Health Pharmacy at the Silverbridge Tesco Shopping Centre in Claremorris, Co Mayo, in November 2021. She believed there was a great opportunity for pharmacy services in the community, delivered on an extended hours basis.

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