Aoife Lafferty- Athrú by Aoife
Aoife Lafferty, who is from Kilmovee, Co Mayo, left Ireland for Edinburgh in 2017 to take up a scholarship for a Master’s in Inclusive Education.
Ciara Moynihan- CM Space
CM Space is a collaborative consultancy that supports businesses and communities to make regenerative change, embodying sustainable practices and a regenerative culture.
David Sharkey – Polaris Teams Limited
David Sharkey, who is from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, left Ireland after completing a BA in History and English in UCD to train as a teacher and to test himself in the challenging environment of inner-city London schools.
Deborah Kilroy- Van Velze’s Luxury Chocolates
Deborah Kilroy, who is originally from Charlestown, Co Mayo, left Ireland for Australia in 2002 having worked as a manager in a catering department in Dublin after completing a degree in Hotel & Catering Management at Cathal Brugha Street.
Killian O’Keeffe – Ruby Reese
Originally from Farran in Co Cork, Killian O’Keeffe spent ten years living and working in Germany and Spain before returning to live in his native county.
Maurice O’Driscoll – Wild Atlantic Timbercraft
Maurice returned to Ireland in 2022 with the intention of setting up a building maintenance business much like the one he had operated in the UK for eight years. However, setting out on his entrepreneurial journey, he found his attention repeatedly pulled back towards his hobby of handcrafting furniture and lighting from oak and salvaged timber.
Oran Finegan – Forensic Action International
Oran Finegan had spent 25 years working as a leading forensic specialist with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) when the opportunity arose to take the methods he had learned in conflict and post-conflict zones around the world and apply them back home in Ireland.
Orlaith Kilgannon – Pelvic Health West
When Orlaith Kilgannon moved with her family from her native Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, to their new home in Salthill, Co Galway, at the age of 14, she found the adjustment challenging, but she believes the skills she learned then have been of benefit to her in starting and running her own business.
Renata Bennett – Invicta Ventures
Underdog Boxing Gym provides professional training for aspiring boxers and for those who recognise that boxing training is one of the best ways to lose weight and get fit.
Robbie Reeve – Wild Irish Saunas
Robbie Reeve first learned of the restorative powers of saunas and ice baths after developing a keen interest in endurance athletics during his 12-year spell living in China.