Michelle Malone wins Empower pitching event
TWENTY-TWO women have completed the first part of the Empower Start programme. The final session took place with a pitching event from six of the participants at the GMIT Mayo campus.
The six finalists were Aveline O’Sullivan (Bloom in a Box), Elaine Kennedy (Hawthorn Natural Skincare), Mary Finn (Connect4Work), Michelle Malone (thatssoshellyfitness), Anna Costello (Kidscare), and Mary Corrigan (Noo Chocolates).
Michelle Malone emerged as the winner, with Aveline O’Sullivan as the runner-up.
The programme is run by GMIT Innovation Hubs and aims to fast-track female-led businesses based in the west by addressing specific challenges hindering their development.
Empower is funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund. It has two parts – Empower Start for early stage ideas or businesses less than a year old, and Empower Growth for females in business for two years or more.
Empower Start takes place one day a week over 12 weeks, and Empower Growth on one Saturday a month over a year.
Empower Start is designed to test innovative ideas for market acceptance. This free programme is delivered part-time by start-up experts. This allows participants to balance family commitments while at the same time planning and developing their new business. The classroom based programme rotates between Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
The first Start group finished with all 22 women selected across the region in October 2017 completing the programme. At the final event in GMIT, six women chosen from the 22 pitched their businesses Dragons' Den style to a panel of judges - James Allen (Google), Sorcha O’Grady (Truckscience), and Diane Nevin (Galway Business School) – with Michelle Malone emerging as the winner.
Maria Staunton, Empower programme manager, was delighted with the businesses that took part in the first Start programme. She said: “These entrepreneurs have great potential. I, along with other State agencies in the region, look forward to working with them to progress their businesses.
“The Empower competition helps new entrepreneurs to develop their pitch and confidence. I thank the Department of Justice and Equality and the ESF for their support, and also the Local Enterprise Offices and other agencies such as WestBIC.
“The enormous response to the Empower programme highlights huge demand: over 90 women applied for the Empower Start and Growth programmes.”
The next recruitment for Empower Start will be September 2018. Anyone interested should contact the Empower office by phone on (094) 9043198, or check out www.fb.ie/empowerher.ie or www.Empowerher.ie.
Pictured, from left: (L-R): Catherine Ormsby (ESF Managing Authority), Aoife Keady (WhatsWhere App), Maria Staunton (Empower Programme Manager), Aveline O'Sullivan (Bloom in a Box), Anne Conlon (president of Network Mayo), Anna Costello (Kidscare), Michelle Malone (Thatssoshellyfitness), Elaine Kennedy (Hawthorn Natural Skincare), Mary Finn (Connect4Work) and Mary Corrigan (Noo Chocolates).