The Women in Business All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference takes place in both Belfast and Dublin on October 11 2022 and we have four pairs of tickets to give away - see the form below for your chance to win.
We also spoke to Lorraine Acheson, Managing Director of Women in Business who told us what’s in store on the day.
Could you share your insights on the current landscape for female entrepreneurship?
Every day I work with female entrepreneurs who are starting and growing businesses across the island of Ireland. These businesses are in health and life sciences, retail, hospitality, green energy, manufacturing… women are running service-led businesses and product-led businesses. Some women start businesses out of an ambition for themselves and their families; others have seen a problem in the world they want to solve and are developing vaccines and diagnostics which will transform healthcare in our lifetime. There is no one size fits all when it comes to a female entrepreneur, as there is no one size fits all when it comes to any entrepreneur. The key issue is that we know women are not growing and scaling businesses at the same rate of men and it is due to a range of structural and systemic issues.
The theme of the conference is ‘I Did It May Way’ - could you explain the thinking behind the theme?
We want the conference to inspire the entrepreneurs in the audience and to remind them that there are many roads to building a successful business and indeed that success takes many forms. Hearing the personal journeys of successful women entrepreneurs who have done business their way, defied the naysayers, taken a less traditional route and nevertheless succeeded will provide fuel and motivation to enable others to do the same.
What events are available to help support Irish female entrepreneurs?
As with every sector, as a result of the pandemic we have seen a rise in online entrepreneurship programmes and events for women. This has been great in terms of increasing accessibility and convenience, but we are increasingly seeing fatigue in attending online events and a greater demand for face to face – which is why we are delighted to be holding this conference live at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin and Titanic Belfast. Nothing beats connecting face to face when building and sustaining relationships. Since February 2022 Women in Business has brought together over 2,500 people at face-to-face events and there’s always a feeling of magic in the room that can’t be recreated online. People need to connect; people want to connect. And it’s that connection and forming in-person relationships that are the building blocks of business.
Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella, will be speaking at the conference
How does an all-island approach to female entrepreneurship factor into the Women in Business approach?
Because the structural and systemic issues facing female entrepreneurs stretch across the island, we must be holistic in our approach. Women in Business is part of an umbrella group of social enterprises. Our mission is to equip women with the skills they need to start and grow their own business, opening pathways for budding self-starters to access resources and hear from female trailblazers – the game changers and bias breakers – on how to scale both at home and overseas. An all-island approach broadens the scope of the conversation, so that together we can spotlight any obstacles which stand between businesswomen and their entrepreneurial journey.
What events are available to help support Irish female entrepreneurs?
As with every sector, as a result of the pandemic we have seen a rise in online entrepreneurship programmes and events for women. This has been great in terms of increasing accessibility and convenience, but we are increasingly seeing fatigue in attending online events and a greater demand for face to face – which is why we are delighted to be holding this conference live at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin and Titanic Belfast. Nothing beats connecting face to face when building and sustaining relationships. Since February 2022 Women in Business has brought together over 2,500 people at face-to-face events and there’s always a feeling of magic in the room that can’t be recreated online. People need to connect; people want to connect. And it’s that connection and forming in-person relationships that are the building blocks of business.
Book now and save your space at the All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference 2022, featuring speakers including Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella. Limited spaces remaining at womeninbusinessni.com
In partnership with Women in Business
