The Winner of the GMIT EMPOWER EXPLORE Pitch Competition 2021 is Carla Rosenkranz, Founder & CEO of BARTERKIND and EMPOWER START 2020 participant. BARTERKIND is a new online marketplace where members can exchange and swap their skills and services, earning tradeable tokens for their time.

The closing date for the EMPOWER START 2021 Programme is Thursday, 30th September 2021 at 3:00pm. Apply online at www.empowerher.ie

Pictured L to R: Michelle Lee, EMPOWER Programme Administrator, GMIT iHub; Susan HayesCulleton, “The Positive Economist”, MC for EXPLORE, Dublin; Carla Rosenkranz, BARTERKIND, Westport. Co Mayo; Maria Staunton, iHub Manager & EMPOWER Co-Ordinator, Castlebar Co Mayo. [Photo: GMIT staff].

The post EXPLORE 2021 pitch winner is Carla Rosenkranz, Founder of Barterkind appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

GMIT Innovation Hubs are pleased to announce an exciting line-up of speakers for EMPOWER Explore 2021 which takes place online on 7 September, 2021 (9.30am to 1pm), focusing on the subjects of early stage investment for women entrepreneurs and blockchain technology.

Keynote speaker Anne Ravanona, founder of Global Invest Her and EU Delegation Member of the W20, will be interviewed by MC Susan HayesCulleton CFA, “The Positive Economist”, on the subject of securing early stage investment for female founders.

Several entrepreneurs will share their stories of how they have achieved success by embracing blockchain technology in their businesses, including Brenda Romero, CEO and co-founder of Romero Games, Mairead Mackle, founder and CEO of Tarasis Enterprises, Professor Joyce O’Connor, founding President of the National College of Ireland and co-founder and Chair of BlockW, Shane McCarthy, Founder & CEO of Irish Craft Beverages and Victoria Thompson Co-Founder and CEO at Orora.

Registration is now open for the 2021 EMPOWER EXPLORE conference which will take place online on Tuesday 7 September from 9:30am to 1pm. This event is free to attend and will provide knowledge and inspiration to established and aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Sandra Divilly Nolan, EMPOWER Programme Manager, says: “Women entrepreneurs consistently get only 2.8% of venture capital. Anne Ravanona and the team at Global Invest Her are running the ‘1Million InvestHers Campaign’ aiming to get one million female entrepreneurs funded by 2030. We are delighted that Ms Ravanona will join our conference as her goals align closely to that of EMPOWER”.

“The goal of the EMPOWER programme is to fast-track female entrepreneurship in the West and North West of Ireland. A common barrier for female entrepreneurs is lack of support so building a team to support them as their businesses develop is key, and it allows them the flexibility to achieve a healthy work life balance”. Sandra Divilly Nolan adds: “Seeing is believing. Showcasing successful female entrepreneurs who are looking to support others on their journey and share their mistakes and learnings is a key element of the EMPOWER Programme. We welcome multi award winning entrepreneurs and inspirational business leaders Brenda Romero and Mairead Mackle to our event this year.”

The event will conclude with a pitch competition where EMPOWER female entrepreneurs will compete for a cash prize fund.

The EMPOWER programme is run by the GMIT Innovation Hub and is funded by the ESF and the Department of Justice and Equality. The EMPOWER EXPLORE event promises to be a thought-provoking morning. This is a chance to engage and learn from some high-profile business leaders and a chance to connect and network with fellow entrepreneurs. Book a place at this free online event by visiting the website http://www.spiriteventwest.com/

The post EMPOWER EXPLORE 2021 conference to focus on early stage investment for women entrepreneurs & blockchain in business appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

When two female led west of Ireland businesses come together great things happen – like Ella & Jo Cosmetics hand blended tea, Sereni-Tea.

The team at @ellaandjocosmetics have commissioned master infusionists The Duffy Tea And Beverage Company @duffyteaandbeveragecompany Galway to create Sereni-tea. The founders of both companies have participated in the EMPOWER programmes for female entrepreneurs at GMIT.

“Tea is one of my all time favourite things,” said Charlene Flanagan of Ella & Jo Cosmetics. “A cup of tea in Irish culture can literally solve a multitude, and I knew from the minute I pitched the idea to Aishling to create a relaxing enjoyable tea that will transport you to a place of serenity, hence the name.

“We came up with a therapeutic tea blend nestled in tea pillows that is designed to be your closure, or to take a moment of calm in your busy day. With delicate flavours of caffeine-free high grade Rooibos and sensual aromas of lavender and jasmine, and a hint of vanilla it is a multisensory experience that will bring you a moment of calm from the moment you open the pack.”

Sereni-Tea is available online at ellaandjo.ie

The post Enjoy a moment of Sereni-Tea appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

EMPOWER introduces 13 of the female entrepreneurs who succeeded in securing a place on the EMPOWER GROWTH 2021 programme. Demand for places was high with over 75 ambitious, successful and established business women applying across the six county region. The GROWTH 2021 participants will receive support to define and deliver their vision to grow and scale their businesses.

The participants include:

• Aine Faughnan– Dromod Boxty
• Aisling Kelly Hunter– WB’s Coffee House & Sligo Oyster Experience
• Cepta Mahon– Cookalicious
• Ellie Loftus– Nixx World
• Gina O’Neill– The Gift Shop
• Gina Geagan Witherow– Donegal English Language School
• Janine van Someren – Wellbeing Advantage
• Jennifer Dempsey– Sealac
• Lynsey de Burca -Lynsey De Burca Jewellery
• Maura Fahy – Fahy Travel
• Melissa Walsh– MW Design, Print & Signs
• Sandra Ganley– Jiving Juniors Dance School
• Sinéad Carroll– Irish Blogger Agency

Sandra Divilly Nolan, EMPOWER Programme Manager, says: “I, along with the EMPOWER team and our CUA partners at IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT look forward to working with this diverse group of female entrepreneurs.”

The EMPOWER Programme is free to participants and aims to fast track female-led businesses in the region. EMPOWER is funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund.

The post Introducing EMPOWER GROWTH 2021 programme participants appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

EMPOWER, the women’s entrepreneurship programme, is run by the GMIT iHubs, is now accepting applications for the next EMPOWER GROWTH programme. The EMPOWER Programme is free to participants and aims to fast track female-led businesses in the region. EMPOWER is funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund.

There are two programmes; EMPOWER START for early stage ideas or businesses operating for less than 18 months, and EMPOWER GROWTH for females with established businesses looking to growth and scale their enterprise.

Sandra Divilly Nolan, EMPOWER Programme Manager, says: “Running your own business can be a lonely journey. EMPOWER GROWTH brings like-minded people together who all have a shared goal; to grow and scale their business. A core element of the programme is the peer to peer learning where the business owners share ideas and knowledge and support each other to identify opportunities to grow their business and find solutions to overcome barriers to progress.”

The current EMPOWER GROWTH 2020 participants, have celebrated many milestones since commencing the programme in July 2020; these include a business model pivot to access a new international market (USA), treble digit sales growth which provided funds to recruit and expand the team, the development of new product and service concept which lead to winning a national prize fund. Through sharing knowledge and encouraging each other, many of the participants have achieved national media exposure through television, press, social media and radio to promote their business. If you would like to hear what the current participants have to say about their experience on the EMPOWER GROWTH programme visit the EMPOWERHer Instagram page and view the new series of one minute video clips where the current participants tell you why they applied and what value they received from the programme.

“Another element of the programme is the one to one mentoring sessions. As a business owner it can be difficult to find time to step back from the day to day operations of the business and make strategic decisions. The mentoring sessions, invite these female entrepreneurs to allocate this time, to ‘step back and look in from the outside’ and be guided through the decision making process by an experienced mentor with a fresh outlook” says Sandra Divilly Nolan.

The EMPOWER team also work closely and are supported by the Local Enterprise Offices. They encourage the participants to avail of the specialized training and tailored mentoring services the LEO offices provide in their area. Through the CUA partnership, the participants are also encouraged to avail of the research facilities and supports provided at the GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT and other government supports available to SMEs in the region. Sandra Divilly Nolan, EMPOWER Programme Manager, says: “This year we were delighted to work in conjunction with the GMIT Marketing Department to offer the EMPOWER business owners the opportunity to be assigned a  3^rd or 4^th year student to complete an assignment on their business in the areas of social media, marketing research, branding and developing a marketing plan.”

Throughout the programme guests speakers attend the group sessions to talk on a specific topic or to share the story of their business journey. These session are intended to inform and inspire the participants and offer them a chance to ask specific questions.

Artist Rita Oates and owner of ETL Crafts & Giftware based in Roscommon applied and secured a place on the GROWTH2020 programme. Rita applied to the programme to support her to grow her business through developing a new brand Rita Oates Artist. Through the support of EMPOWER and the Roscommon LEO, Rita set up an e-commerce business www.ritaoatesartist.ie and has reached an international market selling her greeting cards, art and silk scarves. Rita recommends that business owners apply for the next GROWTH programme stating “I cannot express the value of this programme and the pool of experience and diversity to draw from. It has enriched every step of my journey in creating Rita Oates Artist as a brand.”

The next EMPOWER GROWTH programme will run from June 2021 to April 2022. The programme is delivered on a Saturday, once per month. Due to Covid restrictions the programme is planned to be delivered online until such a time as in person meetings are permitted.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 30^th April, at 12 noon. Apply online at www.empowerher.ie For further information on EMPOWER visit the website and get involved in the Empower Community through the EMPOWER social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post EMPOWER GROWTH now open for applications appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

Twenty women from across the west and north-west took part in an online Dragon’s Den style pitch competition this week marking the completion of the first EMPOWER START II programme delivered through the iHubs in the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT. Bairbre Meehan from Calry, Co Sligo, was declared the overall winner of the virtual contest. Her start up business, “PAUSE”, delivers measurable mental well-being improvements for large organisations.

Each of the women had a five-minute pitch on their business concept to the judging panel which comprised of Gillian Buckley (WDC), Mary Ryan (WestBIC) and Liam Kiely (Sligo LEO). They faced a virtual audience which included representatives from the European Social Fund, the Department of Justice and Equality, Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices, the CUA and the GMIT. The event was sponsored by the Western Development Commission and was opened by the President of GMIT, Dr Orla Flynn.

The EMPOWER Programme is run by the GMIT Innovation Hubs and aims to fast track female-led businesses based in the west and north-west by offering free training, mentoring, support and peer to peer learning.

At Wednesday’s online pitch, the audience were invited to vote and choose the winner for two prizes ‘Best Story Telling Within The Pitch’ and ‘Best Opening Line’ which were won by Catherine Devine from New Mills, Letterkenny, Co Donegal and Karen McCormick from Greencastle, Co Donegal.

The EMPOWER co-ordinators recognised the commitment and effort of the 14 business trainers by also awarding a ‘Best Trainer Award’ which was won by Claire Scanlon of Canny Futures, Barna, Co Galway. Nine established female entrepreneurs joined the group as guest speakers to share their stories of their entrepreneurship journey and a ‘Best Guest Speaker Award’ was won by Kelly Hoey, author of the book “Build Your Dream Network”, from New York City.

Sandra Divilly Nolan, EMPOWER Programme Manager, says: “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 Pitch competition prepares new entrepreneurs to articulate their business purpose and vision, develop their communication skills and build their self-confidence.”

“The enormous response to the EMPOWER Programme highlights the thriving culture of female entrepreneurship in the region: over 130 women applied for the twenty places on this year’s EMPOWER START programme. Overall, during 2020, there was an increase of 118% on applications for the programmes. I thank the Department of Justice and Equality and the ESF for their support, and the Local Enterprise Offices who have offered mentoring to the participants. I would also like to thank the event sponsors the Western Development Commission.”

Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of the Western Development Commission, says: “The WDC is delighted to support the EMPOWER programme. Recent research from the WDC indicates that women and young women in particular have been disproportionately impacted by COVID, and the EMPOWER programme is both a timely initiative in supporting women to return to the workplace and an opportunity to bring new ideas to life across the region.”

The next recruitment for the EMPOWER START 2021/2022 will be in September 2021. Applications will open in March for the next EMPOWER GROWTH programme. Anyone interested should contact the EMPOWER team at Empower@gmit.ie and for further information visit the website www.Empowerher.ie. All females who are interested, whether they are setting up or established in business, are invited to get involved with the Empower Community through the EMPOWER social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About EMPOWER

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 18 months old and EMPOWER GROWTH for females in business for three years or more. EMPOWER START was delivered online this year taking place two mornings per week from 4th November 2020 to 10th February 2021. The EMPOWER GROWTH which commenced in July 2020 takes place one Saturday a month over an eleven-month period.

EMPOWER START is designed to validate business ideas for market acceptance. This FREE programme is delivered part-time by start-up experts.  This allows participants to balance their family commitments while at the same time planning and developing their new business. Originally open to applicants from Counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, EMPOWER II expanded this year to include applicants from Counties Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal. Due to the pandemic the programme was delivered online this year.

For details on the WDC research see: https://westerndevelopment.ie/insights/timely-economic-indicators-second-report-august-2020-commentary-economics-of-covid-19/

The post Sligo woman wins online pitch EMPOWER II competition appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

EMPOWER, the women’s entrepreneurship programme, held its first ever virtual Christmas Party for its current programme participants. GROWTH 2020 participants, who are established entrepreneurs met online with START 2020 participants, who are in the process of establishing their businesses. Guest speaker at the event was renowned international author and networking expert J. Kelly Hoey, who joined the festivities from New York city. Kelly spoke to the participants about a modern approach to networking and how to succeed in networking in the virtual world.

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020, EMPOWER is delivered in GMIT’s Innovation Hubs under the Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA) to women from Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo.

The post EMPOWER hosts virtual Christmas party for 2020 participants appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

EMPOWER Start, the women’s entrepreneurship programme, commenced full online delivery this month (Nov 2020) through iHubs across the campuses of the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT.

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020, the first ever EMPOWER Start programme ran in GMIT’s Innovation Hubs in October 2017 for women in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Such was its success that applications were extended to the North-West counties of Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim earlier this year (2020).

Maria Staunton, Manager of the GMIT iHub and EMPOWER co-ordinator for the region, says: “The formation of the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) allowed this to become a reality and we look forward to even more exciting opportunities the planned-for Technological University (TU) will bring to the region, as the CUA partners work on completing their formal submission to Minister Harris, seeking approval to become a TU.”

“We received a lot of enquiries from people in the North West due to the success of the first two cycles that had already been run in the West, so EMPOWER II was then extended to the wider region. This will, no doubt, be one of many programmes promoting and supporting businesses and startups in the region.”

Separately, GMIT is pleased to announce that Sandra Divilly Nolan, Manager of the GMIT iHub EMPOWER Programme, has been appointed to the board of the Western Development Commission (WDC).

Maria Staunton, Manager of the GMIT iHub Mayo and EMPOWER regional co-ordinator, says: “We are delighted at the GMIT iHubs to see Sandra appointed onto the  WDC Board. GMIT is always very supportive of the important work the WDC carry out especially in terms of balanced regional economic development, investment funding and remote working.”

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is a statutory body established in 1997 to promote social and economic development in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare. It has a statutory obligation to advise the government on issues that impact on the western region and to promote government policy directed at improving social and economic standards.

Sandra Divilly Nolan, BEng, MBA, is an entrepreneur with over 20 years business experience. Following an initial career as an engineer, she acquired her first fashion retail business in 2000 and established a second business in 2002. In 2005 both businesses were finalists in the SFA National Awards for ‘Achievement, Innovation and Excellence in Small Business’.  In 2010 Sandra set up an e-commerce business which she ran for 10 years, gaining access to a global marketplace.

In May 2020, Sandra joined the team at the GMIT Innovation Hub as EMPOWER Programme Manager, promoting female entrepreneurship in the West and North West of Ireland and supporting these entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses. Sandra says: “I welcome the opportunity to play a part in the future of the WDC as they deliver their ‘Work Smart, Live Better’ strategy for the period 2019 – 2024. The remit of the WDC is to foster and encourage economic and social development in the Western Region. Within the GMIT iHubs there is a wealth of knowledge to address the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in the region.”

The post EMPOWER START commences in CUA Institutes in West and North-West appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

Incoming Chair of the Board, Mr Gerry Finn, said “I look forward to continuing the work of the WDC. The fresh strategic direction that emerged during the term of the outgoing Board has a clear emphasis on collaboration and alignment with national, regional and local stakeholders, and taking a clear leadership role in key areas such as raising the profile of the region, remote working and remote work hubs and investment and lending through the WDC Fund.”

CEO of the WDC, Tomás Ó Síocháin, welcomed the appointment of the new Board and said: “I look forward to working with Gerry and the members of the incoming Board. I want to thank the Minister and her department for their ongoing support for the work of the Commission. Key initiatives such as remote working, remote working hubs and raising the profile of the opportunities and majesty of our unique region will allow us to develop resilience in the face of the challenges thrown up by both Brexit and COVID-19 in the short term.”

The Minister added: “I want to thank the previous Board for their work in supporting the development of the Western region and their careful stewardship of the WDC over the last three years.

“The WDC’s five-year Strategy, ‘Work Smarter, Live Better’, which was published in 2019, will provide a strong framework for the incoming Board to continue the WDC’s work over the coming period.

“I have no doubt that the incoming Board will continue to make a significant contribution to economic and social development in the Western region, in collaboration with other key stakeholders.”

The new board consists of:

Mr. Gerry Finn (Chair), Former Director of the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly.
Mr. Henry McGarvey, Vice-President of Finance and Corporate Services, Letterkenny IT; former MD, Pramerica Systems Ireland.
Ms. Mary Corcoran, Professor of Sociology, Maynooth University.
Mr. John Kelleher, Head of Marketing, Tourism & Sport, Sligo Institute of Technology.
Mr. Christy Loftus, Retired Communications Advisor and journalist.
Ms. Mary McKenna, Technology entrepreneur; Advisory Board member, Placecube.
Ms. Sandra Divilly Nolan, Entrepreneur and Programme Manager of EMPOWER at GMIT Innovation Hub, Mayo.
Ms. Mary Coyne, Former Director of Finance & Business and Company Secretary of TG4.
Ms. Aisling Meehan, Farmer; farm entrepreneur; Agricultural law and tax practitioner.
Ms. Audrey Crummy, Senior Executive, Regulation & EU Affairs, Financial Services Ireland.
Mr. Peter Hynes, Former Chief Executive, Mayo County Council.
Mr. Edmund Jennings, Managing Director, The Cregg Group.

Sandra says: “I welcome the opportunity to play a part in the future of the WDC as they deliver their ‘Work Smart, Live Better’ strategy for the period 2019 – 2024. The remit of the WDC is to foster and encourage economic and social development in the Western Region. Within the GMIT iHubs there is a wealth of knowledge to address the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in the region.”

Source: https://westerndevelopment.ie/2020/11/13/minister-humphreys-appoints-new-board-to-the-western-development-commission/

The post EMPOWER programme manager appointed to Western Development Commission Board appeared first on EMPOWER Her.

Despite national recognition of female entrepreneurs, Ireland suffers from a low number of women engaged in business startups. Female-led businesses remain an underdeveloped source of economic growth and jobs. As part of a drive to increase the number of female entrepreneurs in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, GMIT Innovation Hubs will deliver a new regional programme called “EMPOWER”, commencing September in GMIT’s Galway and Mayo campuses.

Funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund, the EMPOWER programme aims to fast track female-led businesses by addressing specific challenges hindering their development.

Independent research [Fitzsimmons and O’Gorman (2016), the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Ireland], shows great differences between men and woman involved in enterprise start-ups:
• Women launch businesses out of necessity where as men typically are driven by spotting opportunities or gaps in the market;
• Females tend to be more risk averse in their business approach;
• Males overestimate their own skills whereas females underestimate their capacities- this emphasises that confidence is a key skill requiring development.

*Research Summary
Key Drivers Males Females
Opportunity  39% 26%
Fear of Failure 37% 48%
Necessary Skills 58% 37%

Fitzsimons and O’Gorman (2016) observed over half of female entrepreneurs are focused solely on the home market, compared to one third of men. They also observed a big difference between male and female entrepreneurs regarding their expectations to employ people within the next five years (74% of men compared to 62% of women).

These issues present barriers to women starting or growing businesses.  The EMPOWER Programme aims to tackle these scaling issues by providing the necessary tools and skills to grow businesses and opportunities to network and learn and learn from peers in a supportive environment.

The EMPOWER programme will help identify market opportunities, build confidence and assess skills to implement ideas or scale businesses.

The EMPOWER programme has two components:

1. “EMPOWER Start” is designed to test innovative ideas for market acceptance. EMPOWER Start is for females with an early stage idea or in business less than one year.  This FREE programme will be delivered part-time over 12 weeks by star-up experts.  This allows participants to balance their family commitments while at the same time planning and developing their new business. The programme rotates between Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Learning is classroom based. The opportunity is to test your idea for customer acceptance.

2. “EMPOWER Growth” is focused on women who are already in business (2 years +) and are now looking to scale and grow by providing support from peers, mentors and role models.  The programme will be based on peer to peer learning and delivered by industry experts. It will be delivered over 11 half days on Saturday, once a month.

Both programme components will include specific mentoring and networking opportunities.

Maria Staunton, Manager of GMIT’s Mayo iHub and the EMPOWER programme, says: “During my time in GMIT’s Innovation Hubs I recognised the gap in the number of female versus male entrepreneurs. We don’t get enough females coming forward to look at developing their ideas. I really believe female-led businesses are an underexploited source for economic growth and jobs. Like most countries, Ireland has more male (63%) than female (37%) entrepreneurs.  However the gap is decreasing – the rate of entrepreneurship for women in Ireland is 7th highest in Europe. Through EMPOWER, GMIT aims to further decrease this gap by delivering a valuable programme that will benefit and support female entrepreneurs in Galway. GMIT aims to further decrease this gap by delivering a valuable programme that will benefit and support female entrepreneurs in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon”.

The EMPOWER Programme will be launched on Wednesday, 13 September in The Connacht Hotel in Galway, from 4.30 to 7.30pm where high profile speakers including Breege O Donoghue, former CEO of Primark and Chair of the Design Council of Ireland, Evelyn O Toole, Complete Laboratory Solutions and Ernst & Young Finalists 2017, Chanelle McCoy, Chanelle Pharmaceuticals and Dragon’s Den, along with other female entrepreneurs, will tell their stories. Sports commentator and broadcaster Tracy Piggott will MC the evening.

“The event aims to inspire more early stage females to start a business and established businesses to expand. Women also in business are encouraged to come along to see what opportunities may arise. Challenges and opportunities faced by female entrepreneurs will be discussed on the evening before and after the event.” says Maria Staunton.

“EMPOWER’s launch event aims to inspire more early stage females to start a business and established businesses to expand.  Women already in business are encouraged to come along to see what opportunities may arise. Challenges and opportunities faced by female entrepreneurs will be discussed on the evening before and after the event,” adds Maria Staunton.

The GMIT iHubs (established in 2006) are two Innovation Hubs based on the GMIT Campuses of Galway and Mayo. The iHubs provide entrepreneurs with office space, mentoring, business development supports, and streamlined access to GMIT’s Research and Development capacities – the supportive environment to progress business ideas from concept to commercial success. See http://www.gmit.ie/gmit-innovation-hubs.

The EMPOWER project is co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Social Fund as part of the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020′.

The post GMIT iHubs to roll out new EMPOWER programme for women in business appeared first on EMPOWER Her.