County celebrates National Women’s Enterprise Day
SOUTH Dublin County recently celebrated National Women’s Enterprise Day in the Leopardstown Pavilion (October 12).
The event was one of 15 Local Enteprise Office-led events which took place across the country to encourage more women in Ireland to open doors to new markets for their businesses.
Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald launched the biggest-ever programme of events to mark National Women’s Enterprise Day.
All 31 LEOs, including LEO South Dublin are behind the initiative, who jointly supported over 14,000 female entrepreneurs in 2016.
Special guests at Leopardstown included Niamh Sherwin Barry of Irish Fairy Door Company, Ciara Clancy of Beats Medical, Samantha Kelly of The Tweeting Goddess, and Sue O’Neill of the Small Firms Association.
Amanda Mills, Business advisor LEO South Dublin said: “Through financial assistance, microfinance loans, mentoring, training and networking, the LEOs support thousands of female entrepreneurs every year.”
Sarita Johnston of Enterprise Ireland said their key focus is to “work with women starting innovative businesses focused on building scale and expanding new markets.”
Philomena Poole, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and former acting County Manager SDCC said: “The increase in the number of new jobs created in 2016 was assisted by LEO targeted initiatives, such as the Enterprising Women’s Network across the country.
“Female entrepreneurs can help to drive their businesses forward through mentoring and training, financial supports and other tools all of which are available to them through the LEO network nationwide.”
