Businesswomen from the south of Ireland met in Kerry this month to mark the 10th anniversary of ACORNS.
ACORNS is a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland and has been running since 2014.
The event to celebrate the award-winning business development programme took place in the Rose Hotel in Tralee.
Kerry businesses represented at the event were: Siobhan Stack, foudner of Ulluv, who is from Cork but based in Tralee; Maire Griffin, founder of OrganiGo, based in Larha Asdee; Clair Kelly, founder of The Busy Botanist based in Kilorglin; Phillippa Christie, founder of the Equine Academy in Kilorglin; Ger O'Connor, founder of Fuschia Bell Chartered Accountants, based in Boolteens; Mary Thea Brosnan, founder of Kerry Kefir, based in Castleisland; Maura Sheehy, founder of Maura's Cottage Flowers and Emily Brick, Athena Analytics – both from Tralee.
Hosted at The Rose Hotel Tralee, the event was one of a series of regional gatherings designed by ACORNS to help former participants network with peers from different cycles. The events aim to help participants broaden their networks, do business with each other, focus on their development goals and exchange ideas on overcoming business challenges.
The invitation was open to former ACORNS participants from the region and leading the discussion was ACORNS Director Paula Fitzsimons and one of the programme’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs Caroline Reidy, founder and MD of The HR Suite.
ACORNS is a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland. It has been running since 2014 and is funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM).
ACORNS 10 is now underway. 56 early stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland have been selected to participate. The new cycle got underway with a residential Launch Forum on October 21st and 22nd.
