Roisin McDermott

Head of Entrepreneurship

Roisin is a Business Mentor and Trainer with over 20 years experience in supporting entrepreneurship. She has a degree in Business Studies, an MBA, and an Advanced Diploma in Digital Marketing and was one of the primary founders of Women in Business. Roisin has re-joined the Women in Business team to lead the Yes You Can programme on a part time basis, supporting female entrepreneurship. Prior to being self-employed for 14 years as Seed Mentoring, she has worked in the enterprise agency network for North Down Development and East Belfast Enterprise. Roisin is also the Treasurer of Specialisterne NI, a social enterprise supporting neuro-diversity and employability and coaches a local girls football team.

Heather Carr

Enterprise Programme Manager

Heather, our Enterprise Programme Manager, brings over 10 years of entrepreneurial expertise to our team. With a background in advertising at agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA, and McCann Erickson Belfast, and business development experience at Arts & Business NI. Heather boasts a diverse skill set encompassing project management, content creation, and a range of other vital enterprise skills. Heather proudly wears the label of a serial entrepreneur, having successfully launched three businesses, including her current venture, "Kill It With Quizzes." She is an enthusiastic advocate for supporting women fulfil their business dreams, drawing inspiration from the rollercoaster of her own entrepreneurial journey! Heather's mission is clear: to empower women from all walks of life to create a better future for themselves by starting their own businesses.

Katie Elliott

Project Manager

Katie pairs deep expertise in environmental sustainability with hands-on entrepreneurial know-how. After earning a DipHE in Environmental Sciences and an OCN Level 3 in Business Development, she launched her own refill shop - one of the first in her area. She then built a career spanning retail, sales, marketing, and social media content creation, growing both the business and her own skillset. The venture soon branched into community eco-events and led to the creation of a sister company delivering sustainability training, reporting, and strategy for corporate clients. A natural community-builder, Katie loves bringing entrepreneurs together, sharing hard-won lessons, and championing inclusive growth at every stage of the business journey. She is eager to share her knowledge and experience with entrepreneurs, wherever they are on their journey.

Vicky Blades

Entrepreneurship Programme Coordinator

Vicky is a professional actress, qualified life & executive coach and superstar administrator! Alongside her acting she has held a variety of jobs, including 20+ years of admin roles, such as training and events organiser, office manager and project coordinator for organisations including the British Library and UNICEF. Most recently she was the Course Co-ordinator for the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, running the Acting Foundation course in Belfast. She also has a teaching and training background and is an experienced workshop facilitator, in fact she loves nothing more than standing in front of a room full of people! Which is why she also runs her own business, Generally Speaking, coaching clients in public speaking, presentation skills and communications. She is particularly interested in encouraging women to speak up and speak out, so that they can tell their stories, promote their business and network with confidence. Because getting women together in a room creates magic! Vicky has an MA in Acting for Media, a QQI Standard Level 6 certificate in Life & Executive Coaching, is CELTA qualified and recently gained an ILM L3 in Communication. Originally from Sweden, she has lived all over the UK and even further afield, including Myanmar and Madagascar.