All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference 2025

Sara Davies

Entrepreneur & TV personality

An award-winning entrepreneur and much-loved TV personality, Sara is the founder and owner of Crafter’s Companion and author of “The Six Minute Entrepreneur.”

Alyson Hogg

Founder and CEO of VITA LIBERATA & Simple Purpose Ltd.

In 2003, Alyson imagined, created, developed and sold her global beauty brand, Vita Liberata. From its humble beginnings in a small village in Ireland, she led Vita Liberata to disrupt the self-tanning category, achieving worldwide distribution and culminating in its successful merger with Crown Laboratories in the United States in 2018. Fast forward to March 2024, Alyson re-acquired Vita Liberata, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Hear from someone who has created, built and sold a global brand. This is a story not to be missed!

Caroline O'Neill

Director Digg For Success | Digg Podcast Host | Founder of Digg Mama

Caroline O'Neill is the founder of the Digg Community, encompassing Digg Mama, Digg for Success, Digg Podcast, and the registered charity Digg Deep for Kids. With over 250,000 social media followers, Caroline’s platforms focus on connection and making a difference. Digg for Success has empowered over 2,000 professionals through mentoring, workshops, and events, while the Digg Podcast reached number 3 in the UK podcast charts. Her registered charity, Digg Deep for Kids, has raised over £700,000 to support families in need. At the heart of it all, Caroline is committed to inspiring and uplifting communities.

AnneMarie Whelan

CEO at RegSol

AnneMarie Whelan BL is CEO at RegSol, which provides Compliance Support services primarily to the financial services sector through Consultancy and Training services. As a qualified Barrister, AnneMarie spent 9 years at the Bar of Ireland before switching to financial services regulation in 2014. Since then, she has developed expertise in Anti-Money Laundering, Consumer Protection and Data Protection. AnneMarie regularly presents at different industry events on these topics. She currently holds a PCF12 Head of Compliance designation for an insurance intermediary and is a named MLRO for a Credit Union on an outsourced basis. As a business owner, AnneMarie is passionate about providing quality employment opportunities particularly for working parents, and the eradication of gender inequity in the workplace.

Ciara Crossan

Founder & CEO of WedPro

Ciara Crossan is the founder and CEO of WedPro, a leading events software company serving hotels and wedding venues across the UK and Ireland. With over 17 years in the hospitality tech space, Ciara is a passionate advocate for exceptional customer experience and empowering event professionals through smart technology. Her company helps busy venues streamline their wedding enquiry process, save valuable admin time, and ultimately increase bookings. Ciara is a dynamic speaker and hospitality marketing expert, known for her engaging style and practical insights. She regularly delivers training, speaks at industry events, and mentors other female founders. Ciara’s entrepreneurial journey—from bootstrapping her business to scaling it internationally—has earned her recognition from EY Winning Women, Network Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland. She brings energy, authenticity, and a collaborative spirit to everything she does.

Morgan Pierce

Founder & CEO of SolarSmart Energy Ltd

A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in Computer Science and Economics, Morgan started her career as an natural-born entrepreneur launching two start-ups in 3 years, both achieving multi-million dollar exits. In 1999, she moved to Ireland to gain multinational experience working as Director of Marketing for EMEA at Oracle. Over a career spanning 35 years, she has been involved with more than 20 successful start-ups in technology, telecommunications, fitness & beauty, and now energy/utilities. Morgan has managed teams of over 1,000 people and annual revenue of more than US$400 million. Today, Morgan is founder and CEO of SolarSmart Energy Ltd, one of Ireland’s only female-owned domestic & commercial solar energy installation companies. Founded in late 2020, SolarSmart has installed over 1,300 solar systems across Ireland’s homes and businesses and is now the country’s highest-rated solar installer on Trustpilot. Committed to exceptional customer service and customer education, Morgan continues to drive SolarSmart’s growth and solar energy adoption nationwide.

Niamh McCarthy

Founder of Niamh Designs

Niamh McCarthy is the founder and creative force behind Niamh Designs, an award-winning embroidery studio based in Lurgan, Co. Armagh. Specialising in bespoke bridal jackets, Niamh blends bold, rock ‘n’ roll energy with delicate, detailed embroidery to create unforgettable statement pieces for modern brides. A First Class Honours graduate in Fashion & Textile Design from Ulster University, she launched Niamh Designs in 2019 and quickly earned international recognition for her distinctive craftsmanship and personalised approach. Niamh’s work has attracted widespread acclaim, including a custom jacket for Kourtney Kardashian’s son and a commission to produce 50 limited-edition jackets for the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album in 2024. She was named Young Businesswoman of the Year at the Women in Business NI Awards in 2021 and featured in the Belfast Telegraph's ‘30 Under 30’ list in 2024. With a global customer base and strong demand across the US, Niamh Designs continues to redefine bridal fashion with originality, heart, and heritage.

Edel Doherty

Founder of Beyond Business Travel

Edel Doherty is a seasoned entrepreneur, consultant, and thought leader in the business travel industry. As the founder of Beyond Business Travel, she successfully grew the company into one of Ireland’s leading travel management firms before its acquisition in 2024. Edel now works in a strategic consulting role, focusing on growth, innovation, and leadership development. She brings over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience and currently serves on several advisory and non-executive boards across the private and non-profit sectors. Her board work reflects her commitment to strategic growth, governance, and supporting female-led enterprises. Edel is passionate about building purpose-driven businesses. She is also a dedicated mentor and active member of WIB, championing women entrepreneurs across the island of Ireland.

Irene Breen

Founder & CEO of BellaMoon

Irene Breen – Founder & CEO of BellaMoon Originally from the wild and beautiful landscapes of Donegal in the West of Ireland, Irene Breen is the visionary founder of BellaMoon, a multiple award-winning brand. Originally dedicated to supporting women through pregnancy and breastfeeding, BellaMoon has evolved its focus to encompass sleep support for all adults struggling with sleep during injury, post-operation, chronic pain, peri-menopause, menopause and beyond. BellaMoon is known for its unique and colourful patterns and prints which are inspired by Irish art and literature, flora and fauna, myths and legends. With a background in architecture, Irene brings a unique design-led approach to product innovation. She holds a First-Class Honours Executive MBA from Queen’s University Belfast, a First-Class Honours BSc in Architecture, and a Distinction in Bachelor of Architecture. Since launching BellaMoon, Irene has led the brand to international success, earning numerous industry accolades, including the Women in e-Commerce Award (2023), multiple Junior Design Awards (2019–2023), and Mother & Baby Product Awards (2019–2023). BellaMoon has been featured in VOGUE, The Independent, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, and more. BellaMoon is proud to retail in the prestigious John Lewis and recently launched in the renowned Bloomingdale’s New York. Currently, Irene is focused on scaling BellaMoon into a global brand, bringing beautiful Irish-designed, comforting, and functional sleep-focussed products to empower women across the world. Website: www.bellamoon.co

Dr Pragya Sharma

Founder & CEO of Granlab

Dr Pragya Sharma is a structural biochemist turned biotech entrepreneur, dedicated to transforming the future of skincare through science-led, steroid-free solutions for chronic skin conditions. As the Founder and CEO of Granlab, she is on a journey combining her deep academic expertise with a bold entrepreneurial vision to develop bioactive treatments that restore both skin health and confidence. Dr Sharma holds a PhD in Structural Biochemistry from Queen’s University Belfast, where her research into protein structures and cellular mechanisms laid the foundation for her innovative approach to skincare. Her journey from the laboratory to launching a pioneering biotech start-up in the UK has earned her widespread recognition, including being named to Ireland's 30 Under 30 list, honoured at the House of Lords as a Young Indian British Entrepreneur, and selected as an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur. A TEDx speaker and recipient of the Young Business Woman of the Year award in 2023, she shares the behind-the-scenes realities of start-up life on TikTok, offering an unfiltered look at the challenges and triumphs of building a purpose-driven company. Backed by UKRI and Innovate UK funding, Pragya continues to work with dermatologists, researchers, investors, and industry leaders to deliver impactful, technology-enabled skincare solutions that are changing lives.

Yvette McGaffin

Founder & CEO, Reform RX

Yvette McGaffin is an accomplished entrepreneur and brand strategist, the Founder and CEO of Reform RX, the most advanced reformer Pilates equipment on the market. With nearly 20 years of experience in the Pilates and wellness industry, Yvette has pioneered a unique fusion of tradition and innovation, integrating patented technology with Pilates to deliver on-demand content and real-time performance metrics. Since launching Reform RX, Yvette has transformed the way people engage with Pilates, positioning the brand at the intersection of fitness, technology, and luxury. Under her leadership, the company now operates in 13 countries, serving boutique studios, luxury hospitality, health clubs, and private homes. Reform RX has also secured high-profile partnerships with global hospitality leaders including Waldorf Astoria and Mandarin Oriental, expanding the brand’s reach into premier wellness destinations worldwide. A former boutique studio owner in the UK, Yvette has leveraged her deep industry insight to build a globally recognised fitness brand from the ground up. Today, she is a driving force in the digital fitness revolution, setting new standards for accessibility, performance, and user experience in a modality that has become the most searched fitness trend of 2023.

Magda Seymour

Founder & Creative Force of Pure Oskar

Magda Seymour is the founder and creative force behind Pure Oskar, an award-winning handcrafted personal care brand rooted in Irish heritage and sustainability. Drawing on her background in project management and years in the tourism industry, Magda launched Pure Oskar in 2020 with a vision to create meaningful, artistic products that tell a story. At the helm of the company, Magda oversees everything from product design and development to operations and business strategy. Her innovative approach combines traditional soap-making with modern design techniques, including bespoke 3D moulding. Under her leadership, Pure Oskar has grown into a brand stocked in over 100 stores across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and North America.

Niamh Cushnahan

Purple Dot Media

Niamh Cushnahan specialises in producing high quality promotional videos for a diverse range of clients, including government bodies, councils, banks, retailers, construction firms, and organisations across the public sector. In addition to video production, Niamh is passionate about empowering businesses to create their own content. Through one-to-one mentoring and practical workshops, she teaches individuals how to film and edit professional videos for social media using only their smartphone. To date, Niamh has produced thousands of promotional videos and trained thousands of businesses across the island of Ireland, helping brands tell their stories with confidence.

Maire Nawaz

Founder & Managing Director of Beecome More

Maire Nawaz is an experienced leadership and sales expert, known for delivering transformational training that drives results. With over two decades of experience leading high-performing teams across multiple industries, Maire vision is to nourish minds, empower growth and create positive futures for clients. She is the founder and managing director of Beecome More, where she has designed and delivered dynamic leadership and sales programmes for clients helping individuals and teams achieve measurable growth through practical, mindset-driven strategies. Maire’s approach reframes sales as a relationship-building process rooted in service and value. Her RELATE Sales Model provides a clear, six-stage framework that equips participants with the tools, techniques, and confidence to succeed in any sales conversation. An engaging speaker and passionate coach, Maire is especially dedicated to supporting women in business — helping them own their value, communicate with impact, and lead with confidence.

Grace Smith

Founder of Workforce Wellness

Grace Smith is flipping workplace wellbeing on its head, with a bold, no-BS approach that ditches the fluff and delivers real change. After losing 156lbs and overcoming extraordinary personal challenges, she built Northern Ireland’s No.1 Health and Wellness Studio, Forge Female Fitness, and now leads Workforce Wellness, a disruptive consultancy rewriting the rules of corporate health from the inside out. Her work recently won Best Corporate Healthcare Programme at the 2025 All Ireland Private Healthcare Awards, recognising her innovative, coaching-led model that’s transforming employee wellbeing across sectors. She’s also been named Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Inspirational Woman in Health & Wellness. Backed by a Master’s in Workplace Health & Wellbeing and over a decade of hands-on coaching experience, Grace delivers measurable strategies that actually land, in culture, leadership, and people’s day-to-day lives. She works with some of the UK and Ireland’s largest private and public organisations, including construction giant GRAHAM, helping them build healthier, high-performing teams with wellbeing at the core, with her programme for GRAHAM just being named a Finalist in Workplace Wellbeing category at the Business In The Community Awards 2025. Recently named Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Northern Ireland, Grace is fast becoming the go-to voice for culture-first, coaching-led workplace wellbeing that resonates at every level, from the boardroom to the boots-on-the-ground. Her mission? To help 10,000 people transform their health over the next three years, and show the industry that wellbeing isn’t a perk. It’s power. Website: www.workforcewellness.coach

Melanie Harrison

Owner of Chambers of Distinction

Melanie Harrison is a vintage collector, events curator and the owner of The Harrison Chambers of Distinction townhouse hotel in Belfast’s Queens Quarter.

Criona Turley

CEO of Capella

As CEO and co-founder of Capella, Criona is a leading voice at the intersection of workplace innovation, technology and human behavior. With a background in workplace strategy and a passion for data-driven decision-making, she helps global enterprises navigate the complexities of hybrid work. At Capella, she leads the charge in transforming fragmented workplace data - from badge swipes and sensors to Wi-Fi and booking systems - into a single, intuitive platform. Her mission is clear: empower workplace and facilities teams with the clarity they need to optimize space, reduce costs, and support agile, people-centered ways of working. Bi-located between Ireland and the U.S., Criona brings a global perspective to the challenges of modern work environments. Her work is particularly focused on leveraging AI-powered insights to ensure organisations make smart, evidence-based decisions, eliminating the guesswork from workplace strategy. She is also passionate about fostering conversations around workplace intelligence, proptech, hybrid work strategy and scaling international teams.