Women entrepreneurs from across the island of Ireland from Cork to Antrim gathered recently at KPMG’s Platform X in Dublin’s IFSC for TechFoundHer’s Innovation Labs.
A cohort of 35 female founders are on a journey to create, develop and deliver innovative tech products to the market and in the process connect with other women entrepreneurs North and South!
The closed session involved the founders getting hands-on and mapping their tech solution facilitated by experts Miriam Elst and Máirín Murray with support from the KPMG team.
The TechFoundHer programme, now in its fourth week, is designed to support women founders who may not come from a tech background but are ambitious to develop and lead tech-driven products.
The eight-week programme, funded through the Shared Island initiative and supported by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, with lead sponsor KPMG Ireland, includes in-person labs alternating between Dublin and Belfast, alongside online webinars and mentoring sessions.
Each in-person and online lab is facilitated by one of the TechFoundHer global faculty of trainers including leading global innovation experts AI ethicist Dr Lollie Mancey and radical innovation leader Dr Tamara Carleton.
Speaking of the importance of the Innovation Labs programme Dr Mancey said: “Empowering women founders through technology is an imperative for fostering innovation, inclusivity, and impactful entrepreneurship.
“By dismantling traditional barriers and providing access to resources, technology becomes a powerful tool for women to build disruptive solutions and scalable ventures that address global challenges.”
The first session, facilitated by Miriam Elst, an Innovation Consultant, focused on mapping out the key features of tech solutions. Participants were guided through the hands-on workshop to get their idea out of their head and to make it real.
Miriam, a strong advocate for women’s leadership in tech, said: “Women lift change and transformation to another level that usually has a broader approach, is more inclusive, allows for diversity and embraces agility.
“It’s in our DNA. Being more than 50% of the humans on this planet, I’d love to see what this shift to 50% more women leading tech companies will bring.”
TechFoundHer CEO, Máirín Murray, said the programme was “empowering women to build tech and product competence and of course confidence, no matter their previous experience”.
She added: “We’re breaking down the myths surrounding making tech products supporting all women regardless of their tech knowledge, and providing them with the tools they need to lead their projects from concept to implementation.
“You don’t need to be able to code to start a company that creates a tech-driven product or service.”
With support from InterTradeIreland and KPMG Ireland, TechFoundHer’s Innovation Labs is fostering a collaborative environment where women founders can share ideas, tackle challenges, and develop tech solutions that drive positive change.
This first in-person lab marked a significant moment in the journey for these founders, who are building the confidence and practical skills necessary to lead in tech innovation.
The next Innovation Labs session will take place in Belfast on 22nd November hosted by the Ulster Bank Accelerator.
TechFoundHer Innovation Labs is a programme supported by InterTradeIreland (in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland) under the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme and sponsored by KPMG Ireland.