See every detail from THE GLOSS | Goodbody Female Founders Investment Dinner at The Crawford Gallery in Cork …
THE GLOSS | Goodbody Investment Club hosted its first Investment Dinner outside the capital last evening, with more than 60 guests in attendance in the splendid surroundings of Cork’s Crawford Gallery. The stunning Sculpture Gallery, with its superb collection of Canova casts, was the setting for a cocktail reception before dinner at The Green Room. Master of Ceremonies Ciara Doherty welcomed guests on behalf of Jane and Sarah McDonnell, founders of The Gloss Magazine, Cathy Bryce, Head of Capital Markets at AIB, and Catriona Coady, Head of Tax at Goodbody. The event theme, In Women We Trust, focused on the stories of three inspiring female founders, Dr Alison O’Shea, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Neurobell; Hilary O’Shea, co-founder and Chief Corporate Officer, Otonomee, and Peigin Crowley, founder, Ground Wellbeing.
Peigin Crowley, founder, Ground Wellbeing, Niamh O’Neill, Wealth Advisor, Goodbody, Dr Alison O’Shea, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Neurobell and Hilary O’Shea, co-founder and Chief Corporate Officer, Otonomee.
A panel discussion revealed how these female-founded businesses were conceived, their funding journeys, challenges faced and ambitions for the future. Dr Alison O’Shea of NeuroBell, an electronic engineer, explained how the start-up spun out of UCC, and how she, along with her two co-founders, developed a neonatal seizure monitoring device for use in clinical settings. Commercial lawyer Hilary O’Shea’s business, Otonomee, co-founded with her husband Aidan during the pandemic, provides a fully remote “non-traditional” outsourced customer management service to a range of international companies including J&J, MoneyJar, Sisu Clinic and Oura. The company has grown rapidly and now has 150 employees, with plans to expand its global footprint.
Panellist Niamh O’Neill, Senior Advisor at Goodbody, explained the different types of funding available to companies, and the importance of having access to sound financial advice from the early stages of founding a business to the business exit point. She observed that female founders are often so committed to their business, that they tend to neglect their own financial future. Rather than defer financial decisions around important issues like pensions, she said, it’s vital that founders address these as soon as possible on their business journey.
Dessert was followed by a conversation with entrepreneur and founder of wellness brand Ground Wellbeing, Peigin Crowley. As an award-winning spa consultant, Peigin spent over 25 years crafting distinctive and transformative wellness products and treatments for five-star luxury properties. Then, during lockdown in 2020, she started her own spa brand, Ground Wellbeing. Today, Ground Wellbeing continues to grow internationally with sincere intention, focusing on craft and quality over quantity, sustainable business practices and the promotion of accessible and intuitive self-care for all. A walking, talking inspiration for her own brand, Peigin’s personal account of founding, funding and expansion was both frank and inspirational.
Hilary O’Shea, Peigin Crowley and Dr Alison O’Shea.
All three speakers addressed the theme of In Women We Trust, attributing their success to the many women who had supported and mentored them, and invested in their businesses. THE GLOSS | Goodbody Investment Club’s first event in Cork upheld the sentiment of the theme – inspirational and supportive women in our network can help inspire, develop and strengthen our businesses. THE GLOSS would like to thank the wonderful speakers, partners Goodbody, AIB, the amazing women at The Crawford Gallery and Beth Houghton of The Green Room (and her fabulous team) and the fantastic Cork audience. The Crawford Gallery closes in September for a two-year refurbishment by Grafton Architects, the award-winning female-led practice. In Women We Trust!
Click into the gallery to see the guests who attended.
Photographer: Diane Cusack
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