Going for Growth, the award-winning programme for ambitious female entrepreneurs determined to grow their businesses, celebrated the end of its 16th cycle in KPMG’s Dublin office on June 11, 2024. Fifty-five female entrepreneurs shared their experiences and celebrated successfully completing the six-month programme.
The Going for Growth programme, which Enterprise Ireland and KPMG support, is designed to help female entrepreneurs achieve their growth ambitions by growing their sales, creating additional employment, and winning new exports. Over the past 16 years, over 950 businesswomen have participated in this unique programme.
Throughout this six-month programme, the Lead Entrepreneurs offered insights into their entrepreneurial journey. KPMG’s experts facilitated a series of workshops and shared their expertise with this year’s entrepreneurs on various business matters, such as tax, funding, employment matters and much more.
Some past participants include Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee; Andrea Doolan of Atlantia Clinical Trials; Derval O’Rourke of Derval.ie; Kate Scott of HoloToyz; Louella Morton of TestReach; and Vanessa Creaven of Spotlight Oral Care.
Pictured at the event, which celebrated the end of Going for Growth's 16th cycle, are left to right: Carley Donegan, Grey Dog Events and Communications, Sinead Lonergan, Enterprise Ireland, Helena McMahon, Seabody and Olivia Lynch, KPMG.
At KPMG, we champion domestic entrepreneurship, and our commitment to diversity drives us to continue our partnership with Going for Growth. With the guidance of the Lead Entrepreneurs, this initiative offers a transformative journey, connecting participants with valuable insights and a supportive community.
Hear from the participants
The vital support of Lead Entrepreneurs
This year's Going for Growth participants joined interactive round-table sessions led by Lead Entrepreneurs. The Lead Entrepreneurs are successful businesswomen with personal experience growing a business. These high-profile business leaders volunteer their time to encourage participants to set and achieve personalised goals and milestones to address the opportunities and challenges they face in driving growth in their businesses.
This year’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs for Going for Growth were: Anne Cusack, formerly Critical Healthcare; Jeananne O’Brien, Artizan Food Co.; Louise Phelan, Phelan Energy Group; Monica Flood, formerly Olas IT; Oonagh O’Hagan, Meaghers Pharmacy Group, serial entrepreneur Hannah Wrixon, most recently co-founder of Kella Hannah Wrixon, and Tara Beattie, Prepsheets.com.
Why does Going for Growth matter?
Feedback from the previous cycle was also extremely positive, with 96% of participants saying their involvement brought about practical change within their business and 97% saying they felt nearer to achieving their ambitions. All participants said they would recommend Going for Growth to others.
Commenting on the programme, Partner at KPMG, Olivia Lynch, said: “Our Enterprise Barometer research in 2023 showed resilience and measured confidence in the future amongst Irish businesses and entrepreneurs. At KPMG, we champion domestic entrepreneurship, and our commitment to diversity drives us to continue our partnership with Going for Growth.
This exceptional programme empowers ambitious women to elevate their businesses. With the guidance of the Lead Entrepreneurs, this initiative offers a transformative journey, connecting participants with valuable insights and a supportive community. KPMG's experts look forward to facilitating various workshops and sharing their extensive knowledge in tax, funding, employment and more."
CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Leo Clancy, said:
"Increasing support for ambitious female entrepreneurship is a key national priority and Enterprise Ireland is proud to support Going for Growth. I believe our close partnership with Going for Growth provides excellent support to our incredible women entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses and achieving global ambition. Strong peer groups, wonderful Lead Entrepreneurs, excellent formal learning opportunities and frameworks for business growth make this a "must consider" for anyone seeking to accelerate her business."
A participant on the 15th cycle of Going for Growth, Gráinne Mullins, Founder of Grá Chocolates, speaking of her experience said:
"Going for Growth was such an incredible experience for me. I connected with women in a similar position to me and we could be open and vulnerable to each other about the struggles of having our own businesses. I learned so much over the few months. Having peers, who understood and could advise you, really helped to keep me on track. I am so thankful for being selected for the Going for Growth Programme."
National Director of Going for Growth, Paula Fitzsimons, said:
"Going for Growth has recognised from the outset that it is not just about the numbers of men and women that are starting a business that is important. That is only one part of the challenge. The other challenge relates to the potential impact of the entrepreneurial effort of those men and women, not only in the early days but over the life of the business. The objective of Going for Growth is to encourage female entrepreneurs to become more ambitious; to support them to achieve their growth aspirations; and to realise the full potential of their businesses, on Irish and export markets, throughout the lifetime of their business."
Insights for entrepreneurs
Find out more
To find out more about the Going for Growth programme, go to www.goingforgrowth.com.
Get in touch
For further information on the Going for Growth programme, please contact Olivia Lynch, partner, KPMG.
Olivia Lynch
Tax Partner
KPMG in Ireland
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Sandra Farrell
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KPMG in Ireland