Mamobo Ogoro set up her social enterprise during lockdown… and the project has only continued to grow since then.
GORM Media is a platform aiming to unify across differences and increase a sense of belonging among marginalised communities in Ireland. It was born out of personal experiences, and amplifies diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
The company, and Mamobo herself, were also one of our incredible winners at last year’s eir VIP Publishing Power of Women awards.
After winning the Tech & Digital award at 2023’s event, Mamobo has been extremely busy – as well as super excited for what 2024 has in store for her brand.
VIP caught up with the entrepreneur to see how the past few months have been for her, to see how the win has impacted her business, and to chat all things the importance of supporting young female entrepreneurs in Ireland.
Hi Mamobo! How did it feel to win the Tech & Digital award at the eir VIP Publishing Power of Women awards? Did you expect it?
Winning the Tech award at the Power of Women awards was an incredibly humbling and surreal experience for me. I remember rolling up into the event thinking it was a shortlistees lunch, not knowing it was the actual event (I should have checked my calendar hehe). Once I found out, I told myself, “surely I am not winning this thing”, then BOOM, I won… and was in complete shock, no speech prepared or nothing.
To receive this prestigious award was beyond anything I could have imagined, and while I have always believed in the vision and impact of GORM, the feeling of validation and encouragement that came with the award was truly overwhelming, and gave me such motivation to continue on our mission as an organisation to unify across differences.
How has the win impacted your business?
Since winning the award, the impact on GORM has been profound. Not only did it provide a boost in visibility and credibility for our brand, but the equipment and resources from eir gave our company a much needed help as a start-up.
The recognition has opened doors to new opportunities, collaborations, and partnerships within the digital media and communications sector. It has also elevated our platform’s reputation as a leader in diversity and inclusion and driving positive social change through storytelling. Not only that, the award has inspired our team to continue pushing boundaries and striving for excellence in all aspects of our work.
Tell us a bit about why you set up GORM.
I wanted to create something where communities could speak for themselves and have a chance to control their narrative. A lot of these social issues affect members of the Gen Z multicultural community.
We have an amazing group of unifiers who work with us, people who recognise different ways of seeing the world and want to learn and teach from diverse perspectives. We’re like a B2B company, we’re teaching organisations about inclusion. We want people to be clued in and teach news skills in an accessible, healthy, and entertaining way.
How did you go about setting up your company? Where did your drive come from?
It all started with a Twitter account, then I moved into YouTube and Instagram. At the beginning, I was going from my own personal experience. My family moved to Ireland when I was three, and growing up in a migrant household in the middle of nowhere I was curious about social psychology and why people hate.
GORM is three years old now, but we’re on a mission. We want to build anti-racism into society and allow communities to use their own voices, not just to feel empowered but to have those difficult conversations that may not be happening elsewhere. I’ve already learned so much from the team!
How important is it to support young, female entrepreneurs in Ireland (particularly through events like the Power of Women awards)? What kind of difference does it make?
Personally, I didn’t have many female entrepreneur role models in my immediate circles, as a young female entrepreneur coming from a migrant community I rarely saw women who were like me in Ireland leading their own business, on their own terms, so I feel that supporting young, female entrepreneurs in Ireland (especially from an intersectional perspective) is incredibly important.
Through events like the eir VIP Publishing Power of Women awards, it creates a ripple effect, for future generations of women to dream big and break barriers. By celebrating their achievements and providing platforms for networking and collaboration, these events empower women from all walks of life to kick down the door of entrepreneurship with confidence and class.
What’s next for you and GORM? Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline?
Looking ahead, GORM is looking forward to solidifying future partnerships with national broadcasters on creating shows that are dedicated to diverse stories in Ireland. We plan to expand our reach and impact by continuing to collaborate with diverse communities to elevate their voices through digital media.
Also, we are looking forward to the second year of our access programme ‘The Wideshot Programme’ which empower young individuals from ethnically diverse backgrounds to share their narratives through digital storytelling. Lastly, we aim to enhance our intercultural training programmes to be delivered digitally, widening our community reach and supporting more organisations and leaders to unify across differences.
eir recently launched ‘eir for all’ – a modern, inclusive and accessible brand identity. This represents a major transformation for the business, following a €1.2 billion five-year investment in Ireland’s network and infrastructure. It underpins eir’s enduring commitment to enhancing connections across the country – with over 3 million people nationwide who can now access the latest technology and fastest download speeds. Highlighting eir’s integral presence in communities and its mission to facilitate stronger, more meaningful connections for a better Ireland.
The network made for all. eir for all.
For more information visit eir.ie/business, @eir.ireland on Instagram or @eir on X.