Today VIP Publishing hosted our second annual eir Power of Women Awards where we celebrated the best and brightest female entrepreneurs in Ireland, across the worlds of fashion, technology, beauty, lifestyle, wellness and more!
In the stunning surroundings of Dublin’s Marker Hotel guests were treated to Malfy G&T on arrival, followed by a fabulous three-course luncheon.
All of our winners, decided by an expert panel will also be profiled in the December issue of VIP Magazine.
Here are our amazing winners…
The eir Digital & Tech Award
The eir Digital & Tech Award celebrates the women whose innovation and drive meet to bring something entirely new to the digital realm.
We’ve been plagued with fake news over the past few years, and in response to this, former journalist Áine Kerr decided to take action. She and Mark Little joined forces to create Kinzen; a technology company that builds products to help connect people with quality news and information. She acts as COO of the company.
Previously, Áine led global journalism partnerships at Facebook, overseeing a team in New York focused on building products for journalists and improving news literacy for news consumers.
Áine is on the advisory board of the NII, an advisor to the Institute for Future of Media and Journalism (Fujo), as well as being the co-founder of Online News Association.
The Sustainability Award sponsored by Alfa Romeo
The Sustainability Award sponsored by Alfa Romeo honours women who have made sure that their mark on the world is only green and have been paving the way for a more eco-friendly environment.
Winner – Pat Kane, Reuzi
After a successful career in Customer Experience, Kane developed Reuzi while on maternity leave, five days before the birth of her second son!
Reuzi is Ireland’s one-stop shop for sustainable living. With 800+ products available in-store and online, their aim is to break the stigma around sustainability.
Sustainability is not exclusive to scientists or the all-or-nothing folks. Pat wants to make sustainability an easy-to-digest subject with fun, colourful products and educational services. She also wants to help everyone take one extra step towards sustainable living – whether that means helping people get their first reusable straw to providing tools and knowledge to transform their entire shopping routine.
The Public Relations Award sponsored by Malfy Gin
The Public Relations Award sponsored by Malfy Gin is celebrating the incredible women who spread the word for a living
Winner – Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy PR
An honours graduate of Communications Studies at DCU, Caroline has more than 25 years of experience working in the Irish media sector.
Her eponymous agency handles the PR for luxury brands like The Merrion Hotel, Nespresso and Shiseido. She has worked as a television researcher, radio producer and public relations consultant and in general, is passionate about the media industry.
Caroline founded Kennedy PR + Brand in 1992 and the agency is now recognised in Ireland as a leader in the field of Consumer PR and Communications. She has directed the launch of numerous household brand names and events in Ireland. Previously, she was a director of the Junior Dublin Film Festival and currently sits on two prestigious boards – The Ireland Funds and the Dublin City University Trust.
The Beauty Industry Award sponsored by Great Lengths
The Beauty Industry Award sponsored by Great Lengths celebrates the trailblazing women across the beauty market, from retail to services.
Winner – Suzanne Jackson, Dripping Gold
The blogger-turned-businesswoman established her SoSu beauty brand in 2015.
By 2019, profits at SanFran Cosmetics, the company she co-owns with businessman Fran O’Gorman, had grown by €3 million. In 2018, during this success, she launched another business: a tanning range called Dripping Gold.
Suzanne said that her aim was to create a natural-looking bronzed colour, that gives an even fade. With a mousse, lotion and spray to choose from, the tan became a fast favourite for women across the country, as well as famous faces, such as reality star Molly Mae Hague. Stocked in pharmacies, Primark and online, sales continue to soar.
The Fashion Retail Award sponsored by Lindt
The Fashion Retail Award sponsored by Lindt is to celebrate Irish fashion businesses founded by women across the spectrum of design and influence.
Winner – Blanaid Hennessy, Folkster
Folkster was founded in 2008 by fashion stylist Hennessy, who set out with the idea to create a bohemian treasure trove of a store combined with the highest standard of customer service and styling.
Starting out as a small vintage store in Co. Kilkenny with just Blanaid and her immediate family, now 14 years later, they have grown to over 50 team members across Dublin, Kilkenny and also online on folkster.com.
To this day, Folkster is still known as the independent, family-owned store that now also designs and creates their own occasion wear responsibly in hand with their Spanish and Indian production partners.
The Wellness Award sponsored by AYA
The Wellness Award sponsored by AYA celebrates the women whose businesses focus on our mental, physical and emotional health.
Winner – Peigin Crowley, Ground Wellbeing
This Cork entrepreneur built her well-being brand from the GROUND up! And it all started at her kitchen table at the start of the pandemic.
A self-care brand of balms and oils and salts, they are all handmade in Ireland and are vegan and cruelty-free, use natural and organic ingredients and are designed to support calming rituals — we LOVE them.
Having stood at the forefront of the wellness evolution in Ireland for the majority of her career, Peigin was inspired to build a sustainable and simpler life, one that honoured nature and promoted balance and connection. Ground does that — beautifully.
The Cosmetics & Skin Care Award sponsored by Boots Ireland
The Cosmetics & Skin Care Award sponsored by Boots Ireland Award celebrates Irish women harnessing the best ingredients to care for your skin and enhance your natural beauty.
Winner – Keilidh Cashell, KASH Beauty
After making a name for herself on social media as one of Ireland’s top beauty influencers, professional makeup artist Keilidh Cashel decided it was time to work on some products of her own.
In 2019 she took a leap of faith and created KASH, dropping her first collection, Secret Treasure. Since then, she’s gone on to create and release a larger array of products, with a focus on the creation of bold, grungy looks.
The vegan and cruelty-free line is available to purchase worldwide.
The Creative Award sponsored by John Frieda
The Creative Award sponsored by John Frieda celebrates the women whose imagination and design have brought them to a new realm of creativity.
Winner – Georgie Crawford, The Good Glow
Crawford is a health coach and wellness speaker, and owner of The Good Glow.
She developed a large following online when she shared her heartbreaking breast cancer diagnosis in her early 30s, she then went on to develop a podcast and subsequent business designed to help and inspire those struggling with mental or physical health.
Now broadcaster Georgie has come out on the other side with a new look on life. Passionate about living a happy and healthy life Georgie has vowed to spread that message to those around her. From this, The Good Glow was born.
A community of women who support, listen to and learn from one another. Georgie’s brand, products, podcast and live events have inspired so many to live a full and healthy life.
The Hair Care Award sponsored by Dyson
The Hair Care Award sponsored by Dyson shines a light on our mane heroes who have created some of our go-to products.
Winner – Ceira Lambert, Hair Consultancy
Renowned in the industry and loved by celebrities, Ceira is sought after since 2001 for her expertise in hair extensions.
She is a dedicated specialist in the application and aftercare of professionally applied extensions, working with the top brand Gold Fever. Ceira decided to add another string to her now recently by launching C30, a hair extension protection range.
The collection includes four products all formulated to protect hair extensions. After trialling the product for nearly 3 years and testing 29 different formulas, the 30th and final sample was signed off on which brought the name of C30 to life.
The Lifestyle Award sponsored by Meta
The Lifestyle Award sponsored by Meta celebrates the women whose businesses focus the beauty of home, hobbies, and life.
Winner – Erin Thomas, Hopeless Botanics
Erin Thomas set up Hopeless Botanics during the first lockdown in 2020, a time when we all needed a little something to brighten up our homes. Inspired by her love of gardening and her desire to bring her hobby indoors once the summer season was over, the company was born!
Erin highlights the accessibility of indoor plants noting you don’t need much space to add a bit of greenery to your “gaff”.
With a storefront on Francis Street and an online shop that delivers to your door, the team is passionate about utilising fellow Irish businesses where possible. Feeding into the plant parent phenomenon that has arrived in the past few years, Erin has found a niche that keeps on growing.
The New Founder Award sponsored by Lancôme
The New Founder Award sponsored by Lancôme celebrates entrepreneurs who have brought a dynamic, new business to the market in the past 18 months.
Winner – Sinead O’Brien, Vacious By Sinead
Just months before welcoming a gorgeous baby to the world, Sinead O’Brien gave life to her first fashion brand, Vacious by Sinead.
In 2021, she came out with an inclusive range of shapewear, catering to bodies of all shapes and sizes, and following the incredible success of that, added swimwear to the range in the summer months just gone.
Wanting women to feel fabulous, stylish and most importantly comfortable and supported, the range, available in sized 8-28, proved a big hit with people up and down the country.
The Special Award for Excellence in Young Entrepreneurship sponsored by Penneys
The Special Award for Excellence in Young Entrepreneurship sponsored by Penneys is for a woman who has created an inspiring business from the ground-up and inspired hundreds of other young women to follow in her footsteps.
Winner – Aimee Connolly, Sculpted
After years of experience working within the beauty industry, at the tender age of 23, Aimee felt passionately enough about creating products she felt were missing from the market that she just went ahead and did it! Launching with contour products, the line was instantly a success and has now evolved to include a wide range of cosmetics for the skin, eyes, lips, brows and cheeks.
A frequent award-winner, the company has seen exponential growth since 2016 and is now stocked in Boots in the UK as well as major pharmacies and department stores in Ireland. She just opened her own shopfront on Grafton Street.
