Orla Kiely to Join All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference

All Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference blue logo 1

With just one week to go until its inaugural All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference, Women in Business has announced three new speakers and two additional sponsors for the two-day virtual conference.

Prominent Irish fashion designer Orla Kiely, the name behind one of the most distinctive global design brands, will be the headline speaker on day two of the event. Those at the conference will hear from Orla about her life, her inspiration and how she still gets excited to see someone with one of her bags. Other confirmed speakers at the conference include Elizabeth Buchanan, Chief Commercial Officer at Rokt and Head of McKinsey Ireland, Sorcha McKenna.

Elizabeth was one of the founding team when Rokt was formed in 2012. She has had a distinguished career in the technology, digital and marketing/advertising industries while raising five children, and founded The White Agency in Australia which she built from a start-up into the most revered digital agency in the country. Sorcha’s work at McKinsey focuses on integrated care and out-of-hospital care across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The All-Island Conference will be broadcast live from Belfast and Dublin on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th June. Beginning at 9:00am with Breakfast Networking, both days will be hosted by Sarah Travers and Norah Casey, with motivational panel discussions on ambition and mindset, and insights into how changing consumer behaviours will develop in the post-pandemic world. 

The conference aims to recognise and address difficulties, breaking down barriers for female entrepreneurs to achieve their aspirations and unlock the potential that exists within the economy for them. As an interactive hybrid conference, the event will push the boundaries of innovation and feature an array of international keynote speakers, renowned and respected female entrepreneurs, including ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas, one of the UK’s leading voices on retail and brand communication, and renowned global designer ‘Print Queen’ Orla Kiely.

Mary Portas 3
Mary Portas

Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in Business, said: “I am thrilled to announce Dubliner, artist and designer Orla Kiely as our Day 2 keynote speaker. The conference showcases a range of fantastic speakers whose combined expertise spans multiple industries throughout Ireland and beyond.

“This summer’s All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference is shaping up to be two amazing mornings and will no doubt produce an inspiring and insightful conversation around the entrepreneurial spirit. It certainly is an unmissable event for those looking to take their businesses to the next level.”

Alongside new sponsors Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI, the conferences title sponsors is the Yes You Can female enterprise support programme. Associate sponsors include InterTradeIreland, Planet Woman, Tughans and British Business Bank.

Find out more by visiting Women in Business Conference, WIB Conferences | WIBNI | Women in Business NI