Four local entrepreneurs were this week recognised for their vision and entrepreneurial spirit at Women in Business’s Power of 4 Pitch Awards hosted at the Merchant Hotel.    

The awards marked the culmination of a hugely successful programme, which was created to support female entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland. The awards offered an opportunity not only to showcase the programme’s success as a business start–up programme, but also to showcase the participants’ businesses.

Power of 4 was created to engage women of all ages and backgrounds. Participants receive exclusive peer and 1–2–1 expert mentoring, both practical and specialist support to take their ideas from concept to launch.

The winners who between them received £10,000 to invest in their business, pitched their business to three leaders, who analysed and reviewed the feasibility and success of their concept.  With stiff competition across each category, the winners announced were;

–          Celine McDonald, Its Soo Me Ltd – Not Yet Trading

–          Angela Wilson, Silver Apples – Trading Less Than One Year

–          Niamh Taylor, Digital Twenty Four Limited – Trading 12 Months or More

–          Claire McMullan; Health Gainz was awarded a special prize for innovation

Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in Business, commented, “We are delighted that over 70 women to date have benefited from the Po4 programme, and with a success rate of 70% of participants making their business idea a reality, it is more important than ever that we offer women–specific enterprise support programme.

“The level of entries to the Po4 Pitch Awards were outstanding and the judges were faced with a difficult task. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our winners and thank our judges for their participation, especially Angela Moore of Macha Capital Partners, who donated the awards fund.

“As an organisation we are clear in our commitment to supporting and inspiring women – the networking and support created by the Po4 programme will ignite a significant, ongoing legacy and the friendships and alliances the women make will be invaluable.”

The judging panel for the Po4 programme included Angela Moore, Macha Capital Partners; Imelda McMillan, O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors and Chair of Women in Business, and Sorcha Wolesy, Operations Director at the Merchant Hotel.

Women in Business is the largest and fastest growing network for business women in Northern Ireland aiming to equip women with the skills they need to grow their businesses and careers.

ENDS

Note to Editor

Its Soo Me Ltd is a business whose vision is to build a global brand, providing customers with a stripped down, modern approach to life in transit. The first product, GetGone, which is at prototype stage, is a high functioning, time saving device that eliminates irritation caused by sand whilst visiting the beach. It is a light, flexible, re–useable, hygienic durable innovative beach product filled with a 100% natural powder made of plant extracts and minerals to give you smoothed, soothed sand free skin.

Silver Apples is a create a quirky clothing brand that represents a modern, fresh take on clothing design that has an element of inspiration from Irish culture.

Digital Twenty Four Limited is a digital marketing consultancy founded in June 2015 to help SME’s find customers and grow their business through PPC marketing, search engine optimisation, social media management, affiliate marketing programmes, conversion rate optimisation testing, email marketing and remarketing.

Health Gainz is a business aimed at providing new innovative technology and instructional tools for patients undertaking home based rehabilitation, providing a “virtual physiotherapist” to guide and instruct patients.