Visa announces 5 Irish Female Entreprenurs as Winners of She's Next Grant

• Five female entrepreneurs share €90K in funding to fuel and reshape their business landscape
• The grant backs diverse industries in food, women’s health, haircare and physical education

The winners of Visa’s 2024 She’s Next Grant Programme were announced and honoured at an exclusive award ceremony in Dublin this week. A grant allocation of €90,000, supports five women-led businesses committed to transform the landscape for women entrepreneurs.

Covering a broad sector of industries, the funding is provided for ventures in food, women’s health, haircare and physical education. This year’s grant winners include Claire Fullam from Remi Scalp Care, Marian Kennedy from Anewmum, Sinéad Ryan from Little Fitness, Denise Walsh from Curly Co, and Lisa Kleiner from Nibbed Cacao.

Following an impressive presentation to Visa’s judging panel in January, the first winner Claire Fullam, founder of Remi Scalp Care, received a €50,000 grant. The remaining four winners were each awarded a €10,000 business grant, to advance their businesses with confidence.

Now in its fourth year, the programme has seen entry numbers more than triple since its inception, reflecting a strong demand for dedicated resources for women in business. Fostering a more inclusive and equitable business landscape, the grant aims to challenge and encounter the unique obstacles faced in small businesses.

In addition to the grants, the winners will benefit from mentorship by award-winning entrepreneur Aimee Connolly, founder of Sculpted by Aimee and Visa’s She’s Next Campaign Ambassador. To enhance their readiness for future prospects, the winners also took part in structured pitch presentation workshops. Winners also gain access to tailored business coaching delivered by MentorsWork—an initiative led by Skillnet Ireland in collaboration with the Small Firms Association (SFA).

Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Visa commented, “Ireland is home to an incredible wealth of female talent and at Visa we’re proud to support them. Recognising there is still more work to do to create an equitable future for female entrepreneurs, our She’s Next Grant Programme is designed to help uplift female-led small businesses and deliver the tools they need to thrive.”

“Each of our five winners demonstrated immense potential and we look forward to supporting them on their journey to success through access to funding, mentoring and coaching. We’re delighted to congratulate our inspiring winners – Remi Scalp Care, Nibbed Cacao, CurlyCo, Little Fitness, and Anewmum – and remain focused on continuing to create an inclusive environment for small businesses in Ireland to grow.”

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