PAUL O’HARA
(MSc Marketing 2000)
PAUL O’HARA
In May 2021, social entrepreneurship platform ChangeX announced a partnership with the Lego Foundation on projects t...
Entrepreneurship
JACK PIERSE
(BBL 2013)
JACK PIERSE
In May 2021, Jack Pierse, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at fintech start-up Wayflyer, a financing platform...
AILEEN CARVILLE
(BA Entrepreneurial Studies 2000)
AILEEN CARVILLE
In September 2020, the first B2B SMARTShowroom wholesale platform, SKMMP, founded by fashion tech entrepreneur Ailee...
CIARA CLOSE
(BE 2004, PhD 2012, MBA 2020)
CIARA CLOSE
Following her work on Comfort4Covid in 2020, Ciara Close began working with Primer for Life, a company that makes ex...
MARIA FLEMING
(BA Psychology 1990)
MARIA FLEMING
In May 2021, First Fortnight, an Irish organisation utilising arts and culture to challenge mental health stigma and sup...
MAXENCE VIDAL
(BComm International 2020, MSc International Management 2021)
MAXENCE VIDAL
In June 2020, Maxence Vidal founded PreviewUni, an online platform for constructive academic feedback. Also an exper...
SHARON KEEGAN
(MA Innovation 2017)
SHARON KEEGAN
In April 2021, Sharon Keegan, founder and CEO of Peachylean, secured a £100,000 investment on BBC’s Dragon’s De...
CHARLIE GLEESON
(BComm 2019)
CHARLIE GLEESON
Charlie Gleeson won the NovaUCD Founder of the Year Award in March 2021 for his electric scooter-sharing company, Zi...
ANNE GALLAGHER
(BA English and History 2000)
ANNE GALLAGHER
Lux Life Magazine named The Beauty Kit Best Online Beauty Store in Ireland at its Health and Beauty Awards 2021. Fou...
AIMEE CONNOLLY
(BComm Int 2015)
AIMEE CONNOLLY
Sculpted by Aimee Cosmetics is an Irish cosmetics brand founded in 2016 by make-up artist Aimee Connolly. The brand,...
PETER FOLEY
(MSc Management 2010)
PETER FOLEY
In June 2021, Peter Foley, founder and CEO of health diagnostics company LetsGetChecked, closed a $150m Series D fin...
KAROL DEVANEY
(BAgrSc Food & Agribusiness Management 2019)
KAROL DEVANEY
In May 2020, Sligo farmer Karol Devaney founded Eweknit, an agricultural clothing company, whose mission is to “gi...
PAUL O’HARA
MSc Marketing 2000
In May 2021, social entrepreneurship platform ChangeX announced a partnership with the Lego Foundation on projects to learn through play. Co- founded in 2015 by CEO Paul O’Hara, ChangeX is backed by investors such as Ben & Jerry’s Jerry Greenfield and Storyful’s Mark Little. O’Hara stated that the undisclosed level of funding from the Lego Foundation, the company’s first institutional backer, is the largest that ChangeX has secured.
JACK PIERSE
BBL 2013
In May 2021, Jack Pierse, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at fintech start-up Wayflyer, a financing platform for ecommerce merchants, announced the company had raised $76m in Series A funding, and secured a $100m debt facility. Wayflyer helps ecommerce merchants by providing access to working capital. In November 2020, Pierse, a chartered accountant, appeared in Independent.ie’s 30 Under 30 Young Irish Entrepreneurs 2020 list.
AILEEN CARVILLE
BA Entrepreneurial Studies 2000
In September 2020, the first B2B SMARTShowroom wholesale platform, SKMMP, founded by fashion tech entrepreneur Aileen Carville, was selected for a twelve- month residency at Creative Valley in Paris. SKMMP uses voice AI and an online wholesale order platform for designer showrooms. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a surge in demand for Carville’s virtual showroom. SKMMP now partners with global brands such as PRADA and Stone Island.
CIARA CLOSE
BE 2004, PhD 2012, MBA 2020
Following her work on Comfort4Covid in 2020, Ciara Close began working with Primer for Life, a company that makes exercise easy, fun and safe for older people. In June 2021, she founded Technobabble, a company that helps older people reap the benefits of technology. She is a member of the Board of Directors at GenerationTech and The Umbrella Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to alleviate the impact of trafficking on young people in Nepal.
MARIA FLEMING
BA Psychology 1990
In May 2021, First Fortnight, an Irish organisation utilising arts and culture to challenge mental health stigma and support vulnerable people through creative therapies, announced Maria Fleming as CEO. Fleming has worked in the arts for over 20 years, with experience as general manager, producer, programmer and arts consultant in Ireland’s leading companies, theatres and events, including Dublin Theatre Festival, The Ark, and Druid Theatre Company.
MAXENCE VIDAL
BComm International 2020, MSc International Management 2021
In June 2020, Maxence Vidal founded PreviewUni, an online platform for constructive academic feedback. Also an experienced consultant, Vidal began his most recent venture in the European Space Agency in Milan in February 2021. Vidal conducts research, assessing both the risks and benefits of Digital Twin technology, a digital replica of a physical object that can be examined and tested without having adverse effects in the real world.
SHARON KEEGAN
MA Innovation 2017
In April 2021, Sharon Keegan, founder and CEO of Peachylean, secured a £100,000 investment on BBC’s Dragon’s Den for her body-positive women’s athleisurewear brand, which honours her sibling Alan, who died in 2020. Three dragons agreed to 30 per cent equity in the business in return for their investment. Keegan is actively seeking further funding as she plans to expand her brands into Australia and the US while promoting women’s self- esteem and mental health.
CHARLIE GLEESON
BComm 2019
Charlie Gleeson won the NovaUCD Founder of the Year Award in March 2021 for his electric scooter-sharing company, Zipp Mobility. Gleeson founded Zipp Mobility in 2019 with a mission to reduce congestion. He surpassed his initial funding target of €400,000, raising more than €2m in total. Zipp Mobility has plans to launch across Ireland and mainland Europe. Gleeson featured in Independent.ie’s 30 Under 30 Young Irish Entrepreneurs 2020 list.
ANNE GALLAGHER
BA English and History 2000
Lux Life Magazine named The Beauty Kit Best Online Beauty Store in Ireland at its Health and Beauty Awards 2021. Founder Anne Gallagher offers consumers a curated range of products and informative content to help make purchasing decisions easier. Gallagher returned to her alma mater as a PR and marketing lecturer at the UCD Professional Academy in June 2020.
AIMEE CONNOLLY
BComm Int 2015
Sculpted by Aimee Cosmetics is an Irish cosmetics brand founded in 2016 by make-up artist Aimee Connolly. The brand, which creates innovative products, has grown rapidly since and is continuing expansion into new markets. Connolly was named one of 24 finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021. Connolly previously worked as an independent make-up artist.
PETER FOLEY
MSc Management 2010
In June 2021, Peter Foley, founder and CEO of health diagnostics company LetsGetChecked, closed a $150m Series D financing round to expand the business after increased demand during COVID-19. The company, split between Dublin and New York, offers at-home testing in a variety of healthcare specialisms. To date, the company has conducted over two million tests. Foley is a finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021.
KAROL DEVANEY
BAgrSc Food & Agribusiness Management 2019
In May 2020, Sligo farmer Karol Devaney founded Eweknit, an agricultural clothing company, whose mission is to “give back to the farming community”. Devaney hosts a weekly podcast, the Eweknit Agricast Farming Podcast, with updates on the farming and agri-business sectors. He has also been Managing Director of Devaney Shearing since 2015 and is a former shearers representative of the Irish Sheep Shearers Association.