Thinking of starting up a business in the Northwest? Have you just started a new enterprise? Learn from others that have done it before or have just begun in the last twelve months. Hear firsthand what it is like to take part in regional enterprise support programmes like CEIM. Discover new opportunities for start-ups. Learn from the mistakes and successes of other budding entrepreneurs from the Northwest.
Surf Seeds are a brand new Irish healthy snack food product based in Drunshambo Co. Leitrim. The man behind the product Tim Rooney developed the idea of using sunflower and other seed varieties as a healthy snack food after developing a range of seeded breads for a large supermarket chain. To date Surf Seeds has been awarded a gold medal at the Great Taste Awards, successfully pitched to RTE’s Dragons Den and proved to be a huge hit at the recent International Food Exhibition in London.
Aidan McKenna, Founder and CEO, Sokohealth
Aidan McKenna is currently building a unique online healthcare marketplace aimed at the US market. He has just completed the CEIM Program from Sligo IT and has been actively involved in networking groups within Ireland and further afield. Aidan has a strong background in Sales and Marketing, having lead the Sales activities of one of Irelands leading indigenous exporters, Combilift Ltd. for a number of years prior to launching his own business. Aidan’s achievements in the role included developing new markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Before his sales roles with Combilift, Aidan worked for Enterprise Ireland in Silicon Valley post dot com bust and assisted Irish technology companies to sell and market their products to large US buyers such as Disney, ATT, T-Mobile and Sprint among others. Aidan has an extensive list of contacts globally and has experience selling solutions to some of the largest companies and brands.
Anne Marie McCallion offers marketing and communication services to European Technology Companies who sell to the U.S. market. She also offers public relations advice to Irish companies across a number of sectors who wish to target the Irish market.
She recently directed a Trade Mission to Silicon Valley, U.S.A. on behalf of the CÉIM programme at Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Sligo where she leveraged her U.S. industry contacts to organise business development and networking meetings for the group.
Anne Marie also delivers trainings on behalf of the CÉIM programme and Donegal Enterprise Board focusing on the topics of Writing for the Web and Developing the Elevator Pitch. She also offers market research services for International companies who wish to launch a product in Ireland.
Prior to returning to her native Donegal, Anne Marie spent 12 years in Silicon Valley developing and executing marketing and communication campaigns for global technology companies including HP, Sun and Dell as well as a host of technology and consumer focused startups.
Most recently, Anne Marie spoke at Derry’s BarCamp conference about Silicon Valley Culture and the Importance of the Elevator Pitch. Anne Marie frequently comments on trends on issues relevant to small businesses. Anne Marie frequently comments on trends on issues relevant to small businesses. You can follow her on Twitter at: annemarieir.
Bernie Butler and her family have been at the cold face of food manufacturing for the past 20yrs. In 2001 the family successfully sold their first business and in 2004 Bernie embarked on a new venture and founded Good4UFood & Drink Company Limited. Good4U manufacturing is based in NI where they produce a range of Health Goods with Functional properties.
Halo Foods a sister company is being spearheaded by her daughter Laura, this company is based in Sligo. The main function of Halo Foods is the Research and Development of functional ingredients. Both companies are inextricably linked and share a longterm ambition to create a product range and global brand with salience and relevance to their target markets
Verus Precision Limited was established in the Business Innovation Centre (Sligo) in 2008. The company provides high end technical solutions to the Plastics and Press Metals Industries, by offering Product Design, Plastic Part Analysis, Metrology and Project Management to a range of industries nationally and internationally, including: Aerospace, Automotive, Defence, Life Science and Medical.
Start.
Thinking of starting up a business in the Northwest? Have you just started a new enterprise? Learn from others that have done it before or have just begun in the last twelve months. Hear firsthand what it is like to take part in regional enterprise support programmes like CEIM. Discover new opportunities for start-ups. Learn from the mistakes and successes of other budding entrepreneurs from the Northwest.
Tim Rooney, Surf Seeds
Surf Seeds are a brand new Irish healthy snack food product based in Drunshambo Co. Leitrim. The man behind the product Tim Rooney developed the idea of using sunflower and other seed varieties as a healthy snack food after developing a range of seeded breads for a large supermarket chain. To date Surf Seeds has been awarded a gold medal at the Great Taste Awards, successfully pitched to RTE’s Dragons Den and proved to be a huge hit at the recent International Food Exhibition in London.
Aidan McKenna, Founder and CEO, Sokohealth
Aidan McKenna is currently building a unique online healthcare marketplace aimed at the US market. He has just completed the CEIM Program from Sligo IT and has been actively involved in networking groups within Ireland and further afield. Aidan has a strong background in Sales and Marketing, having lead the Sales activities of one of Irelands leading indigenous exporters, Combilift Ltd. for a number of years prior to launching his own business. Aidan’s achievements in the role included developing new markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Before his sales roles with Combilift, Aidan worked for Enterprise Ireland in Silicon Valley post dot com bust and assisted Irish technology companies to sell and market their products to large US buyers such as Disney, ATT, T-Mobile and Sprint among others. Aidan has an extensive list of contacts globally and has experience selling solutions to some of the largest companies and brands.
Anne-Marie McCallion, Return PR
Anne Marie McCallion offers marketing and communication services to European Technology Companies who sell to the U.S. market. She also offers public relations advice to Irish companies across a number of sectors who wish to target the Irish market.
She recently directed a Trade Mission to Silicon Valley, U.S.A. on behalf of the CÉIM programme at Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Sligo where she leveraged her U.S. industry contacts to organise business development and networking meetings for the group.
Anne Marie also delivers trainings on behalf of the CÉIM programme and Donegal Enterprise Board focusing on the topics of Writing for the Web and Developing the Elevator Pitch. She also offers market research services for International companies who wish to launch a product in Ireland.
Prior to returning to her native Donegal, Anne Marie spent 12 years in Silicon Valley developing and executing marketing and communication campaigns for global technology companies including HP, Sun and Dell as well as a host of technology and consumer focused startups.
Most recently, Anne Marie spoke at Derry’s BarCamp conference about Silicon Valley Culture and the Importance of the Elevator Pitch. Anne Marie frequently comments on trends on issues relevant to small businesses. Anne Marie frequently comments on trends on issues relevant to small businesses. You can follow her on Twitter at: annemarieir.
Bernie Butler, Good4U
Bernie Butler and her family have been at the cold face of food manufacturing for the past 20yrs. In 2001 the family successfully sold their first business and in 2004 Bernie embarked on a new venture and founded Good4UFood & Drink Company Limited. Good4U manufacturing is based in NI where they produce a range of Health Goods with Functional properties.
Halo Foods a sister company is being spearheaded by her daughter Laura, this company is based in Sligo. The main function of Halo Foods is the Research and Development of functional ingredients. Both companies are inextricably linked and share a longterm ambition to create a product range and global brand with salience and relevance to their target markets
Des Forde, Verus Precision
Verus Precision Limited was established in the Business Innovation Centre (Sligo) in 2008. The company provides high end technical solutions to the Plastics and Press Metals Industries, by offering Product Design, Plastic Part Analysis, Metrology and Project Management to a range of industries nationally and internationally, including: Aerospace, Automotive, Defence, Life Science and Medical.