It usually takes years of experience before a businessperson can really find their stride, but sometimes they take to it as readily as a duck to water. Those who can take an idea and make it grow early in their careers have a special something that sets them apart and makes them an intriguing prospect to follow, often exemplary in areas like discipline, determination, boldness and, perhaps most importantly, creativity.
Today we’re looking at 12 upcoming Irish entrepreneurs, most of whom are younger than 30 years of age, who we can be sure have exciting futures ahead of them…
The 28-year-old Gorman had a simple idea: take the hassle out of canning beers by providing brewers with the cans, machinery, labour and the client’s choice of branding, as well as filling and packing the product for distribution.
In a world where we increasingly have to deal with strangers online, it’s difficult to know who’s trustworthy. Lyden created this transaction platform as a way to help internet users protect themselves when selling online to people they don’t know.
With gin well and truly back in vogue, now is the time to get into the business — which is why 30-year-old Eoin Bara opened Arderin Distillery to produce his high quality Wild Berry Gin for the thirsty masses.
Having spotted a gap in the market last year, these two friends decided to set up a specialised talent management service and booking agency together. Big And Bright gives its clients comprehensive, around-the-clock service in all aspects of their careers.
This 25-year-old started off a student of business before pursuing her passion for nutrition which ultimately led her to setting up a popular food blog full of healthy-yet-delicious recipes called The Little Green Spoon, which has earned her more than 60,000 Instagram followers, appearances on TV and even a cookbook.
Commins is the founder of this company which lets you travel by taxi without cash, bank card or a phone — seriously. All you’ll need is your four-digit pin code and your taxi driver is able to charge your fare to your pre-existing Flag Taxis account.
At just 25 years of age, Skuse and his co-founder John Hegarty had the bright idea of setting up an on-demand waste collection service that provides a convenient method of having your waste collected and disposed of.
Curran is just 18 years old, but he has already appeared on the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list — so it’s safe to say we can expect great things from him. Curran is the founder and chief executive of qCrypt, which provides security solutions for storing secrets which are cryptographically and mathematically certain to be safe for life.
Another Irishman who made it onto the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Simon Phelan has brought the installation of boilers into the 21st century through the application of modern technology.
The Creaven sisters have been working together at their own dentist practice (set-up by Lisa at the age of 25) in Galway which specifically caters to nervous or anxious patients. It wasn’t long before they realised there was a gap in the market for a teeth whitening product that was both effective as well as safe to use, so in 2016 they launched Spotlight Teeth Whitening which has been a huge success since. By 2017 they even managed to scoop the Image Business Woman of the Year Award-start up, with their online sales reaching over a whopping half a million.
Ireland is a hotbed for innovative start-ups that seem simply destined for great things and more than a few of those companies owe their existence to promising female entrepreneurs armed with some exciting ideas.