Cork Entrepreneurs Network Hosts IWD Event
5th March 2020
“Equality is not just a women’s issue. It is a business issue, a community issue, a social and environmental issue, a cultural issue, and an economic and political issue”. So says Laura O’Connell (pictured), professional coach and Founder of Cork Entrepreneurs Network who is organising an engaging lunch to celebrate International Women’s Day in Cork. Taking place on Friday 6th March from 12.00 noon, the lunch event is planned for The Old Irish Whiskey Bar at The Bodega on Cornmarket Street in the city. It features a super line-up of inspiring speakers reflecting this year’s International Women’s Day theme, which is ‘Each for Equal’, and calls on everyone to work together and support each other.
Billed as ‘an informal, fun and thought-provoking gathering’, Laura of Cork Entrepreneurs Network is organising the lunch event in conjunction with social media entrepreneur, The Tweeting Goddess. The leading social media strategist, Samantha Kelly, who will also address attendees, uses her extensive business and communications platform in support of other women in business.
Samantha Kelly
The Tweeting Goddess has over 50,000 engaged Twitter followers, and is also founder of Women’s Inspire Network, a global support network for female-led businesses promoting networking, learning and business opportunities.
International Women’s Day asks people to think more broadly about how businesses, organisations and society in general can work together to achieve more balance, Samantha Kelly says. “Collectively, each individual can help to create an equal world. In the past, equality conversations have tended to focus on individual actions. But this year’s theme, ‘Each for Equal’, is about challenging stereotypes and broadening perceptions with collaboration and strength in numbers”.
‘Each for Equal’ means it’s everybody’s business and everyone, regardless of gender, ability, culture, has a role to help deliver equality, explains Laura O’Connell of Cork Entrepreneurs Network, who is also keynote speaker at the International Women’s Day event in Cork.
Laura a business and career coach, transition coach and coaching psychologist will be speaking about her journey, her experiences and all she has overcome through personal traumas, illnesses to setting up her own business and network.
CervicalCheck campaigner and Cork Person of the Year 2019, Stephen Teap, will be a keynote speaker. A tireless campaigner for victims of the CervicalCheck screening scandal, Stephen is a lone parent, widowed at just 36 when he lost his wife Irene to cervical cancer in 2017.
Carmel O’Keeffe, a business coach and founder of the not-for-profit Dress for Success in Cork, will also address the International Women’s Day lunch. “My life and work has very much shown me that, collectively, we can make change happen”, Carmel O’Keeffe says.
A global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, Cork Entrepreneurs Network say there is much to celebrate about the achievements of Irish women on IWD2020. As well as their panellists: Joanna Dukkipatti of Good Day News Cork, Celia O’Grady of Nia Beauty, Mags Riordan of Bumblebee Farm and 17 year old Leaving Cert student Hannah Gahan, attendees at the Cork event are also being invited to speak and to share their stories of working towards equality. Hanna will also be exhibiting her art work & sculptors on the day.
The Old Town Whiskey Bar at The Bodega is an event sponsor and host. Tickets priced at €20, including lunch, are available on Eventbrite. Proceeds are going to local charities and group discounts are available. Everyone is welcome, the organisers say, and more detail and bookings can be found online here>>
