Enterprise Week 2023

THE FUNDING GAME
SPEAKER & PANELLIST
BIOS
JOHN FERRIS
John launched a wifi
software technology startup
in 2013, which was
used in restaurants, cafés,
hotels, stadia and vehicles
around the world. John
joined Entrepreneurial
Spark in 2015 to help
support ambitious start-ups
throughout Ireland. The
social enterprise was bought
over by NatWest, RBS and
Ulster Bank in 2018. Since
joining the team John has
worked to support 7000+
startups across the country.
Those businesses have
raised £35m+ in investment
and created more than 1000
jobs.
SUSAN McKANE
Susan is highly respected
across NI’s financial
ecosystem and has
extensive experience
working in the banking
sector within NI. She is
passionate about supporting
entrepreneurs and helping
smaller businesses grow
and develop. As part of
the UK Network team,
Susan’s remit includes
working with local finance
markets to shape the British
Business Bank’s support for
smaller businesses to grow
and prosper and inform
government policy.
FERGAL TUFFY
Fergal is Business Support
Centre (BSC) Manager at
the North West Regional
College (NWRC), managing
a team of 25 staff in
industry-focused projects.
This includes programmes
such as Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships (KTP), Invest
NI Innovation Vouchers,
and the Department for the
Economy’s (DfE) InnovateUs
Programme as well as DfE
Skills Focus, Skill Up and
Assured Skills programmes.
The NWRC has Innovation
Centres of Foodovation,
Product Design Centre (PDC),
XR Hub for augmented
and virtual reality and the
soon to open Industry 4.0
Centre. The BSC assists
business to tap into funding
programmes to undertake
innovation, upskilling and
training.
KATHLEEN GARRETT
Kathleen manages Techstart
Ventures’ £4.5 million Proof
of Concept Grant Fund,
working with and supporting
local entrepreneurs and
early-stage businesses
throughout Northern Ireland.
Prior to joining Techstart
Ventures, Kathleen worked
for a London-based Venture
Capital & Fund Management
Company. She is passionate
about connecting people,
ideas and technology.
STEPHEN TOLAND
Stephen is a community
pharmacist with 15 years’
experience in the sector and
holds a Masters in Pharmacy
(Queens University).
Stephen is the co-founder of
Socialscript, a health-tech
startup aiming to improve
health and wellbeing
through innovation. Stephen
is currently navigating
the financial landscape
as a start up founder and
will share insights into his
experiences.
PATRICIA KELPIE
Patricia is Co-founder of Star
3 Group Ltd and winner of
both a Catalyst Co-Founder
£10K Grant in 2021 and
Techstart £35K Concept Plus
Grant in 2022. Originally a
marketing executive from
New York, Patricia has
invented an educational tool
to help learning disabled
and Autistic children, and
believes the entrepreneurial
ecosystem in Northern
Ireland is ripe with
opportunity.
JIM NASH
Jim is Co-founder of
Wild Atlantic Distillery
with brother in law and
longstanding friend Brian.
Both are passionate about
maintaining the long history
of independent, traditional
and craft distilleries in
Ireland. Jim will share his
first hand experience of
funding the distillery from
start-up to scaling, including
grants, angel investments
and their recent success
with Crowdcube.
COLIN GORMAN
Dr Colin Gorman is a Clinical
Psychologist, lecturer at
Ulster University, founder
and CEO of Pneuma
Healthcare, with 25 years’
experience in mental health
services, in roles within
the NHS, prison service,
C&V sector. A member of a
steering group supporting
individuals impacted by the
Northern Ireland Troubles,
he has published on a
range of topics including
Dementia Caregiving, Breast
Cancer Checking Behaviour
and Step 2 mental health
services in NI.
CLARE McGEE
Clare is a Proud #Derrygirl
and Co-founder of Innovate-
NI and AwakenHub. A
management consultant
and mentor with 20 years
experience working with
pre-start, start-up and
businesses with high growth
potential. Clare is past
recipient of Digital DNA’s
‘Northern Ireland Business
Personality of Year Award’;
recognising her outstanding
track record, approach to
innovation, dedication
to developing talent and
contribution to the local
economy.
SUSAN KELLY
Susan Kelly is Chief
Executive Officer at
Respiratory Analytics - Aflo
which uses AI, sensors and
hyper-personalised data
to control life-threatening
symptoms for people with
asthma, COPD and cystic
fibrosis. Aflo aims to
improve the management
of respiratory conditions
for patients and clinicians,
saving lives, reducing costs
and improving outcomes.
SHANE O’HANLON
Shane joined
InterTradeIreland in 2018
as Manager of the Funding
for Growth team. He and
his team assist early stage
businesses secure equity
investment through a suite
of supports and events
including Equity Advisory
Clinics, the Seedcorn
Investor Readiness
competition & the annual
InterTradeIreland Venture
Capital Conference. Shane
has extensive experience
of helping fund growing
businesses having spent 15+
years in a range of business
support roles within AIB and
Ulster Bank.
SHARON SMYTH
Sharon, a native of
Castlederg, is currently
engaged as a Lending
Manager with the NI Start
Up Loan Fund. Sharon’s
background is Banking.
She availed of early
retirement from her role as a
Relationship Credit Manger
some 10 years ago, before
opening her own Business
& Financial Consultancy
Business. Sharon is an
Associate Business
Mentor for Enterprise NI
and delivers the ‘Go for
It programme for several
Agencies throughout NI.
She has a keen interest in
Agriculture and currently
serves as a Business Mentor
for Rural Support. Sharon
has also spent 6 years
as Non-Executive Board
Member of AFBI .
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