Organised by the GROWTHhub, Inspire Fest celebrated entrepreneurship in style at SETU’s Cork Road Campus. The festival shone a spotlight on sustainability, bringing together experienced entrepreneurs, role models and students in an action-packed day of events.
On Wednesday, 5 February, Inspire Fest kicked off with a motivating keynote talk from SETU graduate Michael Flynn, CEO of FLI Global. Michael shared insights into how he became a successful business owner and encouraged students to believe in their ideas. “The first idea you have may not be the one you run with, but that’s okay", Michael said.
Keynote speakers
A number of talks for SETU’s Bachelor of Business students were held, which included a panel discussion with SETU’s Entrepreneurial Ambassadors.
Tammy Darcy, CEO and Founder of The Shona Project, and John O’Connor, Founder of several successful technology-driven businesses, both participated in the panel discussion with lecturer Joe Daly. Tammy and John discussed their failures and successes, the importance of self-care and taking action to solve problems.
Student led events
Meanwhile, in the GROWTHhub Café, the student led element of the festival kicked off, with hospitality management students showcasing their mocktail making skills in advance of a clothing swap-shop, hosted by Swap Till You Drop.
Championed by Bríd Hennigan, final year Bachelor of Business (Hons) student, and supported by the STAND environmental changemakers, a circular fashion panel took place. Bríd chaired the conversation, with Anneliese Duffy, Founder of Fashion Connect Ireland and designer at Linen Shirt Company, and Lauryn McDermott, activist from Swap Till Ye Drop. The discussion probed the impact of fast fashion and helped students to understand what they can do to be part of the solution rather than the problem.
In the Main Atrium, DJ Joshua Neville kept spirits high at the student craft village, where students had the opportunity to showcase and sell their hand-crafted products.
Sustainability focussed
To finish the festival, in the GROWTHhub, Lynn Haughton, CEO of The Upcycle Movement, held a talk about her textile upcycling business, which discussed transforming wetsuits and other fabrics into incredible products and sculptures.
Following with a design sprint, Lynn challenged students to ‘turn waste into worth’. Students grappled with the problem of shoe waste and worked together to develop solutions and prototypes. Lynn was thrilled to see high standard solutions being brought to light.
With so much on offer, Inspire Fest gave students the platform to learn and engage in entrepreneurship with sustainability in mind.
More information
The GROWTHhub is funded by the Higher Education Authority's HCI Pillar 3, a government programme designed to meet priority skills needs, by increasing collaboration between higher education and enterprise with a focus on innovations in teaching and learning.
Swap Till Ye Drop is run by Lauryn McDermott and Ibitola Daniel who have set up base at Red Rua, Tallaght, Dublin. They host Swap Shops for people to exchange clothes rather than buy new ones and working endlessly to raise funds in aid of those affected by the fast fashion industry.