She’s Next, Empowered by Visa

Visa’s She’s Next Grant Programme

Visa is continuing its commitment to support SMBs and provide further opportunities for women to advance their businesses. Visa’s She’s Next Grant Programme was brought back in 2023 for a third consecutive year to support women business owners in the Republic of Ireland with tools, resources and funding to help them make their next move in business.

Visa's She's Next 2022 and 2021 Winners

: General Small Business: Jane Conlon, Sodalicious, Limerick

A soda bread bakery and café located in the heart of Limerick city, Sodalicious has reinvented soda bread with a unique formula based on a traditional recipe but with a modern twist. With all breads baked freshly each morning in house, they are then filled with a selection of mostly Irish products including farmhouse cheese, Gubbeen deli meats, Macroom mozzarella and locally produced tomatoes. All breads are yeast and sugar-free, making them easily digestible and full of protein. Sodalicious also recently began providing fresh lunches to the local Educate Together school in a bid to improve the eating habits of students.

Link to Sodalicious
: Micro Business: Siobhan McKenna, Moss and Cable, Donegal

Moss and Cable is a modern Irish knitwear studio that aims to reinvigorate the declining knitwear and tweed heritage from Co. Donegal, while also creating a more sustainable alternative to fast fashion brands.

Donegal was once a leading international destination for manufacturing luxury knitwear, however, the industry has been in decline in recent decades as established brands move their production overseas. Owner Siobhan McKenna believes this industry should be protected and preserved which is what she aims to do by using traditional practices and working with expert craftspeople, making sure production is always kept local. Siobhan wants to see Donegal as a global signifier of quality and craftsmanship for knitwear, much like cashmere is to Scotland or leather is to Italy.

Link to Moss and Cable
: Early-Stage Business: Fiona Fahy, Feed Me Mother, Waterford

Feed Me Mother is a sustainable breastfeeding clothing brand. As a breastfeeding mother, Fiona Fahy saw a gap in the market for a fashionable and sustainable online breastfeeding clothing brand. The global maternity market has grown considerably in recent years but breastfeeding clothing is often overlooked and misunderstood.

In addition to this, Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Breastfeeding mothers don’t want to breastfeed in ‘mumsy’, ill-fitting maternity clothes. They want a new stylish breastfeeding wardrobe that empowers and supports their new post-partum bodies and that’s what Feed Me Mother provides.

Link to Feed Me Mother
: Sustainability: Ellen Ryall, ReFunk Upcycling, Dublin

ReFunk is a furniture upcycling platform that supports the circular economy and local creatives by connecting freelance upcyclers with sustainably-minded consumers.

10 million tonnes of furniture is discarded annually in the EU and according to the company’s initial survey, 79% of consumers want to purchase sustainable furniture but don't know where to find it. Meanwhile, there is a close-knit community of talented furniture upcyclers in Ireland who lack a strong online presence and don't know how to market their services or reach buyers. The ReFunk platform helps consumers to extend the lifespan of their furniture by connecting them with upcyclers who can completely transform their furniture and give it a new lease of life. On the ReFunk platform, buyers can create a listing for the furniture piece that they want to get upcycled, then ReFunk’s upcyclers bid for the job. Each upcycler has their own profile on the ReFunk platform where buyers can browse previous projects that they have completed and even purchase already upcycled pieces.

Link to ReFunk Upcycling
: Innovation: Maria Hall, DataHub, Hub Planning Ltd, Sligo

Government authorities and charities are responsible for delivering a broad range of services which have a significant impact on the communities they serve. However, they don’t have the information they need to really understand these communities or catchments. For organisations to get this demographic information, they have to research, gather and sort what often ends up as a mountain of paperwork, data, and files from a myriad of sources. Or they can go out to tender for and pay for an expensive consultant and wait months for a report.

At the end of both processes, they receive a static report that sits on one person's desk and is based on outdated data. Imagine a web-based platform that keeps data live and allows organisations to answer research questions as and when they arise, allowing quick evidence-based decisions. Imagine only having to go to one source to find all the answers. No more expensive consultants or running the numbers yourself. This is where Data Hub comes in.

Link to Hub Planning Ltd

: Early-Stage Business: Rosie Joyce, The Habit Store, Mayo

The Habit Store is a sustainable refill shop where customers can buy and refill food, household products and toiletries by weight to reduce single-use plastics. All products in the store are dispensed into containers that customers bring from home. The Habit Store is more than an eco-retail outlet; it’s a place where like-minded customers can enjoy a personal experience and connect with other shoppers. The store was opened in September 2021 by business duo Rosie Joyce and Alex MacNaughton, who, having lived in London, had found it difficult to shop plastic-free after moving back to Co Mayo. The pair started with a refill stall at the local market in Castlebar each weekend before moving into a permanent store in the town.

“Visa’s She's Next grant is a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded female entrepreneurs in Ireland. Having one year of business coaching is going to be invaluable as we focus on our goals. The grant itself will allow us to expand our product range and give us a little more financial security for the day-to-day running of the store in its early stages.”

Link to The Habit Store
: Social Impact: Tammy Darcy, The Shona Project, Waterford

The Shona Project is a multi-award-winning social enterprise that aims to educate, empower and inspire the girls of today to become tomorrow’s strong confident and curious young women. Founded in 2016, by Tammy Darcy, The Shona Project provides Ireland's teen girls with information, advice and a safe place to share their stories, through school workshops, events, and a thriving online community. During the past 20 months of the pandemic, The Shona Project reached over 40,000 girls across Ireland. The organisation is a tribute to Tammy’s sister Shona, who was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformations which caused a serious brain injury at 15.

“The Shona Project is scaling very quickly in terms of impact, and to sustain that impact, we need to think, act and operate like any other company with national and international reach. The support gained through this programme is hugely important to the Shona Project, but also to me personally, as I need the support of other likeminded women in order to keep pushing for growth. Our work is important, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Link to The Shona Project
: Innovation: Suzanne Moloney, HidraMed Solutions, Galway

HidraWear has revolutionised wound care for those suffering from the incurable and debilitating skin disease, Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). As someone living with HS, Suzanne Moloney, Founder and CEO of HidraMed Solutions, wanted to find a better way to manage her medical condition and care for her wounds daily. As a result, Suzanne created HidraWear - a patented range of adhesive-free dressings that fit into specially created underwear to help to alleviate the burden of Hidradenitis Suppurativa. HidraWear are listed on the national health reimbursement schemes in four countries, including Ireland, with a view to expanding into the US in 2022.

“The last few years have seen HidraMed transitioning from a fun start-up to a fully operational organisation. The business coaching is so timely to help me with this transition as we grow into new markets. As we grow, we are developing new products, and the funding will contribute to tooling costs related to a new dressing design we are working on at the moment, launching in 2022.”

Link to HidraMed Solutions
: Micro Business: Áine McGurk, Dainty Bear, Dublin

Dainty Bear is an Irish-owned online luxury baby and childrenswear store specialising in timeless, quality clothing, shoes and accessories for babies and children under five. Founded by Áine McGurk in 2018, Dainty Bear is known for its unique range of traditional occasion-worthy collections and bespoke baby gift boxes. Inspired by her two daughters, Áine's designs are created to be cherished and passed on for years to come.

“I'm so honoured to be recognised as a Visa’s She's Next winner for my brand Dainty Bear. Running a small business has been challenging especially with two small children, so to get this level of recognition is honestly such a boost after all the hard work in the last three years. Receiving the grant means I can invest in expanding my clothing ranges in 2022 and hopefully attend my first trade fair as I want to grow my wholesale B2B channel in Ireland and abroad.”

Link to Dainty Bear
: General Small Business: Carolanne Rushe, Sweet Beat, Sligo

Sweet Beat is a family-run planet-first café, featuring inventive and creative plant-based dishes available to eat in or take-away, including a Click + Collect service. The café also houses an eco-retail home and lifestyle collection which is available to buy online or in-store. Opened by Carolanne Rushe in April 2015 the award-winning café has a thriving lunchtime trade offering fresh salads, fermented drinks, and daily specials. Carolanne has also created a range of Sweet Beat plant-based dips which are stocked in local retail stores. She also supports other local producers by selling their produce at Sweet Beat.

"The last two years have been incredibly challenging to navigate. We are so excited to be given the opportunity to have support through the grant programme to help guide us through the next year and beyond and allow us to elevate our business to a nationwide platform and potentially look at exporting opportunities.”

Link to Sweet Beat