GROWTHhub celebrated entrepreneurship in style during our second Inspire Fest which we held on Wednesday 5th February.The festival shone a spotlight on sustainable entrepreneurship, bringing together experienced entrepreneurs, role models and students in an action-packed day of events across the Waterford campus.
Inspire Fest opened with a motivating keynote talk by Michael Flynn, CEO of FLI Global who shared insight into how he became a successful business owner. He encouraged students a to believe in their ideas, “the first idea you have may not be the one you run with, but that’s okay.” SETU Entrepreneurial Ambassadors Tammy Darcy, CEO and Founder of The Shona Project, and John O’Connor, Founder of several successful technology-driven companies took to the stage next, to talk about their failures and successes, the importance of self-care and taking action to solve problems.
Meanwhile tastebuds were tickled in the GROWTHhub Café, where students showcased their mocktail making skills in advance of the student swap-shop, hosted by Swap Till You Drop. This event kicked off the student-led part of the festival, championed by Bríd Hennigan, final year BBS student and supported by the STAND environmental changemakers. Bríd chaired the circular fashion panel discussion with Anneliese Duffy Founder of Fashion Connect Ireland and fashion 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.
DJ Joshua Neville kept spirits high in the main foyer helping to create a fun upbeat atmosphere at the student craft village. Here students had the opportunity to showcase and sell their hand-crafted products. All who supported them were delighted with the range of products on offer.
In a packed GROWTHhub, Lynn Haughton, CEO of The Upcycle Movement, kept momentum going with an amazing talk about her textile upcycling business, transforming wetsuits and other fabrics into incredible products and sculptures. Following on with a design sprint, Lynn challenged students to “Turn Waste In To 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. “The circular panel discussion made the topic of circular fashion seem less overwhelming. Overall, this day was hugely inspirational” said Alanis McGrath, 3rd year BA Marketing and Digital Media student. With so much on offer Inspire Fest gave students plenty of opportunity to learn from the best.
Gallery From Inspire Fest
Note:
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, in Tallaght Dublin, hosting Swap Shops for people to exchange clothes rather than buy new ones. They are working endlessly to raise funds in aid of those affected by the fast fashion industry.