CONNECT TO SUCCESS

• Opportunity to focus on strategic business growth rather than day-to-day operations.
• Access to mentorship from teams of experts from some of the world’s largest corporations.
• Guidance to strengthen business strategies and fill critical operational and strategic gaps.
• Insights into best practices, innovation, and industry trends from experienced corporate professionals.
• Networking opportunities with business leaders locally and internationally.
• Enhanced understanding of global supply chains and how to leverage them for growth.
• Exposure to international markets and potential partnerships.
• Increased confidence and knowledge in scaling and expanding their businesses.
• Long-term professional relationships that may continue beyond the 12-month program.

Adrienne Hanna, Founder & CEO, Right Revenue

“I am thrilled to have been chosen to take part in the Connect to Success programme as we know our business is ready to scale and we need help to get to that point. I firmly believe that we all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, so I am looking forward to learning from the experience of other entrepreneurs and business leaders who have quite literally walked this path before me. I am excited to learn and excited to start!”

Anna Peterson, Director, Encom Energy

“This program is such an incredible opportunity to gain hands-on guidance from leaders who understand the challenges of scaling a business in a rapidly changing sector. I’m particularly excited to learn how to strengthen our strategic planning and operational processes as we grow. I believe this experience will be invaluable in positioning Encom as a leader in renewable energy, helping us drive even greater impact for communities across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, making sustainable living more accessible for all.”

Becca Hume, Founder & CEO, Incluetech

“I’m delighted to represent Inclutech in the Connect to Success Mentoring Program. As Inclutech moves quickly into our next phase of growth, this program couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m eager to work with world-class mentors to develop new strategies, tackle challenges, and build our path to long-term success. Business is about partnerships and networks, and I look forward to building valuable new connections."

Jenny McGreevy, Managing Director, Refresh Debt Advice

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Connect to Success Programme, and I look forward to the invaluable guidance and connections this opportunity will bring. This programme, with mentors from some of the world’s most respected companies, offers a unique opportunity to gain strategic insights into scaling our business sustainably. By participating, I hope to strengthen Refresh’s impact in Northern Ireland and beyond, empowering more clients on their journey to financial stability. Working alongside other ambitious business leaders and learning from experts at companies like Google and Stripe will be incredibly inspiring and a huge asset to our growth goals. We’re excited to bring the benefits of this experience back to our clients and the wider community, ensuring our services remain personal, effective, and rooted in trust.”

Roisin Garland and Leanne Jennings, Co-founders, The Grandscale

“We are thrilled to have been selected for the Connect to Success Corporate Mentoring Programme. This opportunity comes at a pivotal time for Grand Scale, as we seek to expand our strategic partnerships, build a scalable infrastructure, and optimise our operations to meet rising demand. Through the mentorship and insights of seasoned corporate experts, we aim to refine our growth strategy, enter new markets, and strengthen our team for business success. We believe this programme will empower us to capture high-value opportunities and extend our impact, ultimately helping thousands of early-stage ventures succeed on a global scale.”

Louise Doyle, Co-founder, Needi Ltd

“I’m over the moon to be part of the C2S Corporate Mentoring Program. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time for us at needi as we’re on an exciting growth journey to transform corporate gifting into something genuinely thoughtful and sustainable. The chance to learn directly from industry experts is incredible, and I can’t wait to absorb their insights and guidance. This mentorship will be a game-changer, helping us refine our growth strategies, improve operations, and connect with more global businesses.”

Sharon Rutherford and Jessica Melville, Co-founders, Insula Wellbeing

“We are very excited to have been selected for the CS2 Corporate Mentoring Program. As the founders of Insula Wellbeing, a private mental health business with a focus on staff supports, we have grown rapidly in just over two years. We have had to learn about running a business from scratch and this opportunity comes at a critical time for us. Having access to experienced corporate leaders is truly invaluable in both the strategic guidance we need to scale the impact of our unique staff wellbeing clinics, but also to help us with aspects of our business we are finding particularly challenging. The chance to network and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs will be equally important and exciting. We’re eager to learn, grow, and continue building a company that redefines the landscape of mental health support and we need help to do that! Let the next stage of our journey begin.”

Lynsey Bleakley, Founder and Director, Bumble & Goose

“We specialise in luxury branded biscuits and brownies and a key part of our role is to help companies showcase their own brand to clients. After 4 years of sustained organic growth, this programme will provide an excellent opportunity for us to put the accelerator on that growth and allow us to claim a larger market share in the luxury branded and corporate biscuit market, with a particular emphasis on growth within Europe. Women are still underrepresented in business in the UK, particularly in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland had the lowest percentage of newly incorporated female-led companies in the UK, at 17%, and just 26% of NI entrepreneurs are female. I see the C2S Corporate Mentoring Programme as an opportunity to work with market leaders to strengthen both my position and that of my fellow cohort in the business market.”

Roisin Maguire, CEO, Seedling Education

“I am honoured to be selected for C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Program. It’s such a privilege for an SME Director to get input and assistance from a much larger, global company. This program will provide me opportunity to step away from the continual multi-tasking that running a business requires and allow me allocated time to focus on fine tuning our strategic direction. That I can do this with a mentor from a successful and prestigious business fills me with confidence that my company will see real and positive outcomes from my participation on the program. I am a strong believer in lifelong learning, and I step into this mentee mentor relationship fully receptive to gaining new perspectives and stress testing my business assumptions with a trusted mentor.”

• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Chance to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices with a new generation of business leaders.
• Engagement in a rewarding experience that fosters personal and professional growth.
• Exposure to innovative ideas and entrepreneurial thinking that can inspire new approaches in their own work.
• Strengthened leadership and mentoring skills.
• Opportunity to expand professional networks and build relationships.
• Enhanced corporate social responsibility profile and contribution to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs, especially women-owned businesses.
• Personal satisfaction from contributing to the economic empowerment and success of women entrepreneurs.

Antoinette Bradley, Head of Operations & ESG, Aflac Northern Ireland

“At Aflac Northern Ireland, being mindful of our impact on our team, community, and environment is a core part of our values, as reflected in our Community Impact strategic pillar. We actively volunteer in various philanthropic efforts, making our involvement with the Connect to Success program particularly appealing, given the gender imbalance in our industry. Our experienced mentors bring deep business knowledge and see this as a valuable reverse-mentoring opportunity, sharing insights with female leaders while gaining diverse perspectives to enrich our own organization.”

Mary McKenna, Chair AwakenHub/AwakenAngels Group

“AwakenHub/AwakenAngels is excited to partner with Ulster University on the Connect to Success programme, a new initiative coming to the NI ecosystem. With her international expertise and extensive network Kim Sawyer, C2S’ Founder, has been instrumental in shaping this programme, drawing on valuable lessons and leveraging insights from her previous successes in other countries. This collaboration brings a further opportunity to empower and support NI companies to foster growth, be ambitious and connect for success. Together through this partnership we are creating an environment where businesses can thrive, learn, and connect, ultimately driving positive change.”

Representative for Cliste Hospitality

“At Cliste Hospitality we believe in supporting local organisations and building positive partnerships. C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Program is a great way for us to partner with Northern Ireland companies and it compliments our sponsorship of Co-operation Ireland. Northern Ireland has one of the lowest proportions of female-led companies in the UK and a lower level of women-to-men entrepreneurs. In supporting CS2’s Corporate Mentoring Program we can impact this by supporting female leaders to grow and create sustainable companies. Supporting leaders cements our values of providing leadership to our team.”

Coca-Cola representative

“Coca-Cola is delighted to join C2S. This programme supports our broader commitment to empower women entrepreneurs, foster economic growth, and promote a more inclusive business environment.  By sharing our industry knowledge and expertise, we hope to spur the development and success of more women-led enterprises, inspire innovation, and create valuable networking opportunities.”

Aileen Hayes, Director of Entrepreneur Experience & Operations, Endeavor Ireland

“Endeavor Ireland is a global network of founders, supporting high-impact entrepreneurs through an international peer network - and over the last 27 years, we have seen the transformative power mentorship can have for founders. Our aim to support women entrepreneurs and Northern Irish founders, as demonstrated through our recent Scale Up Programmes, is a shared mission with the Connect to Success program. As an all island organisation, we are excited to see the model proven in Portugal launch here, bringing the valuable perspective of multinational corporations to Northern Irish founders.”

Jennifer Liddle, Head of Mid-Market Customer Success, Google

“Google is committed to developing the local start-up ecosystem on the island of Ireland. Over the last decade Google has run multiple small business engagement programs with a diverse range of small businesses and entrepreneurs, including collaborating with government agencies and with accelerators. We are thrilled to partner with Connect to Success on this exciting mentoring initiative, empowering female entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses.”

Oisin O’Shaughnessy, MD Irish Life Employer Solutions

“Irish Life is one of Ireland’s leading financial services groups, taking care of over 1.5 million customers. We help people to improve their financial, physical and mental wellbeing – helping to build better lives today and better futures. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all we do and partnering with C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Program enables us to play an important role in empowering women founders and business owners to secure their futures while contributing to shaping a more diverse and inclusive business landscape. We look forward to being involved in this partnership, and believe that our leader mentors will learn from and be inspired by these women owned businesses.”

Russell Sloan, CEO, Kainos

“Connect to Success is an exciting new program in Northern Ireland and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be able to support local woman entrepreneurs. The Mentoring Program combines two important themes for Kainos – helping women to be successful and helping local businesses to scale based on our experience. This is a unique opportunity to help support these businesses on the next stage of their journey while challenging our people, in a mentoring capacity, to help overcome the real demands facing a scaling business.”

Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber)

“Northern Ireland has a wealth of entrepreneurial talent, including many innovative female founders with world-class ideas, but we need more of them. Encouraging more women-led businesses and providing the right support to help them realise their ambitions is key to the region’s future economic growth. The launch of the Connect to Success programme is a welcome addition to Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurial support system, which will give entrepreneurs unparalleled access to the strategic thinking and mentorship of businesspeople who have already charted the course to international business success. We welcome its introduction and look forward to supporting the roll-out across Northern Ireland.”

Johnny Hanna, Partner in Charge at KPMG in Northern Ireland

“KPMG has always championed domestic entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland and has a proven track record of commitment to diversity so our support for the Connect to Success Programme is aligned. We want to help forward thinking and ambitious female entrepreneurs, who have potential and lots of innovative ideas to accelerate their growth. We also have a genuine enthusiasm for nurturing exciting and innovative growth businesses founded by women, as evidenced by our involvement with Enterprise Ireland in Going for Growth, the award-winning programme for ambitious female entrepreneurs in the Republic of Ireland, that has seen more than 900 businesswomen participate since 2008.”

Claire Halliday GM & Co-Founder to Ormeau Labs

“Ormeau Labs is delighted to support the Connect 2 Success program. One of the core drivers behind setting up Ormeau Labs was to ensure founders are connected to the right people, with the right advice, at the right time. By doing so, we believe this enables them to establish a strong foundation for their businesses. This aligns perfectly with Connect 2 Success’s commitment to unleashing those vital connections, especially for women founders. We're excited to play a part in fostering this growth and empowerment. is delighted to support the Connect 2 Success program. One of the core drivers behind setting up Ormeau Labs was to ensure founders are connected to the right people, with the right advice, at the right time. By doing so, we believe this enables them to establish a strong foundation for their businesses. This aligns perfectly with Connect 2 Success’s commitment to unleashing those vital connections, especially for women founders. We're excited to play a part in fostering this growth and empowerment.”

Caitroina McCusker, Regional Market Leader, Northern Ireland and Education Consulting Lead, PwC United Kingdom

“At PwC we provide our own people with the purpose, mindset and meaningful opportunities that advance careers at the pace our people want them to go. Taking part in the C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Programme will allow us to help women entrepreneurs to build their skills at an important time in their careers and provide an environment where they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. There are so many exciting new businesses in Northern Ireland that are led by women and we want to support the next generation of exceptional talent.”

Seagate

“Seagate chose to sponsor the C2S Corporate Mentoring Program to support the growth of women entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland, aligning with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By partnering with C2S, we aim to share our expertise and resources to help women-owned businesses thrive, while fostering innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. This collaboration not only empowers local businesses but also provides Seagate with fresh perspectives and opportunities to build lasting relationships within the community, benefiting both the entrepreneurs and our leadership team.”

Stripe

“Stripe's mission is to increase the GDP of the internet by helping businesses of all sizes start and grow online. We provide financial infrastructure used by thousands of companies across Ireland and support the startup ecosystem through our dedicated startup team. We collaborate with the NDRC, regional innovation hubs, Scale Ireland, and teen accelerator program Patch, and serve on the EU's European Startup Nations Alliance Advisory Board. We are excited to work with Connect to Success and participate in this unique mentoring program to further support entrepreneurs.”

John Ferris, Ulster Bank Accelerator Community Manager

“Ulster Bank is committed to supporting people, families, and businesses across Northern Ireland, with a strong focus on community initiatives like “Do Good Feel Good” and empowering female entrepreneurs through programs like Connect to Success. By closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship, £250 billion could be added to the UK economy. Since launching its Enterprise Fund in 2019, Ulster Bank has invested over £300,000 in social enterprise and educational programs, reaching nearly 1,500 women, starting 130 businesses, and creating nearly 200 local jobs.”

At Aflac Northern Ireland, being mindful of our impact on our team, community, and environment is a core part of our values, as reflected in our Community Impact strategic pillar. We actively volunteer in various philanthropic efforts, making our involvement with the Connect to Success program particularly appealing, given the gender imbalance in our industry. Our experienced mentors bring deep business knowledge and see this as a valuable reverse-mentoring opportunity, sharing insights with female leaders while gaining diverse perspectives to enrich our own organization.

Coca-Cola is delighted to join C2S. This programme supports our broader commitment to empower women entrepreneurs, foster economic growth, and promote a more inclusive business environment.  By sharing our industry knowledge and expertise, we hope to spur the development and success of more women-led enterprises, inspire innovation, and create valuable networking opportunities.

Google is committed to developing the local start-up ecosystem on the island of Ireland. Over the last decade Google has run multiple small business engagement programs with a diverse range of small businesses and entrepreneurs, including collaborating with government agencies and with accelerators. We are thrilled to partner with Connect to Success on this exciting mentoring initiative, empowering female entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses.

Irish Life is one of Ireland’s leading financial services groups, taking care of over 1.5 million customers. We help people to improve their financial, physical and mental wellbeing – helping to build better lives today and better futures. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all we do and partnering with C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Program enables us to play an important role in empowering women founders and business owners to secure their futures while contributing to shaping a more diverse and inclusive business landscape. We look forward to being involved in this partnership, and believe that our leader mentors will learn from and be inspired by these women owned businesses.

Connect to Success is an exciting new program in Northern Ireland and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be able to support local woman entrepreneurs. The Mentoring Program combines two important themes for Kainos – helping women to be successful and helping local businesses to scale based on our experience. This is a unique opportunity to help support these businesses on the next stage of their journey while challenging our people, in a mentoring capacity, to help overcome the real demands facing a scaling business.

KPMG has always championed domestic entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland and has a proven track record of commitment to diversity so our support for the Connect to Success Programme is aligned. We want to help forward thinking and ambitious female entrepreneurs, who have potential and lots of innovative ideas to accelerate their growth. We also have a genuine enthusiasm for nurturing exciting and innovative growth businesses founded by women, as evidenced by our involvement with Enterprise Ireland in Going for Growth, the award-winning programme for ambitious female entrepreneurs in the Republic of Ireland, that has seen more than 900 businesswomen participate since 2008.

At PwC we provide our own people with the purpose, mindset and meaningful opportunities that advance careers at the pace our people want them to go. Taking part in the C2S’s Corporate Mentoring Programme will allow us to help women entrepreneurs to build their skills at an important time in their careers and provide an environment where they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. There are so many exciting new businesses in Northern Ireland that are led by women and we want to support the next generation of exceptional talent.

Seagate chose to sponsor the C2S Corporate Mentoring Program to support the growth of women entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland, aligning with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By partnering with C2S, we aim to share our expertise and resources to help women-owned businesses thrive, while fostering innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. This collaboration not only empowers local businesses but also provides Seagate with fresh perspectives and opportunities to build lasting relationships within the community, benefiting both the entrepreneurs and our leadership team.

Stripe's mission is to increase the GDP of the internet by helping businesses of all sizes start and grow online. We provide financial infrastructure used by thousands of companies across Ireland and support the startup ecosystem through our dedicated startup team. We collaborate with the NDRC, regional innovation hubs, Scale Ireland, and teen accelerator program Patch, and serve on the EU's European Startup Nations Alliance Advisory Board. We are excited to work with Connect to Success and participate in this unique mentoring program to further support entrepreneurs.