John is Sligo’s winner
SLIGO’S best young entrepreneurs were revealed at the County Final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition in City Hall.
Now in its fourth year it is run by the Local Enterprise Offices, and supported by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland.
The search to find Ireland’s best young entrepreneur began last August and involved a successful Enterprise Day, bootcamp and county final,
There was joy for John Flanagan, aged 34, of Innovision Media Ltd. in Strandhill as they were named winner of the Best Established Business award.
They were joined by Kim- berley Lee, aged 27 of Oh Hello Clothing in Collooney who took the runner up title in this category.
The Best Start Up Business category was a particularly hard-fought contest. Gary O’Reilly, aged 29 of Gary O’Reilly International Choreography in Geevagh was named winner while Rachel Mulrooney, aged 29 of Salt and Soul Wellness Studio in Strandhill was named runner-up.
Many innovative new business concepts emerged in the Best Business Idea category.
The winner was Noel Dykes, aged 35 of Frankli Communication Technologies in Sligo town while Donal Tobin, aged 26 from Strandhill scooped the runner up title.
John Flanagan of Innovision Media Ltd., was named the Overall Winner of IBYE for Sligo.
IBYE Co-ordinator for Sligo, Stephen Walshe concluded “Each of the winners and runners-up will share in an investment fund of up to €50,000 from the Local Enterprise Office to help grow and develop their business.”
The category winners go forward to the Regional Finals in Donegal in January.
The team in Local Enterprise Office Sligo will be providing intensive supports between now and then to prepare them for the regionals and hopefully Sligo will have a representative at the IBYE National Finals in March.”