March Networking Event

International Women's Day 2026: Give to Gain

Tuesday 10th March 2025 17.45-20.30

Venue: Wood Quay Venue, off Fishamble Street, Dublin 8

This event will be an opportunity to celebrate women in business in the week of International Women’s Day and particularly two visionary leaders who embody this year’s theme of Give to Gain.  Both Joanne Hession, Founder of LIFT Ireland and Eileen McHugh Founder of Hair Together will share their inspirational stories of how they responded to serious societal challenges with innovative and powerful solutions.

Reflecting the Give to Gain theme, there will be a special emphasis on networking at the event.  The evening will start with a Prosecco reception and will include structured networking facilitated by Jane Manzor of Manzor Marketing as well as a wine reception to finish.

You can book your place here now: https://forms.gle/T2iLwvcoLG6gsfXY8

Speaker Profiles

Joanne Hession, Founder, LIFT Ireland

Joanne Hession is a visionary leadership expert and social entrepreneur, driving grassroots-led cultural change in Ireland through values-based leadership.  A graduate of University College Dublin (BComm and MBS), Joanne began her career with EY in audit and later with UCD’s Smurfit Business School. At 27, following over a year volunteering in Rwandan refugee camps after the genocide against the Tutsi population, she founded two impactful businesses: The Entrepreneurs Academy, supporting over 100,000 Irish entrepreneurs, and QED The Accreditation Experts, a global consultancy working with leading business schools in more than 20 countries.

 In 2018, Joanne founded LIFT Ireland, a national, award-winning social enterprise dedicated to raising the standard of self-leadership across the country – from the ground up. LIFT (which stands for “Leading Ireland’s Future Together”) is now Ireland’s most inclusive leadership initiative, having engaged over 180,000 people in all sectors and age groups through its signature peer-led roundtable process.

Joanne is a TEDx speaker (Legacy: Remembering to be a Good Human) and co-author of the bestselling book Don’t Get a Job, Build a Business. Her work has been featured in Forbes and The New York Times, and in 2019, she received the International Award for Equipping Others from renowned leadership expert Dr.John Maxwell – who later profiled Joanne in his bestselling book The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication, writing: “Joanne has not only a head for business but a heart for people.”

Eileen McHugh Founder and CEO of Hair Together

Eileen McHugh is the founder and innovator behind Hair Together. With experience as an international stylist, barber, and educator, she has worked at major events like Paris and Copenhagen Fashion Weeks. As well as many years running her own highly successful business.

Eileen created Hair Together to address unemployment, mental health challenges, and substance misuse in Dublin’s Northside communities. She developed a 10-week personal development program that has helped young people reconnect with education and supported women leaving the prison system to build confidence, learn new skills, and find community.

Advocate for Social Change: Eileen’s passion and commitment to helping those most in need have made her a respected advocate for social change, influencing policy and practice within Ireland and beyond.

Eileen continues to innovate for social change and how best to serve & support her community.

Networking Facilitator profile: Jane Manzor of Manzor Marketing 

Jane Manzor is an award-winning marketer with over 25 years of industry experience, working with national and international brands. In 2016 Jane established Manzor Marketing to help SMEs grow their sales through the tools of strategic and digital marketing. Manzor Marketing works with a broad range of clients in industries such as Food and Drink, product and services marketing. She is a passionate marketer and her goal with clients is demystify marketing for them, whilst delivering commercial results for their brands. She is a renowned mentor and trainer. Jane is a mentor with organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, IntertradeIreland, Skillnet, Local Enterprise Offices. She is also a mentor with Mentors Works through the SFA.