Women in business from across Leitrim, Longford and Westmeath gathered on the 21st May 2026 at Drumhierny Woodland Hideaway for the “AI Advantage: Empowering Women to Transform their Small Business”

Hosted by Miriam Simon, an award-winning Business Strategist and Peak Performance Mentor with over 30 years’ experience, the session focused on helping small business owners navigate today’s rapidly changing business landscape with clarity and confidence. Drawing on her experience working with global brands including TK Maxx, Monsoon Accessorize, B&Q and Lifestyle Sports, Miriam delivered practical strategies to help small businesses work smarter, free up time, and build sustainable growth without adding complexity. 

The event, organised by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) of Leitrim, Longford and Westmeath, brought together female entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors, providing both practical insights and valuable networking opportunities.  A key highlight of the event was a panel discussion featuring three businesswomen representing each county, who shared their personal entrepreneurial journeys, challenges, and successes.   

The panel discussion offered attendees valuable, real-world insights into building and sustaining a business, highlighting resilience, adaptability and the importance of peer support.  Throughout the session, Miriam Simon explored the current business environment and demonstrated how Artificial Intelligence tools can be applied in practical ways across areas such as marketing, customer engagement, and business planning. Attendees left with actionable ideas and a greater understanding of how to integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. 

The event concluded with a networking session, where participants had the opportunity to connect, share experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration across the region.

Check out the below video to see a snippet of the day's events!