Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
Subscribe Today!
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Louth’s Orla McDonnell wins high praise in New York
Entrepreneur Orla McDonnell takes New York by storm and praised by top diplomats
Orla McDonnell
Reporter:
Jason Newman
13 Feb 2025 3:59 PM
Orla McDonnell from Dundalk, cofounder of With Everly, is among a group of women founders who have been praised for their achievements by the Acting British Consul General to New York, Melanie Hopkins OBE, and Helena Nolan, Consul General of Ireland in New York.
Ms McDonnell was part of a delegation of women founders from the island of Ireland on a trade mission to the US last week, with both Consul Generals describing the women as "a real inspiration" and “bringinga positive energy and a sense of empowerment, innovation and action.”
Ms McDonnell is cofounder of With Everly with Laura Downes. Their company is a life event planning platform with built in financial tools designed to revolutionise how people celebrate significant life events and milestones and offering seamless gifting experiences with key retail partners.
Expressing her support for Orla McDonnell and the other women founders on the AwakenHub/AwakenAngels trade mission, Irish Consul General for New York, Helena Nolan, said: “The Consulate General of Ireland in New York has been very pleased to welcome AwakenHub, and subsequently AwakenAngels, here to NYC, since February 2023, in collaboration with InvestNI and Enterprise Ireland.
"We are delighted to see the organisation grow on the island of Ireland and expand their reach in the US, including in New York, Connecticut and in Boston where they have been hosted by Irish Consul General Sighle Fitzgerald. The Awaken team bring a positive energy and a sense of empowerment, innovation and action which we warmly welcome; we wish them continued success and we look forward to seeing them once again in our new Ireland House on 7 February.”
Speaking after hosting the women at a reception and pitching event at the British Consulate residence in New York, Melanie Hopkins OBE, said: “These founders are a real inspiration, showcasing the best of a modern Northern Ireland from new solutions for dementia care to tackling leather waste. Supporting growth in Northern Ireland is a priority for the UK Consulate, and I hope that these examples of innovation and excellence will reach a wide audience of potential investors here in the US. I'm delighted to once again partner with AwakenHub/AwakenAngels, as well as our friends at the Irish Consulate, to boost trade and innovation across the entire island.”
Across the week delegates participated in a range of meetings and events in Boston and NYC including a reception in the residence of the British Consul General for New England, David Clay, MBE, which was attended by Joseph Kennedy III, former US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, and a range of other investors, VCs and potential channel partners. The founders were also guests of Síghle FitzGerald, Consul General of Ireland to Boston at a private reception and lunch in the Irish Consulate.
Before leaving Boston, the women founders pitched to invited guests at a series of events hosted by Underscore VC and Invest Northern Ireland. Guests at the events had the opportunity to learn more about the fundamentals of, and the opportunities to back women-led ventures from Ireland in a masterclass on angel investing. The business owners finished off the week with more pitch opportunities, one-to-one meetings and networking events and a final Angel Investment masterclass in New York, hosted by Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub. Before coming home the delegation joined 250 Irish diaspora at the Irish Consulate’s popular First Friday event in New York.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
4
To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism!
Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.
Subscribe
To continue reading this article for FREE, please kindly register and/or log in.
Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy a paper
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
