'It’s even more ambitious': Sold-out women founders’ summit returns to Northern Ireland with bigger line-up and new investor focus
AwakenHub and AwakenAngels have announced the return of SheVentures for 2026, with tickets now on sale
AwakenHub and AwakenAngels have announced the return of SheVentures for 2026, with tickets now on sale for the all-island summit at Lusty Beg Island Resort, Co Fermanagh.
Taking place from 7–9 June, the two-day, all-inclusive event for women founders and the wider investor community returns following its 2024 sell-out success.
Branded SheVentures 2026: The Courage Edition, the summit will feature a mix of international and Irish speakers from business, investment, technology and leadership.
Confirmed speakers include former US ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin; Eden Project co-founder Sir Tim Smith; astronaut Dr Norah Patten; and extreme swimmer Nuala Moore. They will be joined by Ronan Dunne, Áine Kerr, Kelly Hoey and Olivia McVeigh, alongside more than 25 additional speakers. Lynette Fay will host the event, with comedian Emma Doran appearing at the gala dinner.
New for 2026 is an expanded investor strand, reflecting growing interest in angel investing among women across Ireland and the diaspora. AwakenAngels has invested in nine women-led companies in the past two years, helping them raise more than £6.7 million in follow-on funding.
Speakers in this strand include Dominnique Karetsos, Isabel Knight, Mary McKenna, John Ferris and Martin Spiller.
The programme will combine keynote sessions, workshops and smaller group discussions, alongside wellbeing activities, with a focus on practical insights for founders and opportunities to connect with investors and business leaders.
Clare McGee, co-founder and CEO of AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, said: “At AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, we’re strengthening the founder and investor ecosystem right across the island of Ireland, building community, know-how, and routes to capital for women founders, and supporting the development of a more active and informed investor base. SheVentures is a key part of that, so we’re delighted to be returning for 2026.
“We’ve deliberately designed this year’s SheVentures Summit to create long-term value for our participants, and it’s even more ambitious as a result. No other event on this island offers the opportunities for women founders and the wider investor community that SheVentures does.
“The tiny and beautiful island of Lusty Beg is going to be bursting at the seams with know-how, potential, ambition, positivity, and purpose, as over two days, our participants gain access to an exceptional programme and people who are likely to remain part of their growth and community in the years ahead.
"Being on an island also means, however, that we are limited in the number of all-inclusive tickets we can offer, so I urge people to get their tickets online at SheVentures.co.uk before this year’s event once again sells out.”