Community Shoot: Meet the Business Club members

In the IMAGE Business Club, women across Ireland are building a powerful community across the pages of our spring magazine issue. We showcase this with a five-page ‘Community Shoot’. For this photo shoot and interview series, we brought together five members who demonstrate the diversity of our membership and whose business stories inspire across the worlds of tech, fashion, property, policing and law. It’s time to get to know them…

The Disrupter – Shana Chu, Founder of Tailr

If you had asked Shana to name an Irish female entrepreneur who raised capital a few years ago, “I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” she says. Now, she is one of them having successfully raised €700,000 of funding for her company, Tailr, last year with another round of fundraising on the way. Tailr is redefining production for the clothing industry by leveraging technology to bridge the gaps between designers and factories to support consistent sizing, sustainability and other efficiencies in the sector. 

Conceptualised by Shana in 2020, it marries her tech skills with her experience as a garment technician, where she learned the challenges and importance of consistency in clothing when working with PPE uniforms. “There is no space for error when you are working on uniforms for firefighters so I saw the very real disconnect in factories that has real repercussions on costs and waste. Ask anyone who has ever bought a second item that they love from the same label or collection only to find the fit to be entirely different – that is part of the issue we are solving,” she explains.

Her vision, talent and hard work were recognised when she was named as the Overall New Start Winner at the Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition 2021, as the first sole female to win and the first company from Munster. At this time, she was not taking a salary from the company and still chose to channel the winning monies back into Tailr. Speaking about the financial implications of starting an innovative business like Tailr, she shares gratitude that her own partner could financially support them both over the first few years, while also speaking eloquently about the challenges of financially relying on another person in those early days, weeks and years. 

“Every time I had to go to London for a meeting, whether it was a brand or an investor, he had to pay for my flights and my accommodation. It was amazing because he is so supportive and I believe partners are sometimes the unsung heroes of founders. But the reality is also that of a power imbalance when you have someone paying for everything for so long. I was always such an independent person, and now, I wasn’t independent. It was so much pressure – if it failed, if I failed, if I wasn’t able to raise my investment, it meant that not only had he paid for everything, but he had taken that chance and then I failed. So, it was a lot … and I’m glad we came out the other side of it.”

Being a female founder in tech, namely fashion tech, is not always easy. When Shana was pitching for funding, she could see investors’ eyes glaze over when they heard the word ‘fashion’. “Others questioned my ability as a woman,” she says. “I was even asked if I was planning on having children in one meeting. Needless to say, we didn’t accept their funding.”

With a growing team and more investment set to come, it’s an exciting time for Tailr and for Chu, who spends her time between Waterford, Dublin and London at the moment. “I’m motivated to grow. Someone told me that you need to ‘see it to be it’. So, I joined business networks, like the IMAGE Business Club, to see the people who were a couple of steps ahead of me.” 

“Once you see it, you start to realise ‘I can achieve that as well’ and it changes something in you. And that is the most important thing – if you don’t think you can do it, you can never do it. If you see other people have done it and you start believing that you can do it too, you will get there.”

The Visionary – Lianne Kavanagh, CCO Iconic Offices

As a naturally inquisitive person, it’s not surprising that Lianne’s career brought her on a weaving path, from the world of fashion buying to hospitality and nightclubs and then onwards to Iconic Offices, which provide stylish and innovatively designed office and co-working spaces, where she is responsible for commercially driving the business strategy and growth as chief commercial officer (CCO). “I am curious and I love learning; I have always been driven by learning,” she shares. “When I learn something new, I often think ‘Wow, I didn’t know that yesterday’ which gives me a great feeling.”

“I am also impacted by my physical working environment,” she says, laughing as she recalls days of looking out drab, brown windows in Dublin city centre offices. “I must have manifested it so that I now work in the complete opposite! I’ve made big moves in my career, but I have paced myself and I think has really helped me.”

As well as going at the pace that is right for her, Lianne has another tactic she leans into when it comes to making bold career transitions. “I trust my gut when it comes to making decisions. And then I go for it,” she says. 

“I think it is important – especially for women – not to put barriers in your own way; not to talk yourself out of things…to take action.” She shares that she got her promotion to CCO at Iconic after the birth of her son. “I might have thought that being a parent meant I couldn’t reach for the professional stars anymore because I have this other job of being a parent. No one created that barrier for me – certainly no one at Iconic – but I could have chosen to believe it and let it hold me back. In a similar way, I have gone for jobs where people around me had qualifications that I did not have, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t take myself out of the race… I didn’t put additional barriers in my way.”

Seeing other women taking brave steps is “one of the most powerful parts of being part of a club like this,” she says. “It’s important to see it in action and then it’s about making your own decisions at your pace. You can do it.

“I also think it’s really important for me to expand my networks to learn and also to help other people as well. I don’t have all the answers, but when I look at all my experience, I probably have some stuff to give… there is a great give and take. Speaking about the IMAGE Business Club, she says: “I’ve met some really, really wonderful people so far. And I’ve learned the amazing things that I’m now implementing in both jobs – the mom job and the professional job. So that’s a massive piece for me, just learning from other people.

“And, of course, encouraging other women not to talk themselves out of things – trust your gut and go for it.”

The Legacy Builder – Yvonne Cooke, Acting Executive Director of Human Resources and People Development, An Garda Síochána 

“It was sincerely the best accident of my life,” replies Yvonne when asked how her career brought her into policing. A period spent in social work in Dublin was followed by a move to Queen’s University in Belfast where she completed a degree and master’s in psychology and organisational psychology respectively. “At the time, the police in Northern Ireland were looking for placement students to work on the reform programme, the Patten reform programme, as part of the peace process. Someone came into the classroom and I thought it sounded interesting. I went into policing and I never looked back.

“There’s so much pressure on young people to be ‘something’ but I believe it’s important to follow your interests. Don’t be fixed – I think when people get fixed it’s like putting blinkers on a horse and you miss all the beautiful nuggets that are all around you. Your work, career… it needs to be something you enjoy, something that captivates your interest and is aligned to your values; something that matters to you, that has purpose for you.”

Yvonne’s sense of purpose and pride in her work is both magnetic and grounded as she speaks about being involved in building sustainable peace during her tenure with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and establishing a sexual assault referral centre. Her work today with An Garda Síochána and as an Eisenhower Fellow means she brings her expertise to global programmes on peace, prosperity and sustainability while elevating recruitment and outreach within Ireland.

“I do think about what I want to leave, the impact I want to have and leave as a legacy. Thinking in this way in recent years has given me a different lens,” she explains, before sharing her belief about the importance of supporting diversity on any team. “In An Garda Síochána, we want to recruit and significantly increase over the years to come. To have diversity on a team, especially on the senior team that is making the important decisions for the organisation, is critical. For problem-solving… you need the diversity of thought, a voice, critical challenge and creativity. So it’s so important to me that we champion that diversity in our recruitment… and show women, for example, the other women who are in senior positions.

“I have been supported on my way – by other women and some of my biggest advocates have been men. I want to do that for others.”

The Optimist – Rachel Hennessy, Founder of Happy Days

For someone who doesn’t class herself as a “born entrepreneur”, Rachel has been successfully making waves in Ireland’s fashion world since setting up Happy Days three years ago. A fashion rental platform with a store in Leopardstown in Dublin, the business is part of the rental revolution that brings clients a more sustainable option when it comes to shopping for occasion-wear. 

“I just had an idea that I thought would be good,” explains Rachel. At the time she was working at Google, after qualifying as an accountant and working with KPMG. “I was happy enough working for other people,” she laughs. “But my husband, who started his own business straight from college, asked me a great question. He said, ‘What if you don’t do it and someone else does it, would you be raging?’ My answer was ‘yes’ and that was when it got real.”

When she started Happy Days, which is entirely self-funded, the rental market was relatively new in Ireland. “It’s grown since, which is great, and we had a big growth year last year,” she says. “We have clients in every county and a high level of repeat clients, which I really like.” 

Despite coming from a “risk-averse” background, Rachel’s personality seems to suit being a business owner. “I am a very optimistic person and I’m a quick decision-maker. I think those things help when you work for yourself. I don’t overthink things – once I make a decision or once something has happened, I move on from it.”

“I am also a good networker I think and it’s so cool to have spaces like the Business Club to join and meet people. The co-working days are one of my favourite things and I love that I’ve actually made loads of new friends and contacts over the last few years since setting up my business.”

This year, Rachel is continuing to grow by broadening her business model. “We are using collaborations, a proven model in this sector, to curate ‘Edits’ from different influencers, such as Louise McSharry.” She has also launched collabs with Spice Vintage and Peelo, ensuring returning clients always have something fresh to look forward to. “Delivering quality to clients is important to me, so we manage the delivery, return and cleaning of the pieces in each Edit, which is important for our clients and our reputation,” she explains.

The Changemaker – Lisa Wilkinson, Barrister & serial entrepreneur

Barrister, serial entrepreneur, maternity expert, consultant, doula, yoga teacher… when it comes to describing Lisa’s professional profile, it’s gloriously impossible to label her. At first glance, her positions and titles may be seemingly unconnected but as you speak to her, her journey makes perfect sense and is aligned with a sense of purpose that has driven her throughout her career.  

“The law is intrinsically interesting – I loved studying it especially now that I am older,” she laughs. “I have a Rain Man brain and have a memory palace of 2,500 cases. I find it fascinating.” Lisa started to study law – initially a diploma – after being served an eviction notice for The Elbowroom, a business she had spent almost 20 years building up. “I needed to know more about tenancy rights and commercial law,” she says simply. “It’s often been from a personal need that I have set something up – when I needed support for children with diverse needs, I realised other people would too and set up supports in that space as well.”

The Elbowroom was one of Dublin’s first integrated wellbeing centres for women in 2003. Lisa established the Diverse Minds Academy, in 2009, based on the needs of her own children and today it provides inclusive education and child development, specialising in neurodiverse services. A chance Facebook encounter and a brave leap saw her establish the Wicklow Escape in 2016, a renowned boutique lodge nestled in the Wicklow Mountains that combines welcoming luxury alongside an award-winning chef.

Back in the days of Covid, the eviction notice meant a subsequent big move into Manor Picture House in Dublin for the Elbowroom, which was a big step for someone who is “financially very prudent”. It is now a thriving hub for wellness, co-working, childcare and training services and was set up while Lisa was also studying law and bringing the Wicklow Escape through the pandemic. The latter is now a member of Ireland’s Blue Book and is already almost full for the year ahead.

“I’ve often set up spaces for people to meet, to connect – it is so important. I am so proud that members of the moms and babies classes I set up went from having babies together in the Rotunda to holidaying together. You find your tribe in these spaces – just like the IMAGE Business Club and then we can shine our lights on other people… we can collaborate. There’s such synergy in that.”

 Through an entrepreneurial lens, one of Lisa’s frustrations is not having enough time. “I naturally innovate and come up with ideas, my mind works very quickly but it’s frustrating to have so many ideas and not enough time!” 

However, her focus now is on becoming a successful barrister, especially around family and women’s experience of the healthcare sector, which she believes is “systematically failing women”, especially around childbirth. As a birth rights advocate, she has supported hundreds of women through the experience of childbirth and this is yet another way to do that.

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