Ten entrepreneurs from across the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area have been shortlisted for this year’s Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch, with the finalists now preparing to pitch their business ideas for the chance to secure investment and progress to the regional final.
The local heat will take place on Tuesday 13th October in Lagan Valley Island civic headquarters of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, where the finalists will pitch to a panel of judges from across the local business and civic community. The winner will receive £1,000 investment and secure a place at the regional final in November, where they will have the opportunity to compete for a further £5,000.
The shortlisted entrepreneurs in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area include Juliet Bakovljev of The Arzen Collective, a connected-health platform that coordinates medical, therapeutic and holistic care around each person; Caron McLaughlin of BabyDump, a baby tracker app to help parents log feeds, sleep, nappies, and more; Tony McBride of Career Transitions coach, a business with the goal of helping mid to senior-level professionals with their CV, interview prep, and career coaching; and Stephanie McKittrick of Rapha Organics which is a botanic wellness brand creating migraine-brain-friendly skincare and supplements.
Others hopefuls include Edward Of Bestie Button, a women’s safety technology providing discreet, instant support when needed; Franklin Atamewan of Natax Healthcare, an AI platform connecting NI’s independent care sector to the NHS record; Clem Fitzgerald of Eco Balance, which provides natural biotechnology solutions that reduce waste, pollution and costs; Lewis Bell of HAVEN, a portable foldable workspace system; Chris Quinn of Driveline, an AI powered app that tracks car costs and predicts maintenance before it happens; and Sarah Beyssat of Revitalise Plus, a nurse-led service for preventative health, screening and metabolic wellbeing.
Cllr Brian Higginson, Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, said: “Congratulations to all of the entrepreneurs who have been shortlisted for this year’s Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch local heat.
“The quality and diversity of this year’s entries highlight the wealth of entrepreneurial talent across the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area, and reaching the local final is a fantastic achievement in itself. The hardest part is often putting yourself out there so well done for having the confidence to do so!
“We look forward to seeing the finalists bring their ideas to life and wish everyone taking part the very best of luck.”
Last year’s Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area winner was Katie Willoughby of ProTech who secured a spot in the final with her idea for a business to build soft skills among tech leaders operating in an increasingly AI-driven world.
The winner of each local heat across Northern Ireland’s 11 councils will go on to compete in The Ultimate Pitch regional final, taking place at Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, Co. Derry, on Wednesday 18th November.
The overall winner who will receive the Go Succeed Ultimate Pitch Award will also receive a prize package including a photography session supplied by Brian Thompson Photography, a podcast recording session supplied by Attention X Studio NI, membership of Toastmasters, and a media training session supplied by LK Communications.
Subcategory prizes will include the Go Succeed Social Impact Award, the Go Succeed Inclusive Entrepreneurship Award, the Go Succeed Rising Star Award for the most inspiring 16-25 year-old entrepreneur, and the Go Succeed People’s Choice Award for the contestant with the most public votes. Each winner will receive £1,500 towards their business idea.
Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government and delivered by Northern Ireland’s 11 councils. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support – including mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, access to grant funding and business planning – at every stage of their growth journey.