Meet the
Judges

Founder of Startups.ie and the National Startup Awards. Stephen launched Startups.ie in 2005 out of a passion for supporting Irish entrepreneurship, and built the awards from their Bank of Ireland-sponsored beginnings into the leading national programme for early-stage companies, now backed by Enterprise Ireland and in its 15th year. He remains a tireless advocate for Ireland's startup community.

Business consultant with Furthr and founder & CEO of sustainable tea brand Chi Fit. Known as "The Innovation Strategist," Rosalind has spent over four years in Ireland's startup ecosystem mentoring and championing founders, with a particular focus on supporting female entrepreneurs. She also lectures in strategy and entrepreneurship and is a frequent speaker and panel moderator, including at Dublin Tech Summit.

Corporate Partner at McCann FitzGerald LLP, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital and joint ventures, with particular expertise in equity fundraisings in the renewable sector. A Trinity College Dublin law graduate, he joined the firm in 2002 and is co-head of its Start-Up team, a driving force behind the Start Strong programme that helps early-stage founders navigate legal challenges.

Founder of Cronin & Company, the Dublin-based accountancy firm he established in 1978 and grew into one of Ireland's leading practices. Now a team of over 70 professionals and a member of Russell Bedford International, the firm offers audit and assurance, taxation, business advisory, company secretarial and dedicated start-up support to companies of every size and sector.

Director and Partner at Cronin & Company with over 20 years' experience in professional practice. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), Glen is known for his hands-on approach to client service and his ability to navigate complex financial and corporate compliance matters, supporting start-ups and scaling businesses alike.

Senior Development Advisor in the High Potential Start-up (HPSU) unit at Enterprise Ireland. Michael works directly with Ireland's most ambitious early-stage companies, advising founders on scaling internationally and accessing Enterprise Ireland funding and supports as they build innovative, export-focused businesses.

Founder and host of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Ireland's number one independent business podcast, where he has interviewed hundreds of founders including Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville. Gary bootstrapped his own company HostButlers from zero to €500K turnover, lectures on entrepreneurship at Trinity College Dublin's Tangent, invests in early-stage companies, and regularly hosts the National Startup Awards.

Head of Marketing and Channels at Microfinance Ireland, the not-for-profit, Government-backed lender that provides loans of up to €50,000 to micro-enterprises that cannot secure funding from mainstream banks. Lorna works closely with referral partners including the Local Enterprise Offices, AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB to ensure small businesses know about and can access this vital support.

Corporate Partner at McCann FitzGerald LLP, specialising in M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and, in particular, private equity and venture capital transactions across the technology, medical devices, pharmaceutical and renewable energy sectors. A Trinity College Dublin law graduate, he is co-head of the firm's Start-Up team and, with Rory O'Malley, a driving force behind the Start Strong programme.

Senior Executive Officer and Business Advisor at the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Dublin City, within Dublin City Council. With over ten years' experience supporting micro and small businesses to develop and access funding, Ross holds an M.Sc. in Project Management and a B.Sc. in Food Business, and previously managed the EU-supported LEADER Rural Development Programme in west Cork.