AwakenHub and AwakenAngels have announced the return of SheVentures for 2026, with tickets now on sale.
Taking place from 7 - 9 June, the two-day all-inclusive, all-island summit for women founders and the wider investor community is returning to Lusty Beg Island Resort, Co. Fermanagh, for the first time since selling out in 2024.
SheVentures2026: The Courage Edition will feature a mix of international and Irish speakers drawn from business, investment, technology, and leadership.
Confirmed speakers include former US ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin; Eden Project co-founder and community regeneration champion, Sir Tim Smith KBE; Dr Norah Patten, also known as IIAS- Astronaut 003, set to be the first Irish person in space later this year, and extreme swimmer and Guinness World Record holder, Nuala Moore.
They will be joined by Six Nations Rugby chair Ronan Dunne; entrepreneur and media executive Áine Kerr; US networking expert Kelly Hoey; and influencer and podcaster Olivia McVeigh, along with 25 other speakers and panel hosts. The event will also feature broadcaster Lynette Fay as MC, with a gala dinner appearance from comedian Emma Doran.
New for 2026
New for SheVentures 2026 is an expanded investor strand, reflecting the growing interest among women across Ireland and the diaspora community in angel investing and backing high-potential women-led companies. Since making its first investment only two years ago, the AwakenAngels syndicate has invested in nine women-led portfolio companies, enabling them to collectively raise more than £6.7M in follow-on funding.
Well-known speakers in the new strand will include impact leader, investor, and intelligence advisor, Dominnique Karetsos, who is also a recognised authority in women’s health, sexual wellbeing, and justice; Isabel Knight, founder of the Fearless Female Investor Collective; former UK Angel Investor of the Year, Mary McKenna, Chair and Cofounder of AwakenAngels and AwakenHub; John Ferris, Accelerator leader at Ulster Bank; and Martin Spiller, AwakenAngels newest angel investor and founder of Too Good To be True.
Women founders attending the summit will also benefit from an extended programme and the chance to spend time with global business leaders during their stay on the island. Cabin discussions and keynote addresses will offer practical business development advice, while entrepreneurs who have built and scaled companies will lead frank, experience-led sessions, sharing practical insights and wisdom, and no-holds-barred lessons. A programme of wellbeing activities is also on offer as part of the event.
Speaking about SheVentures 2026, Clare McGee, Cofounder 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.”
Ticket packages for SheVentures 2026, 7 - 9 June, include two nights’ accommodation and use of all the facilities at Lusty Beg Island Resort, alongside full access to the 2.5-day programme of mainstage sessions, workshops, fireside discussions, and wellbeing activities. Packages also include all meals, including a welcome BBQ, daily breakfast and lunch, and a gala dinner featuring entertainment from popular comedian, Emma Doran.
AwakenHub member rates start from £695 for shared accommodation and £850 for single occupancy, while non-member tickets are available at £995 and include a year’s full membership of AwakenHub, with the option for investor attendees to gift this to a woman founder.
