We're delighted to announce that Derry's Clare McGee, CEO and co-founder of AwakenHub and AwakenAngels,, has been named Business Leader of the Year (SME category) at the 2025 Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards held recently at Titanic Belfast.
Both AwakenHub and Clare have been closely involved with Atlantic Futures since launch, as key partners on Research Stream 3 - 'Women's Entrepreneurship in the Atlantic Corridor' and our "Embedded Entrepreneurs' residency programme.
More recently Clare and her co-founder, Mary McKenna MBE, even helped us, through their networks and local knowledge, develop and deliver a fantastic programme of events and ensured everyone was made to feel welcome in the city. So we are so pleased for Clare to be getting this deserved recognition.
In presenting the award, judges commented on
“Clare’s visionary leadership in developing investment for women-led businesses and making a tangible difference to the entrepreneurial and investment landscape for women across the island of Ireland.”
Since co-founding AwakenHub during the pandemic, Clare and her cofounders have built Ireland’s leading all-island community for women founders. A growing number of its members are also actively raising investment through AwakenAngels, Ireland’s only women-led angel syndicate. It was co-founded by Clare and her colleagues in 2023 following their frustration at the lack of investment in women founders.
In less than 18 months, the enterprise, which makes angel investing more accessible and affordable for women, has onboarded 75 new investors to its syndicate and made investments in five companies. Members can join the AwakenAngels syndicate with as little as £2,000, ensuring critical funding is reaching women-led businesses. Through the AwakenAngels Academy, women are also accessing training and education about the opportunities provided by angel investing.
Accepting the award, Clare said:
“To be the first recipient of The Irish News Business Leader of the Year Award in the SME category is a real honour and one which recognises the power of collective action by the rest of our talented and driven team at AwakenHub and AwakenAngels. I’m honoured to lead such an incredible team, to get to support brilliant women founders and investors across this island and among the Irish diaspora, and to partner with our male allies, organisations, and supporters who, like us, are committed to levelling the playing field for women investing and in business here.”
Under Clare’s guidance, AwakenHub and AwakenAngels have developed a range of initiatives aimed at democratising access to funding and know-how for women founders across the island of Ireland. AwakenHub’s flagship programmes include SheGenerate, supporting early-stage women founders, and SheScales, a 2024 Cranfield University-certified scaling programme. In just four years, the SheGenerate Accelerator has supported 143 women founders across 32 counties and over 25 sectors, creating 178 jobs (66 full-time, 112 part-time). 85% of participants in the SheGenerate programme are also now trading or have successfully raised finance. Other key elements of AwakenHub and AwakenAngels work include an annual St Brigid’s Trade Mission to Boston and New York and Ireland’s first all-island two-day Women Founders Summit ‘SheVentures’ in 2023, attended by more than 250 people.
During more than two decades of experience in innovation consulting and business development for startups and SMEs, Clare has also co-founded Innovate-NI, is a Core Partner at Women TechEU, and serves as the Group Lead for Tech Northern Ireland Advocates. She is also a board member of Derry Chamber, BrookHall CIC and Pennyburn Credit Union and has previously served as executive team member at Eden Project Foyle.
Derry entrepreneur and local writer, Ciaran Murray, who was present at the Atlantic Futures Summer School, told us:
I've known Clare since she helped me with my very first business venture straight out of Ulster University over 20 years ago. She's been an ever-present, hugely positive force here in the city, encouraging and helping not only women in business - but everyone. She's been a driving force behind so much good in the city for many years, and I'm delighted, but not at all surprised, that her incredible work with AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, helping entrepreneurs all across the country, is now being recognised on the world stage.
Further information on AwakenHub and AwakenAngels is available online at www.awakenhub.com and www.awakenangelshq.com
Atlantic Futures is funded by the Higher Education Authority as part of the North South Research Programme.
