Who We Are?

Chris is the CEO of the Irish Social Enterprise Network (Socent.ie), Managing Partner of Collaboration Ireland, and a Teaching Fellow of Trinity Business School. Chris also volunteers as Chair of EnergyCloud Foundation social enterprise. Chris is a B Leader from B Lab Europe.

Chris’ work focuses on leading and managing European and nationwide projects on Social Enterprise, Social Entrepreneurship, Corporate Responsibility, Social Impact, Startups, Cooperatives, Exporting, SMEs in Ireland and leading a life of passion and purpose.

Chris engages on national discourse and policy development providing sectoral reporting, supports and proposals to government. Chris has featured in the Sunday Times, BBC, Irish Independent, RTÉ, Today FM, Sunday Business Post and other media. He has contributed to national and European policy papers for political parties.

Chris is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership in the UK, Social Innovation Fellow from StartingBloc in the US, a Constellations Society Fellow from France, Tällberg Pathfinder Fellow from Sweden and a US Department of State awardee on Social Enterprise and Tackling Long Term Unemployment programme. Chris is trained as a Climate Reality Leader and is a qualified Erickson Coach. Chris is President Emeritus of the Irish US Alumni Association and recipient of the IUSA President’s Medal. Chris has also completed a Diploma of Company Direction with the Institute of Directors Ireland. Chris’ passion is in outdoor facilitation, youth work, social inclusion and community development.

Chris has a degree in Theoretical Physics from Queen’s University Belfast, a Masters in Business from the University of Ulster and has qualifications from the Institute of Banking, LIA and UCD.

Duncan is an experienced Project Manager with 25 years’ experience in the Healthcare, Disability and Social Housing sectors. Prior to moving to Ireland in 2003 Duncan worked in the public and private healthcare sectors managing a range of services and projects. In Ireland Duncan has worked in the Social/Voluntary housing sector, working at all levels from managing individual housing development projects to strategic level on a number of Boards of Management. In 2013, Duncan managed a start-up social enterprise in Walkinstown, Dublin – the Green Kitchen Café & Garden Centre. This social enterprise provides training in the hospitality and horticulture sectors and supports people with intellectual disabilities to progress to further training, education and employment.

Since 2018 Duncan has worked as a consultant in the social economy sector, with Collaboration Ireland, a small team of consultants working across the Island of Ireland. Collaboration Ireland provide a range of services to the social economy and the community & voluntary sectors, with Duncan’s area of expertise focussing on the development and growth of social enterprises. Most recently, Duncan worked as part-time Head of Innovation Projects with FoodCloud, Ireland’s largest social enterprise that redistributes surplus food to charities and community groups.

Duncan also works part-time with the Irish Social Enterprise Network, primarily focusing on EU-funded projects, working with partners from other EU member states to support the development of social enterprises, in particular WISE’s. Duncan represents ISEN at a number of EU networks, including as Board Member and Joint Treasurer of ENSIE (European Network of Social Integration Enterprises).

In July 2024, Duncan commenced working as part-time interim CEO of Empower The Family, a charity and approved housing body that supports single parents and young people leaving care to find housing while attending third level education.

LinkedIn– Duncan Walker

With over 30 years experience in social and economic development, Fiona brings her vast knowledge of the not-for-profit sector.  Her work has always been based on the principles of empowerment and building capacity for leadership within strategic local development plans and practices.  As an Associate with ISEN she is advancing her interests in building positive leadership cultures through Professional Coaching and Mentoring within the social enterprise and not-for-profit sectors.  She is passionate about nurturing the power of people and focuses her work on effective self-leadership as a basis for impactfully leading others and leading successfully in business. She couples her approach with strategy and process.  Fiona is an accredited coach and mentor – EIA Senior Practitioner (EMCC) and ACC (ICF) and a member of the Association for Coaching and is inspired by the design and development of strategic development programmes.

Education History: Master Diploma in Leadership Coaching and Mentoring, Sandown Business School 2023; Diploma in Coaching with Neuroscience, Positive Success Group, 2020; Certificate in Professional Coaching Practice and Ethics, Level 6, 2020; MA Sociology in Work, Labour Market and Employment, Maynooth University, 2015; Certificate in Training Needs Analysis and Design/Training and Development, Irish Institute of Training and Development, 2013/2009; Diploma in Rural Development, UCC, 2011; Certificate in Housing and Community Studies, UCD, 2006; Certificate in Business Studies in Trade Union Studies, NUI, 1999; Diploma in Social Studies, UCC, 1996; Certificate in Community Development, UCC 1995.

Ailish Irvine

Danielle Byrne is an adjunct teaching fellow and visiting research fellow in the Trinity Centre for Social Innovation in the Business School of Trinity College Dublin.  She lectures in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.  Her academic research interests including social enterprise (especially in the sustainability space) and the broader social economy.  Previously she was programme manager at Pobal with responsibility for the Community Services Programme, Rural Social Scheme and Tus, executive director of the environmental regeneration charity Groundwork Hackney, regional director of Groundwork UK and CEO of Islington Chamber of Commerce.  She has a long history of community activism of which perhaps her best days were on the board of social enterprise Walworth Garden.

Emma McEvoy gained her Ph.D. at Maynooth University, Department of Law. Emma’s research interests revolve around public procurement legislation and the inclusion of social clauses in public contracts. Emma graduated with a BA in Economics, Politics and Law from DCU in 2007 and an MA in Development in 2009. Emma was employed as a legal research assistant from 2011 to 2013 on the Interreg EU funded “Winning in Tendering” project. Winning in Tendering is strategic research project aimed at transforming the public sector tendering experience of small indigenous suppliers. Emma was responsible for assessing the impact of the EU Public Procurement Remedies Directive on small suppliers selling into the Irish public market. Over the last three years, Emma facilitated a variety of training programmes for public procurers and SMEs. Emma is a co-author of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce’s “Are tenders on your Radar” report and co-author on a social-enterprise orientated “How to Engage in the Public Sector Market” guidance document. Emma strives to re-examine the key ideas and assumptions that shape the production of knowledge in this arena.

Leyla F Karaha is a founder of YourY Network, a grassroot community of social entrepreneurs and changemakers. She’s dedicated to bridge the gap between tech and social entrepreneurship. Leyla serves on the board of Rethink Ireland.

As a passionate social innovation ecosystem builder, her work includes organising the Techstars Startup Weekend Women Dublin and Techstars Startup Weekend Social Innovation Dublin events for the past 4 years to support more people to start working on their tech for good business ideas.  

Leyla is a DCU graduate in Accounting and Finance, with experience working for different non profit organisations in Dublin.  She has also studied MA in International Relations in DCU, a path that led her to social entrepreneurship instead of diplomat. 

Travelling the world and sampling local cuisines brings her joy. She takes great pride in raising her teenage son on her own, a journey that began when she became pregnant during her first year of college.

Eamon is an award-winning serial social entrepreneur. He recently co-founded Range Therapy, responding to the climate change crisis by focusing on reducing transport emissions, one of the big four human causes. Range Therapy designs, builds and installs range extenders for EVs and EV charge points,  often using reused battery packs.Eamon Stack was founder and former CEO at ENCLUDE for 14 years. This charity is focused on building the management information capacity of the Irish Charity Sector, with special focus on addiction, homelessness and DV services. Having researched the nonprofit ICT challenges at the Centre for Nonprofit Management at TCD,  Eamon won a major Social Entrepreneurs Ireland award in 2008.Eamon Stack is a software engineer with 35 years development experience in the nonprofit sector. He is married to Anne Henry and currently lives in Dublin.

Thomas McCabe joined Siel Bleu Ireland in February 2013 and stepped into the role as National Manager in May 2014. Siel Bleu Ireland is a social enterprise that transforms lives through exercise! Siel Bleu Ireland delivers physical activity programmes for older adults, patient groups, community organisations, and people living with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Siel Bleu Ireland has grown from an organisation delivering services to 750 per week, to 9,500 people per week and developed community-based programmes for people living with COPD, Stroke, Cancer and Parkinsons’ and in that time has received numerous awards in the Social Enterprise space in Ireland and further afield. Siel Bleu Ireland now delivers services in 20 counties in the Republic of Ireland and has a dedicated team of 32. Thomas has been a Board member of the Irish Social Enterprise Network since September 2021.

Previous to joining Siel Bleu Ireland, Thomas worked in SETU Waterford as Sport Scholarship Coordinator. Thomas graduated from SETU Waterford in 2007 with a BA in Recreation & Leisure Management and in 2009 with a Masters in Sport & Exercise Psychology. His pastimes include reading, running, travelling and spending time with his wife and three children.

Lucie Cunningham is the Chair of the Irish Social Enterprise Network and the Founder of THE HomeShare, a not-for-profit social enterprise. She is a passionate advocate for the social enterprise sector, committed to creating innovative solutions that address social issues. Lucie’s work with THE HomeShare focuses on fostering intergenerational living and providing affordable housing options. Her leadership and dedication have made a significant impact in promoting social entrepreneurship in Ireland, empowering communities, and supporting sustainable development. Lucie’s vision and enthusiasm continue to inspire others to embrace the potential of social enterprises.