TrailblazHER™ Events: Empowerment Unleashed
At TrailblazHER™ we are committed to empowering women to embrace their outstanding potential, break barriers and pioneer new paths. A key part of this mission is to develop new and complement, support and enhance existing events and initiatives to engage female students, alumni and innovators at all stages of their careers and life.
TrailblazHER™ is leading and collaborating with individuals, community groups and organisations across all sectors to deliver events, activities and campaigns that captivate, inspire and empower. Through our events TrailblazHER™ aims to equip women with the tools and mindset to pursue their goals ambitiously and fearlessly, provide a safe and inclusive environment to support organisations to do their part of removing systematic barriers and foster a culture of empowerment, allyship and inclusivity across the community.
Supporting Events
As a community, we want to connect, support and provide a platform to shine a spotlight on the phenomenal work of those striving to enhance gender equality. If you or your organisation would like to explore an opportunity for TrailblazHER™ to develop, host or support an upcoming event please get in touch at TrailblazHER@TUDublin.ie.
Spotlight Event
TrailblazHER™ Horizons Award Launch
At TrailblazHER™, we are passionate about advancing gender equality by empowering students with the experiences and opportunities to develop the skills and mindset they need to blaze their own trails and create a brighter future. We understand that equity of access to opportunities and financial support to undertake these opportunities is one of the largest challenges women can encounter in their careers. That's why TrailblazHER™ is launching a dedicated series of scholarships, bursaries and awards to support students, graduates and employers so that that no woman or girl is left behind.
Through our Develop Pillar, in collaboration with Technological University Dublin's School of Mechanical Engineering we proudly sponsored biomedical engineering student, Stephanie Edwin, to attend the prestigious 10th FH OÖ Campus Wels | International summer academy in engineering for women (ISAE4W).
The prestigious summer school for highly-motivated and talented women includes an intensive, two and a half week programme combining sophisticated theory with hands-on practical experience in engineering and natural sciences. In addition to knowledge transfer in these fields, social, cross-cultural and gender aspects are covered and discussed. The highly competitive school will welcome women from more than 20 countries around the world.
The sponsorship marks the launch of the TrailblazHER™ Horizon Scheme, which will help to support women at third-level to attend conferences and workshops to enhance their skills and leadership potential and broaden their horizons. Stay tuned for further updates and announcements.
After a fantastic year in 2024, TrailblazHER™ is delighted to be developing a suite of diverse events for 2025. Stay tuned for updates on all events, activities and engagement opportunities.
TY TrailblazHER™ Awards 2024
As part of our TrailblazHER™ INSPIRE Pillar we are delighted to have launched the inaugural TY TrailblazHER™ Awards 2024.
The TY TrailblazHER™ Awards recognise young women who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in their school or community, during Transition Year (TY). These awards celebrate excellence and dedication in sport, arts, culture, community, volunteering, and societal impact or overcoming a personal challenge to succeed.
By expanding the focus beyond academic success, the awards create a platform to acknowledge and honour the multifaceted abilities and contributions of young women, sending a powerful message that success comes in many forms and encourages young girls to pursue their passions and make meaningful impacts in their communities and beyond.
This year, three TrailblazHERs have been recognised, winning not only €500 for themselves but €1,000 for their schools, as well as dedicated features in TrailblazHER™’s digital campaigns and exclusive access to TrailblazHER™’s innovative second-level programmes.
A massive congratulations to this year's TY TrailblazHERs Ceilí McGuinness (Rosary College, Crumlin), Roksana Fusiek (Mercy Secondary School, Inchicore) and Alexis O'Dwyer (Rosary College, Crumlin). An impossible task for our devoted judging panel to select just three finalists out of all of this year's nominees, all nominees are congratulated on receiving honourable mentions.
To everyone who has made this possible, who joined us on this journey and have celebrated the wondrous diversity of success, we thank you. In particular, we would like to thank our wonderful judging panel, our award presenters, colleagues and supporters at TU Dublin, including the TU Dublin Enterprise Engagement and TU Dublin Foundation teams, and our committed partners Intel, ESB, Workday, PwC Ireland and Enterprise Mobility.
From the participating schools we would like to thank the TY coordinators, teachers and guidance counsellors who have nominated and encouraged these young women, their parents and friends. And most importantly, to all this year's nominees, thank you and congratulations! We eagerly await to hear even more about the trails you will continue to blaze! To this year’s TY TrailblazHERs Ceilí, Roksana and Alexis, we hope these awards empower you to see the unlimited potential you have to reach your goals and define success on your own terms!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspirational celebration of female talent. We look forward to welcoming you at next year's awards. Make sure to sign up for notifications about the 2025 TY TrailblazHER™ Awards now.
Creating Your 5 Star LinkedIn Profile Webinar, Thursday 2nd May 2024
TrailblazHER™ was delighted to join forces with WITU (Women in Technology United), TUDublin Network to welcome over 35 attendees to a free 90 minute webinar to help our communities to ensure that our online 'first impression' is as fantastic as we deserve it to be. The webinar was particularly targeted towards our students, as their online presentation of self can be a key enabler to securing that placement or indeed the next stage of an application process into their dream role, beyond their time at TU Dublin.
During this webinar, Elaine Walsh-McGrath, Content Strategist and LinkedIn Expert, explored how LinkedIn can be used to build your visibility, including:
1. How to Create a 5 Star LinkedIn Profile (Headline, Banner, About Section).
2. How to build your visibility with the right organisations on LinkedIn.
3. How to Leverage your Network on LinkedIn.
Break The Bias Workshops, Monday 15th April 2024
As part of our INSPIRE Pillar, TrailblazHER™ was delighted to welcome our first TY students to explore bias and stereotyping through our 'Break The Bias' Workshops hosted by the fantastic Dr Fionnuala Darby as part of TU Dublin's 2024 Young Creators' Programme.
These interactive workshops explored common types of unconscious bias, stereotypes and practical steps that can be implemented to increase awareness, identify and reduce biases and stereotypes in our communities.
TU Dublin's TrailblazHERs - International Women's Day 2024
As part of International Women's Day 2024, we are proud to launch our "TU Dublin TrailblazHER's" campaign online. Through this campaign we will shine a light on a selection of our University staff who are blazing a trail in their respective fields.
The presence of female role models in the workplace plays a crucial role in promoting gender diversity, equality, and empowering women to pursue their professional aspirations. Female role models serve as beacons of inspiration, breaking barriers, and shattering stereotypes that have historically hindered women's progress in various industries.
One of the key reasons why female role models are essential in the workplace is their ability to provide mentorship and guidance to other women, offering valuable insights and support to navigate the challenges and complexities of their careers.
Moreover, female role models help to challenge traditional gender norms and biases by showcasing women's capabilities, competence, and leadership skills in diverse roles and industries. Their visibility and success in the workplace not only inspire other women to strive for all that they have the capability to achieve, but also contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable work environment for all employees.
So, to our TU Dublin TrailblazHER's, we celebrate you not only on International Women's Day, we celebrate you every day. Keep blazing your trail.
TrailblazHER™ Launch, Thursday March 7th 2024
.jpeg)
L to R: Jennifer McKenna, Maria Campbell and Bernard Capraro of Intel, Founding Partner of TrailblazHER™, with Claire MacNamee and Aoife Blowick of TrailblazHER™ at TU Dublin.
It’s official! Welcoming over 300 of Ireland’s foremost entrepreneurs and business leaders to the beautiful Round Room at The Mansion House, TrailblazHER™ publicly launched as part of the Dublin Chamber International Women’s Day celebration on March 7th, in partnership with the Local Enterprise Office and the Enterprise Europe Network.
Featuring a dynamic program encompassing an inspirational keynote from Siobhan O’Shea (Dublin Chamber President and Director of Indeed.com), panel discussions with leading founders Niamh Tallon (Her Sport), Alice Tevlin (Rua Food), and Siobhán Dunphy (Bon+Berg) and networking sessions, attendees were treated to insightful conversations with trailblazing female entrepreneurs, industry leaders and changemakers, underscoring the importance of representation and peer support in driving meaningful change.
TrailblazHER™ innovator Claire MacNamee (Head of Enterprise Engagement at TU Dublin) officially launched the initiative with a resounding call for national support and allyship for female empowerment across the community.
TU Dublin takes seriously the imperative of increasing female representation across all sectors. Through TrailblazHER™, we are designing what a better way can look like. We are calling on business leaders to become part of the TrailblazHER™ story. Through our collective efforts we can build a future where gender does not limit or define what is possible.
Claire MacNamee, TrailblazHER™ Director
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and supported TrailblazHER™ to reach this monumental milestone. In particular, TrailblazHER™ is indebted to the courageous leaders and change makers from across all of our wonderful partners, Intel, ESB, Workday, PwC and Enterprise Mobility for their unwavering support, without which this initiative would not be possible.
What's next?
This is just the beginning. The future starts now. Find out more about what TrailblazHER™ is doing to empower female talent here. We are ready to blaze a trail for women and young girls for generations to come. Are you with us? Get involved here.
Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs, Thursday 1st February 2024
TrailblazHER™ was delighted to sponsor the fantastic Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs evening led by Paula Fitzsimons, Going for Growth, on February 1st 2024 from 6pm-8.30pm at St. Laurence’s on the Grangegorman Campus of TU Dublin.
The event, created by women for women, focused on sharing stories that inspire us towards considering the infinite possibilities that can be unlocked through entrepreneurial thought, ambition and action. Packed with inspirational speakers including Louella Morton of TestReach, Andrea Doolan of Atlantia Clinical Trials and Leonora O’Brien, formerly of Pharmopod, the evening concluded with a wonderful networking session.
The Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs initiative, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG, is designed to introduce the possibility of an entrepreneurial career to particular groups of women that may not have considered it previously and where there is untapped entrepreneurial potential - women in senior corporate positions, those with doctoral and post-doctoral academic qualifications, professional women, women seeking a change in their life, among others.
