Minister Lenihan meets with UK Pioneer for Entrepreneurism and Europe’s Ambassador for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009
Minister Conor Lenihan today (28th October 2009) met with young entrepreneur Dominic McVey and Europe’s Ambassador for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009, Ms. Damini Kumar, to discuss greater innovation and entrepreneurship amongst young people.
Minister Lenihan said: “The purpose of this meeting is to seek the advice of successful young innovators and entrepreneurs. Through their experience I hope to get a greater understanding in how we in Government can encourage young people to innovate and become our successful entrepreneurs of the future.”
“The evolution of the global economy offers potentially boundless opportunities for ambitious young Irish entrepreneurs. Through Enterprise Ireland, state support for entrepreneurship is clearly focused on the ongoing creation of new high-growth export-oriented, entrepreneur led companies. Enterprise Ireland provides a wide range of supports to Irish companies with a solid base in innovation, intellectual property and the ability to achieve and sustain international competitiveness,” the Minister added.
Speaking at the meeting, Dominic McVey said: “It is a great pleasure to be invited to Ireland to consult on how to encourage and support innovation amongst young people. I hope there can be ways I can suggest, that will help tap into the talent so clearly evident here and inspire them to start up businesses themselves.”
Also in attendance was Ms. Damini Kumar, Europe’s Ambassador for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 who said: “Young entrepreneurs should be supported, mentored and encouraged to take risks and be innovative. This is will be a huge benefit to the future of Ireland as entrepreneurship is an increasingly important source of competitiveness and we need to encourage it, especially in this economic crisis. I believe that design & creativity needs to be fostered and encouraged at an early age so that the next generation has a more open and flexible mindset that will lead Ireland to be a more innovative nation.”
Concluding Minister Lenihan said: “We need to learn how to encourage school age students to think about setting up their own businesses.”
ENDS\IP124
Notes for Editors
For more information please contact Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: 01 – 631 2200
For information on Dominic McVey please contact:patrick@freud.com or will.brown@freud.com
Dominic McVey
Dominic McVey was a millionaire at fifteen, importing and selling the must have item at the turn of the last millennium – the micro scooter and was quickly appointed by Her Majesty the Queen ‘As a Pioneer for Britain in Entrepreneurism.’ In 2004 he was the youngest newcomer on Professor Philip Beresford’s Sunday Times Rich List – worth a reported £7million – a list he remains on to this date.
Now 24, currently Dominic runs Cosmagenics, a health and beauty distribution company which is one of the world’s leading luxury brand specialists. Dominic has also recently expanded his expertise into the music management and publishing realms, representing Kaz James from the Bodyrockers who Sony BMG Australia signed in the country's largest music deal of last year, and becoming the UK's youngest consumer magazine publisher with the acquisition of Front from SMG for his start up Kane Media.
Damini Kumar
Ms. Damini Kumar is an award-winning innovator and designer, listed as one of the “Top 100 Women in the World” by Cosmopolitan magazine, has been prestigiously appointed Europe’s Ambassador for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 by the European Commission and has been asked to highlight, through her own achievements, the value of creativity and Innovation in Europe and Ireland throughout the year. She joins author Edward de Bono, the President of Microsoft International and 23 other notable Ambassadors from across the EU in helping foster the principles of innovation and creativity at all levels of European society over the year 2009.
Damini Kumar, Programme Director of Product Design at NUI Maynooth is recognised for inventing the world’s first non-drip tea-pot in 1998 and has a number of prestigious achievements to her name including 2001 Young British Female Inventor of the Year and Asian Young Achiever of the Year in 2006 and has been commended by the Queen. Whilst at NUI Maynooth, Damini started and directed a new successful BSc honours degree in Product Design and last year she also created and organised ‘Imaginate 2009’ – an exciting design competition encouraging creativity to all secondary school students across Ireland. She has devoted her professional career so far to industry and academia in order to teach and inspire creativity in others, qualities which were recognised by the European Commission in making their appointment.
ENDS\
Last modified: 28/10/2009
| © 2011 Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Privacy Statement |
,
