Challenging Girls to Build A Business – I Wish Launches Competition

If you’re a girl with a business idea going around in your head, then the I Wish “Build It” competition is for you. Young female entrepreneurs are invited to enter their big business idea and pitch it at the I Wish events which take place in Cork and Dublin in January 2018. The winning business idea will qualify for a special I Wish internship with a leading STEM multinational.

The ‘’Build IT’’ competitors will pitch their ideas to entrepreneurs in the Enterprise Zone (EZ) at the I Wish 2018 events in Cork and Dublin. The EZ and ‘’Build it’’ competition are supported by Cork and Dublin Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland.

Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, I Wish is an initiative to encourage more girls in Ireland to consider science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses and careers, and the Build It competition is a key element of the events. Speaking at the launch today, I Wish co-founder Ruth Buckley said,

“We are delighted to launch the Build IT competition today, as it represents another opportunity for girls to really think about potential STEM business ideas and pitch them in a real-life environment to a panel of successful entrepreneurs. This year, we are asking students to create a video pitch initially and upload it to http://builditbygirls.iwish.ie/ along with other details before 17 January 2018. In addition to great prizes, the winning team will also win an incredible internship with a leading STEM company.”

As part of the Build It competition, the girls will be pitching their ideas in the I Wish Entrepreneur Zones. Following the live pitches, judges will adjudicate and decide the winners to announced at the I Wish events.

The showcase I Wish events are taking place at Cork City Hall on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 January and in the RDS Dublin on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 January 2018. The I Wish showcase, sponsored by Dell EMC VMware with conference sponsors Arup, are free to attend and promise to benefit young women with hands-on practical information, talks and demonstrations by women in STEM roles. A full line-up of speakers and exhibitors is available online, as well as online registration at www.iwish.ie.