Mary Ann Pierce with AwakenHub Co-Founders — Until such a time as all the AwakenHub Co-Founding team can meet up with our friend Mary Ann Pierce in person - this is as good as we can get. But definitely hopeful in 2022 for some IRL group shots and at least we are on brand with the accessories thanks to MAP. (Mary McKenna, Mary Ann Pierce, Clare McGee)

At AwakenHub we are working on building a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for women founders. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias which is the 2022 theme for International Womens’ Day.

As a pre-cursor to our upcoming #IWD2022 campaign showcasing some of our amazing women founders we are thrilled to announce the launch of our innovative Global Diaspora Ambassador programme with our 1st Global Ambassador, Mary Ann Pierce, Founder & CEO of MAP Digital Inc based in New York.

This will open up an international extension of our Island of Ireland community for women founders. The Ambassador programme will support the continuing development of AwakenHub and the AwakenAngel investment strategy.

AwakenHub is a community of women founders, want-to-be founders and allies working to level up opportunity and access by removing barriers to investment, scale, and success for women. Our vision is a society where every founder’s journey is equitable, irrespective of gender, and 50% of investment is in women-led businesses.

We have fostered the community through an online membership platform, monthly community events and the first of its kind all island female founders accelerator lite programme SheGenerate. Our ambition for our Ambassador Programme is to create international opportunities for our community, supporting their growth and access to investment.

AwakenHub had a global approach from day one – inviting Irish women from all over the world to join our programmes and events. Through the Ambassador Programme, we are aiming to incorporate the knowledge and insights of the members to support our mission to increase the success of Women Founders both at home and aboard. By linking our Ambassadors with our community, we are looking forward to further maximising our impact and progress towards our mission.

We have a wee #CallToAction for anyone reading this to please #Tag1Woman on any or all of your social media channels who might like to become part of our AwakenHub & AwakenAngels community at home or abroad.

For over 20 years Mary Ann Pierce has forged the digital space in investment banking conferences, and built MAP Digital: MetaMeetings®- an event platform-as-a-service. Headquartered in New York City, MAP Digital produces events globally. Their Social Good clients are The Global Summit of Women and Capitol as a Force for Good. She is the co-founder of the Equality Moonshot, which supports women-run STEM businesses addressing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Mary Ann served on the board of Digital Irish, which provides soft landings for Irish technology companies in the U.S. and produces events and podcasts featuring Irish innovators worldwide. She was an adviser for Future Human formerly InspireFest, Dublin and produced its New York Salons.

In 2018, she was named a Belfast Ambassador at the Belfast Homecoming and awarded the first Technology Award at the ‘Belfast: Be the Bridge’ Conference, 2019. Her grandparents hail from Glangevlin, Cavan, and Grangemockler, Tipperary.

Mary McKenna, one of the AwakenHub Co-Founders said “We are incredibly enthusiastic about the AwakenHub Ambassador programme, and the value it will bring to the community. We are creating new avenues for our members to exercise the power of further global connectivity.” – Mary McKenna, AwakenHub, Co-Founder

Mary Ann Pierce believes “being an ambassador for Women Founders allows me to expand our Women’s Economic Equality mission to foster greater gender and cognitive diversity in the start-up and investment ecosystem. I look forward to expanding AwakenHub’s international reach and supporting their brilliant Irish Women Founders in building a better and more equitable world.”

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Any queries please email hello@awakenhub.com or visit our website www.awakenhub.com

Reminder of AwakenHub’s mission and vision:

AwakenHub’s mission is to level up opportunity, access and connectivity for women founders throughout the Island of Ireland by removing barriers to investment, scale and success.

As a registered Social Enterprise our vision is a society where every founder’s journey is equitable irrespective of gender and where 50% of investment goes to women-led businesses.

Team AwakenHub