Rachel Cunningham
Dubliner Aimee Connolly’s empire continues to grow and grow.
The self-made business woman, now has a staff of 55 and 500 outlets stocking her products globally, is one of the extraordinary women who has been unveiled as the 2023 finalists in the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for female entrepreneurs.
Now in their 21st year, the everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, continues its mission to share the ever-evolving story of Britain’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs. From all walks of life, these stories include their success in the face of adversity, innovative ways to solve business challenges and their ambition to scale and grow their businesses.
Selected from nearly a thousand entries, the 2023 finalists are at different stages on their entrepreneurial journey, from multi-million-pound empires to those spearheading social enterprise for the greater good, or solopreneurs starting out. They also span diverse industries – from veterinarians to female financial wellbeing, carbon neutral postage to hair and beauty products, artificial intelligence to catering services, through to global production houses and a children’s day-care, to name a few.
Aimee is the Founder & CEO of Sculpted by Aimee, with HQ in Dublin, and this week has been announced as a finalist in the 2023 everywoman Entrepreneur Awards in the Scale Up Category, sponsored by BGF, the largest and most experienced investor in the UK and Ireland.
Aimee’s award-winning company is one of Ireland and UK’s fast-growing beauty brands, with the range increasing from one product to over 100 since it launched in 2017.
An entrepreneur through and through, Aimee set up the brand at the age of just 24, combining her experience in the make-up industry with a degree in commerce and French from U.C.D. The brand was and remains entirely self-funded, with Aimee starting to save the capital she needed to launch when she started working part-time at 16. Sculpted by Aimee now has 55 staff and counting, over 500 stockists in Ireland and the UK and the Middle East. The brand also recently opened a flagship store on Grafton Street, Kildare Village, Belfast Victoria Square & London Carnaby soon to be announced. They also boast an education arm, Sculpted The Academy which has trained hundreds of make-up artists since it opened.
Aimee has developed a strong following and loyal community online – her social media channels and the brands have a collective following of over 250,000. In 2021 Aimee won the top prize in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in the emerging category and in 2022 she was named Young Businesswoman of the Year in the Image PWC.
The 2023 finalists were chosen by a judging panel comprising some of the UK’s most successful women in business as well as VCS and investors who are at the forefront of closing the funding gap with their diverse portfolios. Judges include Chrissie Rucker (Founder of The White Company), Mandy Nyarko MBE (Angel Investor at Ada Ventures), Connie Nam (Founder of Astrid and Miyu), Yvonne Nagawa (Chief of Staff at Black Seed Ventures) and Libby Gibson (Partner at Piper PE LLP), amongst others.
Speaking about the awards, Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman said: “We wanted to recognise the economic contribution of female entrepreneurs as job and wealth creators, as innovators, and as influential role models for future generations. And since then, everywoman has been at the forefront of the drive to increase the number of female entrepreneurs, working with government, industry bodies and the corporate sector to accelerate the rate of progress and dismantle barriers that remain for women, particularly when it comes to accessing funding, growing, and scaling their businesses.”
The award winners will be announced at a live ceremony on December 6 in London, when the greatest female talent will once again unite to celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary women and their businesses.
To find out more about the finalists and book your place at the awards ceremony, please visit https://www.everywoman.com/entrepreneur-awards/.
- Man who confessed to robbing post office under duress jailed for 21 month
- What lies ahead for Dublin’s Homeless this Christmas?
- It was a world of Pure Imagination as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory the musical opens in Dublin
- Tonights EuroMillions jackpot is heading for a record-breaking €240 million
- Man faces sentence for involvement in a €1.4 million money laundering scheme
