A remarkable 300 women, from across the North Coast and beyond, gathered at the Coleraine campus on 4 March, for the highly anticipated CelebrateHER Conference - a powerful day filled with inspirational talks and authentic connections.
Digg Mama and Digg for Success Founder, Caroline O'Neill, returned to host the day, exploring the theme of ‘Accelerate Action’, with help from a host of leading motivational keynote speakers and panellists, sharing their personal stories, experiences and triumphs, including
- Marie Gleeson, Navmar Leadship and former Irish Navy Captain
- Emma Burdett, Digital Culture
- Lady Mary Peters, Olympic Champion
- Hannah Scott, Olympic Champion
- Carol Dooey, The Hub Cookstown
- Louise Adams, Cultshe
- Dr. Marie Lacey, Belfast Community Gospel Choir
- Charlotte Dixon, Elephant Rock Hotel.
The event was delivered in partnership between Enterprise Causeway and Ulster University, and supported by the Department for the Economy, Go Succeed, Turley Legal and the International Fund for Ireland as part of the cross-border, Connecting Communities project.
More than just a conference, CelebrateHER provides a space where women have the chance to learn from others, to feel uplifted and empowered, embrace leadership and celebrate their achievements with pride; as well as the chance to build lasting connections through facilitated networking.
A highlight of the day was the engaging ‘Connect Bingo’ session, where attendees stepped out of their comfort zones, shared valuable tips (from must-read books to life-changing podcasts), and bonded over shared interests that could lead to future collaborations.
Professor Malachy Ó Néill, Director of Regional Development at Ulster University, commented:
“It was a great privilege for Ulster University to welcome 300 guests to the Coleraine campus for this year’s CelebrateHER Conference in honour of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025. ‘Accelerate Action’ is the campaign theme for IWD 2025, which enforces the important point that it is the responsibility of us all to continue to make strides towards gender equality. Through unpacking this theme, speakers, panellists and guests contributed to thought-provoking discussions that highlighted the very real, systemic barriers and biases that women face in both personal and professional settings. Ulster University is incredibly proud to partner in the CelebrateHER Conference, which underscores our deep commitment to advancing progress in gender equality in areas both within and outside the University where we have a substantial impact.
"Building on the success of previous year’s IWD events, it was wonderful to see a growing number of women from all backgrounds and sectors across the North Coast and beyond coming together to form new connections and enjoy an uplifting and inspiring day. It was particularly joyous for us to welcome back many Ulster University alumni, both as inspirational key speakers and as attendees at this meaningful event, as well as colleagues from our Women’s Network, Aurorans and wider staff community, CelebrateHER gives powerful recognition to the vital contribution of women’s leadership in our communities, in business and at every level in our society, and it was our pleasure to support this important event once again this year in partnership with Enterprise Causeway.”
