Left to Right: Senator Barry Ward, Owen Laverty, Head of Enterprise and Economics for DLR, Emma Leahy,  Director of Research, Development and Innovation, Rachel Gallagher, Enterprise and Development Manager, Damien English T.D., Minister of State  for Business, Employment and Retail, Criona Turley, CEO of Capella Workplace Solutions, Carlos Rodrigues, CTO and Neil Felton, Account Manager, Capella Workplace Solutions.
Photo by Peter Cavanagh

Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD, accompanied by Senator Barry Ward visited the Media Cube, a digital incubation centre located on the campus of the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, (IADT). The Minister and Senator Ward met with the Director of Research, Development and Innovation, Emma Leahy and Enterprise and Development Manager, Rachel Gallagher. The visit is the latest in a series of similar nationwide visits by Minister English.

At the Media Cube, Minister English was introduced to Criona Turley, CEO of Capella Workplace Solutions, a start-up that provides practical tools to help companies manage their hybrid workforce. Capella are expert partners in hybrid working as companies try to manage flexibility of location for their workforce into the future. Their product suite maximises collaboration and productivity, streamlines day to day office logistics and supports staff in multiple locations. The company is a recent graduate of the New Frontiers programme.

The New Frontiers programme is a national entrepreneur development programme for early-stage start-ups and aims to accelerate the development of sustainable early stage businesses that have strong employment and growth potential. The Media Cube has recently announced a five-year partnership with NovaUCD to deliver the New Frontiers programme in Dublin and North Wicklow.

Criona Turley, the CEO of Capella Work Solutions commented:

‘The Media Cube has offered us a real opportunity to collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs in addition to seek invaluable advice and mentoring which is so important as we plan the next stages of growth for our business.’

On the conclusion of his visit Minister English said:

“I am really impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit here in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. It is great to see innovative Irish businesses tackling issues like sustainability and hybrid working and providing real solutions to real problems. In addition, places like the Media Cube and programmes like New Frontiers not only offer support to budding start-ups but they give them the opportunity to develop here and grow to their true potential and this will ultimately deliver great returns for our economy.”