Go Big or Go Home | Celebrating Local Entrepreneurs

Nick Boyle

Founder & CEO

Nick founded Lightsource Renewable Energy in 2010. Since then, the company’s remarkable growth trajectory has seen it grow from a six-person start up to a global leader in the development and management of solar energy projects with more than 1,300 employees across 19 countries. In 2017, Nick spearheaded an innovative partnership with energy giant bp, resulting in a 50:50 joint venture between the companies and a new name: Lightsource bp. Nick’s dynamic leadership and vision continued to drive the company’s remarkable growth and international reach, including a $1.8bil investment from international lenders. Lightsource bp has deployed several GW of utility-scale solar projects globally and is executing a significant international project development pipeline. With headquarters in London, the company is now active in countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. In October 2024, bp closed their acquisition of the remaining 50% of Lightsource bp, with Nick and the other founders exiting the company’s board and leadership team. Nick continues to sit on the board of various companies across UK, Europe, Americas and India. Nick previously sat at Board and Senior Director level in several leading retail financial service companies. Throughout his career, Nick has always been recognised for his entrepreneurial skill and success in pairing retail financial products with low-risk, predictable investments.

John Ferris

Accelerator Community Manager

Ulster Bank

John’s career spans technology, media and entrepreneurship. He began in healthcare tech before spending 15 years in media as a journalist and editor at the North Belfast News, while also running Ireland’s leading independent food and drink website, Forked. In 2013, John founded a wifi software startup that achieved global adoption across hospitality, events and transport. Since 2015, he has worked with Entrepreneurial Spark and, following its acquisition by NatWest, has coached and mentored more than 1,500 startups across the UK and Ireland. A member of Ulster Bank’s Regional Board since 2019, John champions inclusive entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland.

Rachel McCausland

CEO

Lowe

At the helm since 2022, CEO Rachel McCausland has been building a career in the rental services industry for close to two decades. With a breadth of experience within strategic growth and market diversification she has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s global expansion through several key acquisitions and new regional locations.  Leveraging deep industry knowledge and visionary leadership to position Lowe Rental Corporation at the forefront of innovation and market growth.

Liam McStravick

Co-Founder & CEO

Team FeePay

Liam McStravick is Co-Founder and CEO of TeamFeePay, where he leads the company’s strategic growth. A seasoned entrepreneur, Liam founded the Copius Group in 2004 and, over 17 years, built and scaled multiple successful ventures, including Copius Consulting, TD3, FourGears Media, Silent Sideline Ltd, The Football Management Company, B4B Telecoms, ClubSport NI, and Copius Priority Club (now trading as Sector 3 Solutions), with several successful exits. At TeamFeePay, Liam is focused on delivering a platform that enables sports clubs to maximise membership income, reduce administrative burden, and improve financial reporting through automation. He is committed to collaborative growth through partnerships with governing bodies and industry stakeholders.

Laura Murphy

Founder

OatCo Superfuel

Laura Murphy is the founder of Oatco Superfuel, one of the UK & Ireland’s fastest growing natural energy brands, on a mission to fuel everyday lives with oat based products. In under two years, Laura has scaled the brand across major retailers and built a loyal community by focusing on taste, convenience and real life energy. Following her successful appearance on Dragons' Den, where she secured investment from Steven Bartlett, Laura has continued to grow Oatco’s presence across retail and digital channels now stocked in over 1100 stores nationwide. She was also recently named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe and is passionate about building purpose led brands that connect with real people and challenge traditional health and convenience categories.

Matthew Nesbitt

Founder & CEO

HALO Technologies

Matthew Nesbitt is the Founder and CEO of HALO Technologies, trading as HALOS Bodycams, a global leader in next-generation body-worn cameras and connected frontline technology. Founded in 2019, HALOS has rapidly scaled to operate in over 30 countries, with offices in Belfast, Dublin, and Dallas, serving enterprise customers across private security, retail, transport, and public services. An award-winning entrepreneur and Belfast Young Business Person of the Year 2024, Matthew has positioned HALOS at the forefront of the industry through a premium, technology-led approach. The platform combines 4G-enabled body-worn cameras, real-time live streaming, panic alerts, two-way communications, and AI-powered automation to improve safety, accountability, and operational efficiency at scale. At the age of 32, Matthew led HALOS through a $20 million Series A funding round, accelerating international expansion and product innovation, and cementing the company’s position as one of the fastest-growing players in the global bodycam sector. Matthew’s vision is to redefine how organisations protect and empower their frontline teams, building HALOS into the category-defining platform for connected workforce technology worldwide.

Claire Louise Bloomfield

Founder

Macc Hair

Claire-Louise Bloomfield is Co-Founder and Operations Director of MACC Hair, bringing over 20 years of retail banking experience to the business. A mother of three with a passion for people, business growth, and refurbishing small properties, she combines strong leadership, operational expertise, and entrepreneurial vision to help drive one of Belfast’s leading salon brands.

Sheena Bleakney

Founder

Truffleupagus Vegan Yums

I'm Sheena Bleakney and I run Truffleupagus Vegan Yums Northern Ireland longest running fully vegan catering business of 13 years My business has had lots of help from the Belfast City Council. From helping with business plans to getting help with grants for equipment ...they have helped me elevate my business beyond my expectations

Curtis Sloan

Founder

Load a Balls

Curtis Sloan is a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Belfast and Director of Loada Balls, a fast-growing protein snack brand. He began his journey at 19 within his family business, Sloan’s Gym, where he gained hands-on experience in building and growing a business from the ground up. Curtis has since gone on to co-found Loada Balls Protein Balls, taking it from a small idea in a gym café to a scalable food manufacturing business supplying retailers, coffee shops, and supermarkets across UK & Ireland. Across both businesses, Curtis has actively engaged with support programmes and grant funding, including Go Succeed and Invest NI initiatives, using them to support growth, innovation, and expansion. His approach focuses on being hands-on, moving quickly, and making the most of available support to scale real businesses.

Bernie McGuire

Founder

57 Stars

Peter Gillece

Founder

Vikela

Claudine Owens

Senior Investment Manager

Clarendon Fund Managers

Jill Wilson

Investment Associate

Clarendon Fund Managers

Stuart Harvey

CEO

Datactics

Margie McKay

Enterprise & Business Growth Manager

Belfast City Council

Margie McKay is the Enterprise and Business Growth Manager in Belfast City Council’s Economic Development division. The Enterprise and Business Growth team is responsible for developing, leading, and coordinating key economic development projects within the Enterprise Framework for Belfast. We work closely with City partners contributing to relevant economic development strategies and policies which stimulate business growth, promote entrepreneurial activity, and support local economic growth and investment.