Backing Irish Women Is Smart Business: A Call to Irish America

By Clare McGee, Co-Founder & CEO, AwakenHub and AwakenAngels as featured in the Irish Echo

To be Irish American has never been just about heritage. It has always been about connection,  a living, breathing network that opens doors, invests in people, and steps up when Ireland needs it most.

As a proud Derry girl, I saw that power first-hand. Irish America’s support for John Hume and his tireless work for peace and prosperity in the North West was not symbolic,  it was driven by necessity and it was practical, strategic and transformational. It helped change the course of our history. That legacy of belief, backing and tangible action matters deeply to me, and it’s one we need again today.

Because Ireland is at another pivotal moment.

Across the island, a new generation of brilliant women founders is building purposeful, scalable, globally ambitious businesses. What they lack is not talent, grit or vision,  it is access to early-stage capital, experienced mentors, and influential networks. And that is precisely where the Irish diaspora, particularly in the US, can make a decisive difference.

Here’s the truth: women-led businesses will never reach their full potential without more angel investors. And Ireland cannot afford to leave that growth on the table.

There are over 30 million people in the Irish diaspora across the United States. If even a small fraction chose to invest, mentor, or open doors for women founders back home, the impact would be immediate and enduring.

This isn’t charity or philanthropy. It’s smart business.

Angel investing, while high risk, is designed to deliver strong returns by backing high-growth companies early. Investors share in the upside as these businesses scale, exit, or raise later rounds  and the data is compelling. Women-led startups generate roughly twice the revenue per dollar invested and can deliver up to 35% higher returns than male-led ventures. Yet globally, just 2% of venture capital goes to women.

That imbalance is why we created AwakenHub, and later AwakenAngels.

AwakenHub is Ireland’s first and only all-island community for women founders. Since 2020, we’ve amassed a community of over 3,000 women entrepreneurs to start, scale, fundraise and grow internationally.

AwakenAngels was born out of frustration and action. Tired of seeing outstanding women repeatedly blocked from capital, we launched Ireland’s first all-island, women-led angel investment syndicate in 2023 (not women-only). Today, it’s a growing investment community that backs women-founded businesses while also educating more women to become angel investors themselves.

In just two years, AwakenAngels has invested in eight women-led companies, helping to leverage over $5.5 million in follow-on funding, with four further deals currently in due diligence. Our syndicate has grown to 118 investors, 90% of whom are women. Through our CPD-accredited Investor Academy, we’ve trained 75 first-time angel investors, alongside masterclasses and deal-leader training for more experienced investors.

Three years ago, this ecosystem simply did not exist. Today, it is changing who gets funded and who gets to build Ireland’s future.

That’s why we’re in Boston and New York this week for our 4th annual St Brigid’s Day Trade Mission. Thirteen ambitious women founders, operating across technology, diagnostics, health, consumer brands and professional services, are here to meet Irish America, seeking investment between €1 million and €4 million, mentorship, market insight, and trusted introductions as they scale into the US.

These founders understand something deeply: in modern business, borders matter less, but relationships matter more. From Kerry to Derry, they see the Irish diaspora not as a “nice to have,” but as a strategic advantage.

Yes, markets are uncertain. That is exactly why this moment matters. In volatile times, the winners are those who keep building, trust, partnerships and long-term value.

So this is my ask. Be the difference

If you’ve ever thought about how to create a legacy that genuinely pays it forward for Ireland, this is your opportunity. Whether through angel investing (with opportunities starting from $2,000), mentoring founders entering the US market, opening doors to customers and partners, or sharing hard-won lessons from your own journey, you can be the difference.

Irish America has helped rebuild Ireland before. Now it’s time to fuel the next chapter, by backing Irish women.

If that resonates reach out to me directly at clare@awakenhub.com.