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Future Makers: Start Your Own Business – From Good Idea to Real Opportunity
About Future Makers
Future Makers is a three-day innovation and enterprise programme for people who want to create positive change in their communities, explore self-employment, and develop practical responses to social, environmental and economic challenges. Through facilitated workshops, real-world examples and collaborative activities, participants will build connections, test ideas and identify achievable next steps.
Who is it for?
The programme welcomes a mixed and diverse group, including aspiring entrepreneurs, people with lived and international experience, IPAS participants, community members, local organisations, public-sector partners and anyone interested in sustainability, social innovation or community action. No previous business or innovation experience is required.
Organised by
Dublin South City Partnership (DSCP) in partnership with TU Dublin Sustainability Education and the Centre for Entrepreneurial Behaviour, Inclusion and Innovation (CEBII).
At a glance
| Day 1 • Reconnect | Reconnect with self, others and place; explore sustainability and identify shared opportunities. |
| Day 2 • Imagine | Reality-check entrepreneurial ideas and explore how they can become viable opportunities. |
| Day 3 • Create | Apply design thinking to a real mobility challenge and move from opportunity to action. |
23–24 September | 9:30am – 4:00pm
📍 TU Dublin, Aungier Street D02 HW71
DAY 2 • WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
IMAGINE: From Good Idea to Real Opportunity
9.30 – 16 hrs | TU Dublin, Aungier Street Campus | Room 5050
Day 2 focuses on testing whether an idea responds to a real need and exploring how it could become a viable project, social enterprise or business. The sessions combine practical enterprise guidance, commercial thinking and accessible technology tools.
| TIME | SESSION | LEAD / CONTRIBUTORS |
| 9.30–10.00 | Welcome and introduction to DSCP supports and pathways | Michelle Licciardi, DSCP |
| 10.00–11.15 | Reality check: understanding the problem, the people affected and the opportunity | Noel Davidson, Entrepreneurs Academy |
| 11.15–11.30 | Tea / coffee break | |
| 11.30–13.00 | Commercial viability: value, customers, income and sustainability | Noel Davidson, Entrepreneurs Academy |
| 13.00–14.00 | Lunch | |
| 14.00–15.00 | Technology and next steps: practical tools to develop and test an idea | Noel Davidson, Entrepreneurs Academy |
| 15.00 – 15.45 | From student projects to local impact and scaling –
BiaBox S’port for Grief |
Ethan Levins & Giada Franzolini |
| 15.45 – 16.00 | Reflections, supports and close | Michelle Licciardi, DSCP |
What participants will take away
A clearer, reality-tested entrepreneurial idea; an introduction to customers, value, income and sustainability; and practical next steps with awareness of available supports.
Day 2 contributors
| Michelle Licciardi – Social Innovator/Connector & Social/Enterprise Manager, Dublin South City Partnership
Noel Davidson – Entrepreneurs Academy Ethan Levins and Giada Franzolini – Co-founders of S’port for Grief and BiaBox |
DAY 3 • THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
CREATE: From Opportunity to Action
9.30 – 16.00 hrs | TU Dublin, Aungier Street Campus | Room 5050
Day 3 presents a hands-on innovation challenge focused on public transport, safety, connection and user experience. Participants will hear short inspiration bursts, explore the Luas experience and work collaboratively to design practical ideas for a safer and more social Luas stop.
| TIME | SESSION | LEAD / CONTRIBUTORS |
| 9.30–10.30 | Inspiration bursts: recent projects in sustainable mobility, inclusion, customer experience and Luas operations | Transport Infrastructure Ireland team |
| 10.30–10.45 | Hands-on design-thinking challenge: “Make Luas More Safe and More Social” | Transport Infrastructure Ireland team |
| 10.45 – 11.00 | Tea / coffee break | |
| 11.30–13.00 | Facilitated design-thinking challenge – hands-on working in groups | Gavan Cleary, TU Dublin |
| 13.00–14.00 | Lunch and opportunity to finalise ideas | |
| 14.00–15.00 | Facilitated design-thinking challenge – pitching of ideas | Gavan Cleary, TU Dublin |
| 15.00–15.40 | Motivational talk and programme reflection | Pearl Olesitse |
| 15.40–16.00 | Ideas, next steps, connections and close | DSCP & programme contributors |
Featured inspiration contributors
- Eimear Fox (TII) – nature-based solutions and gender in Luas Finglas
- Kathleen Jacobi (TII) – empowering women to cycle
- NTA representative: customer experience
- Deirdre Miller (TII) and Graziela Laoide Kemp (TII): operating the Luas
What participants will take away
Experience of collaborative design thinking, a stronger understanding of transport user experience, greater confidence in communicating ideas, and a practical pathway forward.
Day 3 facilitators and contributors
| Eimear Fox – Senior Landscape Architect, TII
Kathleen Jacobi – Sustainability Portfolio and Climate Action Coordinator, TII Deirdre Miller – Customer Experience Manager, TII Graziela Laoide-Kemp – Engineer, TII Gavan Cleary – Entrepreneurship Lecturer and Facilitator, TU Dublin Pearl Letlotlo Olesitse – Pearl Holistic Hub founder, Author & Healtcare Leader |
