Angela Tynan
Angela is a member of our @DigitalDunLaoghaire steering group – https://www.digitaldunlaoghaire.ie/about-activating-our-town-through-digital
As so many of us know too well, the beauty of Dun Laoghaire is in its unbeatable seafront, access to the Dublin Mountains, and its local residents. But as we’ve also learned, the attractiveness of Dun Laoghaire is also its role in an important ecosystem not only for the town but also for the county and the country.
This month, @DigitalDunLaoghaire wants to highlight another important member of our local ecosystem: Nutgrove Enterprise Park in Rathfarnham. We sat down with Angela Tynan to learn more about this ‘not for profit’ company, the importance of community, and what working with local businesses during the pandemic has taught her about resilience.
Nutgrove Community Enterprise Centre is a Staple of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County
For local businesses, Dun Laoghaire is a mecca for like-minded, forward-thinking individuals. Here, you’ll find entrepreneurs across all industries and an incredible ecosystem of supports. Nutgrove Community Enterprise Centre is one of the pioneers of our local ecosystem.
Established in 2001 by the then DLR County Enterprise Board, Nutgrove CEC supports enterprise development in the local area by providing offices, meeting rooms, coworking spaces and hot desks. Already beloved by the local community, Nutgrove CEC is due to expand in 2021 to satisfy the local demand for enterprise space.
The expansion could increase the number of sustainable jobs in the local community by 400.
As @DigitalDunLaoghaire knows, enterprise space is about so much more than meeting rooms and coffee machines. It’s about providing an incubation space for small businesses, whether that be through networking, training, funding, or a combination of the above.
For Tynan, it’s these offerings that make Nutgrove CEC and the South Dublin area so unique. Nutgrove CEC has close links with DLR LEO, who offer training and mentoring in the centre. Tynan also manages the Hi-start ‘Get your Business Investor Ready’ programme offered by Enterprise Ireland and Dublin and Wicklow LEOs together with local networking groups, Enterprising Women Network DLR and Link Network.
Entrepreneurs Make Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Business ecosystems and their importance aren’t new, however, with the publication of the latest Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 and the huge investment associated with it, we could see a greater emphasis on building these ecosystems and communities across rural Ireland, from West Cork to Donegal.
As these new ecosystems develop, @DigitalDunLaoghaire believes that our county can be a model for what’s to come. Tynan agrees. “The opportunity to live, work, and do business in your immediate area is, I believe, not just a post-pandemic trend but the key to economic recovery.”
“Geographically, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is a broad county with a large business community and while a lot of activity is naturally centred in Dun Laoghaire town itself, we are all but a stone’s throw away from each other with a strong networking ecosystem,” Tynan says.
@DigitalDunLaoghaire and others in our network also serve to be an example of a digital ecosystem to other Irish towns. When asked what advice Tynan has after building a core part of the DLR ecosystem, she told us:
“[Building a digital ecosystem] is just like starting a business. I think you need to firstly identify who you are targeting and why and how you can make a difference to them. Getting people’s involvement from the outset and allowing them to put their own ideas into the mix will shape and inform progress.”
Moving Forward Together
The next year is one of optimism for Nutgrove Enterprise Park and its community. The further assessment and decision-making plans for their expansion will continue and include consideration for collaboration with other institutions, like NovaUCD, and the Dun Laoghaire Institute for Art, Design and Technology.
Whatever happens, Tynan sees the community moving forward together.
“I am regularly amazed by the resilience and creativity in my entrepreneur networks and indeed our tenant companies. Since the beginning of this pandemic, I’ve seen small businesses draw deep from their own resources, despite the negativity all around us and emerge with fresh ideas and the positivity to try a new approach,” Tynan said. “I am in awe of the true entrepreneurial mentality and tenacity.”
JUNE 10, 2021
Angela is a member of our @DigitalDunLaoghaire steering group – https://www.digitaldunlaoghaire.ie/about-activating-our-town-through-digital
As so many of us know too well, the beauty of Dun Laoghaire is in its unbeatable seafront, access to the Dublin Mountains, and its local residents. But as we’ve also learned, the attractiveness of Dun Laoghaire is also its role in an important ecosystem not only for the town but also for the county and the country.
This month, @DigitalDunLaoghaire wants to highlight another important member of our local ecosystem: Nutgrove Enterprise Park in Rathfarnham. We sat down with Angela Tynan to learn more about this ‘not for profit’ company, the importance of community, and what working with local businesses during the pandemic has taught her about resilience.
Nutgrove Community Enterprise Centre is a Staple of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County
For local businesses, Dun Laoghaire is a mecca for like-minded, forward-thinking individuals. Here, you’ll find entrepreneurs across all industries and an incredible ecosystem of supports. Nutgrove Community Enterprise Centre is one of the pioneers of our local ecosystem.
Established in 2001 by the then DLR County Enterprise Board, Nutgrove CEC supports enterprise development in the local area by providing offices, meeting rooms, coworking spaces and hot desks. Already beloved by the local community, Nutgrove CEC is due to expand in 2021 to satisfy the local demand for enterprise space.
The expansion could increase the number of sustainable jobs in the local community by 400.
As @DigitalDunLaoghaire knows, enterprise space is about so much more than meeting rooms and coffee machines. It’s about providing an incubation space for small businesses, whether that be through networking, training, funding, or a combination of the above.
For Tynan, it’s these offerings that make Nutgrove CEC and the South Dublin area so unique. Nutgrove CEC has close links with DLR LEO, who offer training and mentoring in the centre. Tynan also manages the Hi-start ‘Get your Business Investor Ready’ programme offered by Enterprise Ireland and Dublin and Wicklow LEOs together with local networking groups, Enterprising Women Network DLR and Link Network.
Entrepreneurs Make Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Business ecosystems and their importance aren’t new, however, with the publication of the latest Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 and the huge investment associated with it, we could see a greater emphasis on building these ecosystems and communities across rural Ireland, from West Cork to Donegal.
As these new ecosystems develop, @DigitalDunLaoghaire believes that our county can be a model for what’s to come. Tynan agrees. “The opportunity to live, work, and do business in your immediate area is, I believe, not just a post-pandemic trend but the key to economic recovery.”
“Geographically, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is a broad county with a large business community and while a lot of activity is naturally centred in Dun Laoghaire town itself, we are all but a stone’s throw away from each other with a strong networking ecosystem,” Tynan says.
@DigitalDunLaoghaire and others in our network also serve to be an example of a digital ecosystem to other Irish towns. When asked what advice Tynan has after building a core part of the DLR ecosystem, she told us:
“[Building a digital ecosystem] is just like starting a business. I think you need to firstly identify who you are targeting and why and how you can make a difference to them. Getting people’s involvement from the outset and allowing them to put their own ideas into the mix will shape and inform progress.”
Moving Forward Together
The next year is one of optimism for Nutgrove Enterprise Park and its community. The further assessment and decision-making plans for their expansion will continue and include consideration for collaboration with other institutions, like NovaUCD, and the Dun Laoghaire Institute for Art, Design and Technology.
Whatever happens, Tynan sees the community moving forward together.
“I am regularly amazed by the resilience and creativity in my entrepreneur networks and indeed our tenant companies. Since the beginning of this pandemic, I’ve seen small businesses draw deep from their own resources, despite the negativity all around us and emerge with fresh ideas and the positivity to try a new approach,” Tynan said. “I am in awe of the true entrepreneurial mentality and tenacity.”
