PROGRAMME

13:00 Introduction – Dr. Tom Cooney

Dr. Cooney is Research Fellow at the Dublin Institute of Technology, President of the European Council for Small Business (ECSB), Adjunct Professor at the Turku School of Economics (Finland), a member of two European Commission Expert Groups, and a council member of the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology. He has researched, presented, and published widely on the topic of entrepreneurship, including editing three books – ‘New Venture Creation in Ireland’ (with Shane Hill), ‘Irish Cases in Entrepreneurship’, and ‘European Cases in Entrepreneurship’ (with Rickie A. Moore). Further information is available from his website http://www.thomascooney.com.

13:15 First Annual Gay Employment Survey Results – Etain Kidney

In this session Etain will present the results of a recent survey undertaken to gain better understanding of gay workers and business owners in Ireland.

Etain is currently undertaking PhD research in the area of minority entrepreneurship at DIT. Also developing the IGBA with the support of DIT & the Institute for Minority Entrepreneurship, Etain lectures in both DIT & DBS in Marketing, Internet Marketing, and Business Management.

14:00 Domminck Daly – Keynote Speaker IBM

Dominick will be discussing the importance of diversity in the workplace “when you’re not held back on a personal level you can be more effective at work” and “[IBM] aim to create an environment that allows every GLBT person to be more authentic and therefore more productive”.

Promoting the empowerment of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in the work place has been a key initiative within IBM for many years. They have created a more open and hospitable environment to accommodate all sexual orientations, gender identity or expression. Initiatives include promoting the use of informal network groups, equal treatment of partners, offering advice for heterosexual employees and actively supporting events across EMEA.

14:45 Coffee Break

15:00 Discussion Panel – IGBA: Segregation or Support?

This key question will be raised on the day as the theme of an afternoon panel. Rory O’Neil (aka Panti, gay business person of the year), and representatives from workplace and policy areas will partake in this session which will open to the floor for lively discussion.

16:30 Closing with Senator David Norris

Senator David Norris is an Irish civil rights campaigner, former university lecturer, and long time member of Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate). He is the founder of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform and was the first openly LGBT person to be elected to public office in Ireland.