With the deadline looming for the Kilkenny Design Makers Academy, we spoke to Kilkenny Design CEO Evelyn Moynihan about the imperative behind helping makers scale.
A new national initiative designed to help Ireland’s creative entrepreneurs turn their talents into commercial success is about to whir into action. Retail powerhouse Kilkenny Design and the Local Enterprise Office network have launched the Kilkenny Design Makers Academy to support up to 25 makers and designers through a structured business development programme focused on building scalable consumer brands.
“Ireland has no shortage of exceptional makers and designers. The challenge often comes when they try to scale”
The initiative brings together retail expertise, enterprise support and practical business training to address a long-standing challenge facing creative businesses: to turn design capability into consistent commercial growth.
Since 1963, Kilkenny Design has been at the heart of Ireland’s maker movement, championing the very best of local design and providing a platform for generations of local makers and designers to showcase and grow their businesses.
Interested makers can apply here
We spoke to the CEO of Kilkenny Design Evelyn Moynihan about why it is important to nurture and support Ireland’s talented makers and creative entrepreneurs.
What does success look like for the Makers Academy over the next three to five years, both in terms of the businesses it supports and Kilkenny Design’s broader role in championing Irish brands?
Success for us would be seeing the Makers Academy become a recognised launchpad for the next generation of Irish consumer brands. Over the next three to five years, we want to see businesses emerge from the programme with stronger commercial capability, sharper brand positioning and the confidence to scale sustainably, both at home and internationally.
Success means helping talented makers transform great products into strong, resilient businesses. We would love to see Academy alumni expanding their product ranges, securing new retail partnerships, growing their online sales, creating jobs and entering export markets. Those are the tangible signs that the programme is making a real difference.
For Kilkenny Design, success is also about evolving our role. For more than sixty years, we have championed Irish design and craftsmanship. Through the Makers Academy, we want to go beyond retail and become a genuine growth partner to Irish brands at a critical stage in their development.
If we can help strengthen the pipeline of ambitious local businesses while reinforcing Kilkenny Design as the home of Irish creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship, that will be a hugely positive outcome.
From your experience working with makers over the decades, what are the most common barriers that prevent talented designers from becoming commercially successful, and how will this programme directly address those gaps?
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years is that creative talent and commercial success are not always the same thing.
Ireland has no shortage of exceptional makers and designers. The challenge often comes when they try to scale. Questions around pricing, margins, production planning, branding and route-to-market strategy can quickly become barriers, even when the product itself is outstanding.
Another challenge is access. Many makers work in relative isolation and may not have regular access to experienced mentors, retail insight or practical business guidance from people who have successfully built consumer brands.
The Makers Academy is designed to bridge that gap. It brings together retail expertise, mentoring, business development support and enterprise backing in one structured programme. Participants will gain practical skills across profitability, branding, ecommerce, retail readiness, export growth and founder development.
Ultimately our goal is simple, that’s to help great makers build great businesses. We want participants to leave the programme not only with stronger brands, but with the confidence, knowledge and commercial foundations needed to achieve sustainable growth.
How important is retail insight in shaping product development for emerging brands, and what specific advantages will participants gain from Kilkenny Design’s direct involvement?
Retail insight is invaluable because customers ultimately decide whether a product succeeds. A product can be beautifully designed and expertly made, but understanding customer expectations around pricing, presentation, functionality and positioning is what turns a great idea into a commercially successful brand.
One of the unique advantages of the Makers Academy is direct access to Kilkenny Design’s retail expertise. Having worked with Irish makers and brands for decades, we have a deep understanding of customer behaviour, category trends and what drives purchase decisions.
Participants will also have the opportunity to trial pop-up activations across our store network, giving them direct exposure to customers and real-time feedback on both their products and their brand proposition. That kind of insight is incredibly valuable and difficult to replicate in a classroom environment.
Our role is to help makers see their business through a retailer’s lens. From product development and packaging to storytelling, merchandising and customer experience the aim is for them to be better positioned for sustainable growth.
Looking at the wider landscape, what opportunity do you see for Irish-made consumer brands on the international stage, and how can initiatives like the Makers Academy help position them for export growth?
I believe locally made Irish brands are exceptionally well positioned to succeed internationally.
Around the world, consumers are increasingly seeking authenticity, craftsmanship and products with a genuine sense of place and story. These are qualities that Irish brands naturally possess, and they represent a significant competitive advantage in global markets.
What makes Irish brands particularly compelling is their ability to combine design excellence with a distinctive cultural identity. In an increasingly crowded marketplace, that authenticity helps brands stand out.
However, international growth requires more than a great story. It demands strong commercial foundations, from pricing and operational readiness to supply chain resilience and market understanding. That is where initiatives like the Makers Academy can make a meaningful difference. By giving founders access to expertise in branding, retail strategy, ecommerce and export readiness, we can help them build businesses that are not only creative and innovative, but globally competitive.
If we can help more local brands scale, not only nationally but internationally, the benefits extend far beyond individual businesses. It strengthens Ireland’s reputation for design excellence, supports job creation and contributes to the long-term growth of our creative economy.
Interested makers can apply here
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