ACORNS alumni Christina Foley has created Inish Living, a luxury lifestyle wellness brand in Kerry.
In November 2022, Christina Foley launched her business Inish Living at her home in Tuosist on the Beara Peninsula in Co Kerry.
Inish Living is a luxury lifestyle wellness brand that nurtures wellness through movement, rest and play. Collections include bio-based yoga mats and accessories, thick wipeable play mats and customised, temperature-controlled TENCEL Lyocell bed linen designed for deep sleep, made from high-quality materials, designed to last.
“The sense of connection and support from the community of motivated women across Ireland was a powerful part of the experience”
She is a graduate of the celebrated ACORNS women entrepreneurship programme which recently opened applications for 11th Cycle as previous participants reported 54% revenue growth. The next programme has a deadline of midnight on 22 September. The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. Up to 50 places are available for ACORNS 11, which will run from October 2025 to April 2026.
Design with purpose
Christina, a Chartered Physiotherapist with her own practice in Kenmare, grew up working in the hospitality industry with her mother, restaurateur Maura O’Connell Foley.
While co-producing My Wild Atlantic Kitchen, her mother’s cookbook which launched in April 2020 during Covid, Christina felt the urge to start something creative blending her health and wellness expertise with her love of functional design and materials.
The business has grown since launch, continuing her web shop and expanding into B2B. With her hospitality experience, Christina saw a gap in the market for wellness partnerships for hotels, offering custom products and a wellness series based on her physio experience.
Sheen Falls Lodge became the first hotel partnership, followed by The Adare Manor, Dromoland Castle and The Killarney Park among others.
Recently, in her biggest business highlight to date, the brand was among the first 100 companies in Ireland to be B Corp Certified. B Corp recognises businesses that balance profit with purpose through ethics and sustainability.
“The ACORNS programme has had a major impact on my business mindset. My peers’ experience and input at the roundtables and beyond were golden. The sense of connection and support from the community of motivated women across Ireland was a powerful part of the experience.”
Plans for the business include gaining more clients among global hotel groups and continuing partnerships with clinics, wellness studios and events.
From little ACORNS to thriving businesses
Women in rural Ireland with new businesses or at least with well-developed ideas are being invited to join next phase of the programme, ACORNS 11.
The ACORNS programme is designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through a peer learning approach. Thanks to the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge for those selected to participate.
Interested applicants for ACORNS must first register their interest here and will then receive an application by email. There is no charge for participation, thanks to continued government support and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs.
Results from ACORNS 10 demonstrate the programme’s impact on rural female entrepreneurship. All 52 participants who completed the cycle reported feeling closer to achieving their business ambitions, with 90% saying their participation brought about practical change within their business. Four businesses started trading for the first time during the cycle.
The financial results were particularly impressive, with the combined annual turnover of ACORNS 10 participants growing from €2.8m to €4.3m, representing a 54% increase. Participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15 positions, and 18 participants had gained export experience.
ACORNS operates on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. The programme features monthly roundtable sessions facilitated by Lead Entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing businesses in rural Ireland.
The programme has also been recognised as a ‘good practice’ on the EU’s INTERREG Learning Platform, adding to its recent accolades.
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