Navan woman named overall winner of Visa 'She's Next' grant programme

Navan writer, disability rights campaigner and founder of Tilting the Lens, Sinéad Burke has been announced as the overall winner of Visa's 2026 She's Next Grant Programme.

As overall winner Sinéad was awarded a €50,000 grant, having successfully pitched her business to an independent panel of judges.

Aimed at closing the entrepreneurship gap and supporting more women business owners in Ireland, the She’s Next, Empowered by Visa, grant programme awards winners with a total of €90,000 in business funding together with expert coaching, mentorship and additional resources to help their businesses thrive.

Sinéad's business, Tilting the Lens, is a strategic accessibility consultancy focused on driving systemic change so Disabled people can be successful. Tilting the Lens delivers research, audit, design and implementation services across the built environment, product and service design, and people and workplace culture.

The company partners with global clients to implement and embed practices that are co-designed with disabled customers and employees. Tilting the Lens is a certified B Corp and a Living Wage Employer, and over six years they've engaged over 140 clients in 13 countries.

Speaking about the win, Sinéad said: “I'm thrilled to be named this year’s overall winner of the Visa She’s Next programme. With the grant funding provided, we hope to expand and evolve our Research Hub, which is our platform of over 600 disabled people globally, who we engage for paid research and design opportunities. This will allow us to automate key processes, but even more, it ensures that every client engagement is informed by the lived experiences and expertise of Disabled people."

Spanning sectors as diverse as food, advocacy, beauty and fitness, the other Visa’s 2026 She’s Next Grant Programme winners are: Hannah Joyce, founder of Flexera; Niamh Tallon, co-founder of Her Sport; Nicola Lyons and Elaine Crosse, co-founders of Bánór and Sarah O’Sullivan, founder of SOS Cookies. Each receive a €10,000 business grant to help take their next business steps with confidence. One-to-one business mentoring was also provided by three of Ireland’s most respected businesswomen, Aimee Connolly (founder and CEO, Sculpted by Aimee), Breege O’Donoghue (former board member, Primark) and Gráinne Mullins (founder, Grá Chocolates).

Speaking about this year’s winners, Ines Obtinalla, Head of Marketing, Ireland at Visa said: “At Visa, we are committed to supporting Irish SMEs, whether they are just starting out or are established and looking to grow. The She’s Next Programme is just one example of how we are helping entrepreneurs across Ireland access the funding, expertise and connections that can make a meaningful difference to their businesses.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen the impact that the right support can have, helping female founders across Ireland turn ambition into action through funding, mentorship, business coaching and networking opportunities.

“This year’s five winners are a fantastic reflection of the breadth of female entrepreneurship in Ireland today. They are building ambitious businesses, and we are incredibly proud to support them as they take their next steps.”