Local Enterprise Week - Enterprise after Dark

Your host, our MC:

   Natalie McCormack (Nat)

Natalie McCormack (Nat) is a facilitator, leader, and advocate for a thriving night time economy.  As Founder of the Electronic Music Council, she has led Culture Night events, hosted at Cork City Hall, and spoken in Dáil Éireann with Give Us The Night. A skilled facilitator, she mentors emerging artists, champions diverse line-ups, and designs leadership programs that empower communities—day and night.

Meet our Guest Speakers:

•  JP McMahon

JP McMahon is a chef, restaurateur and author. He is owner and culinary director of Michelin-starred Aniar Restaurant, and award-winning Spanish restaurant Cava Bodega and also runs the Aniar Boutique Cookery School. In 2022 JP launched JP McMahon Culinary Consultancy and works nationally and internationally.

JP is committed to the educational and ethical aspects of food, to buying and supporting the best of local and free-range produce and engaging directly with farmers and producers.JP is the founder and plays host to one of the biggest and most talked about international food events in Europe, Food on the Edge. The highly successful inaugural event took place in Galway in October 2015 followed by equally acclaimed annual events to 2019. The 2020 event fell victim to Covid, however, the team published an ebook "Lessons from Lockdown: Cooking after Covid" featuring many former speakers and voices from the industry and 2021 saw the return of Food on the Edge in a blended format with both in-person and virtual speakers and delegates joining from across the world; plans are afoot for FOTE2024. The event features the best international chefs from across the globe. Director, founding and current chair of the Galway Food Festival,

JP is an ambassador for Irish food travelling widely to promote Ireland, its produce, and food culture. He is also an ambassador for Spanish food in Ireland in particular promoting the wines of Rías Baixas (Galicia) and Jerez. 

He is a food writer and contributor to the Irish Times. He is a regular contributor to Radio One and Newstalk radio and has a monthly slot on RTE TV; he was twice the winning mentor for the RTE series Taste for Success

• Amy Lamé

24hr Cities Founding Director Amy Lamé is an unparalleled expert in city life at night. 

The first Night Czar of London, a city of 9 million people where 1.3 million work at night, Amy served in this pioneering role for eight years. She is the first person in the UK to hold a government post dedicated to night-time advocacy and development.

Prior to her role as London’s Night Czar, Amy co-founded, hosted and curated the Olivier Award-winning Duckie in 1995, London’s famously cutting-edge LGBTQ+ club night and artist collective. Her live shows have toured theatres and clubs across the globe. 

Her book, From Prejudice to Pride is the first history of the LGBTQ+ movement published for young people. She has a long and vibrant career as a media broadcaster and DJ. Amy presents her weekly shows on BBC 6 Music, championing music and culture beyond the mainstream.

Amy serves on the English Heritage Blue Plaque Panel for London, holds an Honorary Doctorate from University of East London, and is an Honorary Professor at University College, London. She was recognised as a National Treasure in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.