The founder and CEO of children’s shoe superstore My First Steps in Galway has been named as one of five winners of Visa’s 2023 She’s Next Grant Programme.
Alison McGrath is changing the landscape for children’s foot health in Ireland, with a recent survey by The College of Podiatry recently finding that 67% of children were wearing the wrong shoe size.
Alison’s business My First Steps on the Tuam Road is on a mission to inspire confidence in parents with friendly, informative advice, while ensuring the foot health of generations to come.
She and her team work diligently with their brands to ensure the best training and most up-to-date knowledge. They analyse each shoe to determine its key features and work closely with local experts including podiatrists.
Alison and the four other winners will receive a grant of €10,000 and one-year of business coaching through IFundWomen, a funding platform for women entrepreneurs, to support, grow and expand their businesses.
Mandy Lamb, Visa’s managing director for Ireland and the UK, said that they are ‘truly inspired’ by the incredible talent and dedication shown by the applicants to the She’s Next programme in Ireland.
“The doubling of entries reflects the growing momentum of women entrepreneurs in Ireland and their invaluable contributions to the economy. The quality of entries coming through again this year has been phenomenal.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each of the winners and remain committed to supporting them on their journey to success.”
