Dave is an innovator, thought leader, social entrepreneur, and has recently been crowned the first Great British & Northern Irish Entrepreneur of the Year for the Northern Ireland region! Prior to beginning his journey with Madlug in 2015, Dave was a youth worker for over 20 years with leadership, project development and team management experience, ranging across a number of youth work positions.
He also had to opportunity to complete the intensive two–year Arrow Leadership Ireland programme.Throughout his youth work career, Dave developed the skills that have enabled him to build Madlug by helping youth leaders and youth organisations with vision and strategy, project development, idea generating, problem solving and for the past two years he has become heavily involved in mentoring and raising awareness of social enterprises.
During his time working in Social Care, Dave was distressed to realise that most children in care transport their worldly belongings in a bin bag. In response, Dave decided to set up Madlug and came up with his ‘Buy one Give one’ approach: with every bag you purchase, one will be given to a child in care.
Following a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign with Madlug over the summer of 2017, Dave was given to opportunity to have brunch with Sir Richard Branson in what was a great opportunity to share the story of Madlug with a global business leader. Dave is passionate about helping deliver change that positively impacts people, disadvantaged children, young people and communities through sustainable social enterprise models.
