Our Team

It all began with Gráinne Bannon, who spent over 25 years working with SMEs in the financial sector as a relationship manager. Throughout her career, she saw countless talented entrepreneurs struggle—not for lack of ambition, but because support was often confusing and inaccessible. Determined to change this, Gráinne started speaking directly to businesses in our local area to truly understand their challenges.

To bring these businesses together, she created a WhatsApp group, which quickly grew organically to over 300 users in just six months. The momentum was clear—people were hungry for guidance, connection, and clarity.

Joining this mission was Derek Bannon, a seasoned marketer with over 25 years of experience in creative and product marketing roles at O’Neills Sportswear, Norbrook, and Cooneen Group. Having founded his own business, Derek also experienced firsthand the frustrations of trying to access funding and support. Together, we recognised the need for a more sustainable, scalable solution.

Building on the success of the WhatsApp group, we moved our growing community to a third-party platform, Mighty Networks, where it expanded to 700 users from across Ireland and the UK. As demand continued to grow, we realised it was time to create something truly purpose-built—an intelligent platform designed specifically to match small businesses with funding and business support.

In 2022, we co-founded Shareit Biz and developed AKIVA, our own AI-powered platform that helps micro-businesses and underrepresented entrepreneurs discover tailored resources, funding opportunities, and support—all in one place.

By combining Gráinne’s deep understanding of SMEs with Derek’s marketing and product expertise, we designed a platform that speaks directly to the real pain points of small business founders. Our early efforts culminated in Shareit Biz being shortlisted as a regional finalist for “AI Startup of the Year” at the UK StartUp Awards.

Today, Shareit Biz stands as a testament to our shared vision: an AI-driven “digital mentor” that empowers entrepreneurs to focus on growth, not bureaucracy, while strengthening the SME ecosystem across the UK and Ireland.