UCD Innovation Academy is thrilled to celebrate the achievements of two of our undergraduate alumni and collaborators, Meg Brennan and Sadhbh Wood, who have been featured among the Sunday Independent’s 2025 “Thirty Under 30” young business trailblazers.
Meg Brennan: Polliknow Co-Founder
Meg Brennan, a former UCD Innovation Fellow and alum of the Social Entrepreneurship undergraduate module, is the co-founder of Polliknow—a sustainability-oriented business. Polliknow uses advanced sensor technology and computer vision to monitor wild insect pollinators in their natural habitats. This innovative approach offers a transparent view of pollinator populations, health, and behavior, providing critical data for increasing biodiversity.
“I did a Social Entrepreneurship undergraduate module with the UCD Innovation Academy. I’ve been involved with some start-up companies so hearing firsthand from entrepreneurs was incredibly helpful; their honesty about what life is really like as an entrepreneur has stayed with me.”
Sadhbh Wood: Bean Around Co-Founder
Sadhbh Wood, co-founder of Bean Around, a skincare startup that crafts exfoliating soaps and body scrubs from 100% repurposed coffee grounds. At UCD, Sadhbh and her team of undergraduate students developed the idea and represented the university in the prestigious Hult Prize Competition, the world’s largest student-led social enterprise challenge. From 20,000 global entries, Bean Around emerged as one of the final six teams.
UCD Innovation Academy collaborated with the UCD Bean Around’s journey to the Hult Prize Competition. Here at UCD Innovation Academy, we upcycle spent coffee grounds into products, and so we worked with the team to explore mutual uses of coffee grounds, connect the team with sustainability experts, and support their pitch preparation for the The Hult prize Competition,
As an organisation that also upcycles spent coffee grounds into products, UCD Innovation Academy collaborated with the Bean Around team on their journey to the Hult Prize Competition. We explored shared uses for coffee grounds, connected them with sustainability experts, and supported their pitch preparation for the competition.
At UCD Innovation Academy, we are proud to nurture entrepreneurial talent and empower students to address global challenges through creativity and innovation. Learn more about our Undergraduate modules here.