Eleanor Kelly

Eleanor became part of the team at the UCD Innovation Academy in 2021. Before that, she worked at the intersection of advocacy, policy, and public affairs for over a decade. across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She began her career as a Research Executive at the House of Commons Library, and sidestepped into campaign management. Eleanor then settled at the Open Society Foundations for nearly a decade, working across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. As their Director of Regional Communications, she oversaw public advocacy strategies promoting education, journalism, digital rights, and equality.

On top of Eleanor’s experience of advocacy in action, she has a raft of academic achievements. She read History and French at Trinity College Dublin and studied a Masters in International Relations at Cambridge. She recently completed a Women’s Leadership Programme at Oxford University’s Said Business School.

Eleanor manages our Convene programme, the Academy’s collaboration with TU Dublin to transform university-enterprise engagement. Eleanor believes in the vast potential of people coming together, with the right support, to achieve positive change. This is an endless source of motivation and energy for Eleanor.

She takes any opportunity to be outdoors: hill-walking, rowing, or cycling. And even better if she’s got a good podcast to keep her company.

Why I joined the UCD Innovation Academy…

“I believe that solving public problems requires collaboration between all parts of society: government, business, academia and civil society. The Innovation Academy lives and practices this ethos every day. I worked across the public, private, and non-profit sectors for over 10 years. I joined the Academy because it brings all three together in a space that enables the critical thinking and creativity we need to secure our futures.”