Kim Mackenzie-Doyle. Image: Joshua Mulholland
Kim Mackenzie-Doyle is a renowned product designer whose current project includes some big ideas for the future of innovation in Ireland.
Our first Start-up of the Week in 2024 is not your typical start-up. While it has all the makings of a traditional tech start-up we cover in the series, the Carlow-based edtech has the unique potential to create start-ups of the future by encouraging young minds to think differently.
Founded in 2021, The Big Idea is the brainchild of Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, an award-winning product designer and former president and director of the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI). She has previously sat on the National Design Forum, a government-led initiative to drive Ireland’s innovative capability, and advised the Irish Government on skills needs and labour market issues.
Creative-thinking skills
A non-profit initiative aimed at 15-19 year olds in Ireland’s second-level education system, The Big Idea connects global industry professionals with students to equip them with the skills that are most in demand in the market.
And creative thinking, according to Mackenzie-Doyle, is the cornerstone of the future of innovation. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, creative thinking ranked ahead of hard skills such as AI, big data and programming among the most in-demand skills.
“Human creativity is what strengthens and prepares us in the face of challenges and emerging tech as well as the uncertainty of AI development. It allows us to innovate confidently and lead empathetically,” Mackenzie-Doyle, who prefers being called instigator over CEO, tells me. “Our programmes help young people prepare for life in a complex and challenging world.”
The Big Idea has an edtech platform that forms the linchpin of its programme. Mackenzie-Doyle says that hundreds of teachers have accessed creative-thinking workshops, teaching resources and support tools through the platform.
In a short time, The Big Idea has grown to include 6,500 students, connecting them with more than 750 industry experts.
“The plug-and-play digital workshops allow a 360-degree learning experience for thousands of students, connecting digital activities with free physical learning tools. Data collected through the back-end transformed into bespoke digital impact reports, sharing learning development and the experiences of our students,” Mackenzie-Doyle explains.
“Students work on co-created projects that are important to them to create solutions to challenges closely aligned to UN SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]. They receive online mentoring at key touchpoints from industry professionals which has proven to be a timely confidence boost.
“Mentors support dynamic, real-life learning, giving students the bonus of exposure to varied career pathways. Automation of processes allows projects to be showcased dynamically on our open-access online exhibition, sharing incredible big ideas with the wider community.”
Support and challenges
The platform also provides a dashboard for industry professionals to receive up to five student projects anywhere in the world and share feedback online alongside a group of mentors.
“Mentors are actively matched to projects to give a gender, sector and experience spread. Supporting community and engagement, branded social frames on the dashboards allow mentors to shout loudly and proudly about their involvement,” Mackenzie-Doyle says.
“Aligning with the 17 UN SDGs, our platform is cultivating creative and critical-thinking skills in thousands of students to address pressing global challenges.”
Supported by the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow, The Big Ideas counts among its board of directors former EY Entrepreneur of the Year Joe Hogan, who is the co-founder of Openet and CTO of Amdocs.
“This board has helped us to diversify our streams so it balances grant and government funding, corporate partnerships, revenue-generating activities and philanthropy.”
Although not your typical start-up, the primary challenge faced by The Big Idea, which had a waitlist of 10,000 within the first six months of its launch, is a familiar one – funding.
“Education should be democratised in design and delivery and our programmes achieve this by being fully inclusive, created for every style and ability. With no financial pressure on schools, parents or students, our only barrier to expanding our capacity is sustainable funding,” says Mackenzie-Doyle.
As such, long-term partnerships are crucial to the work that The Big Idea does. The company said it is currently recruiting 400 mentors to help fund its programmes.
“We are inviting progressive companies to connect with us and get involved so we can reach even more students. We are always looking to meet new supporters, whether they are funders, mentors, programme partners, philanthropists or just people who might open a door for us.”
Aside from funding, Mackenzie-Doyle says there haven’t been many other obstacles.
“It would be easy to suggest being a female founder has been the biggest challenge or working in a rural location, when a huge percentage of supports are based in Dublin. This hasn’t been the case, however, as we have broken normal boundaries collectively with a great team.”
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