Katriona O’Sullivan, the inspirational best-selling author of ‘Poor’ in conversation with broadcaster and trailblazing entrepreneur Áine Kerr
8pm, Festival Dome at Bridge St
‘One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty… one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet’ – The Guardian
As far as I’m concerned, the book of the year! – Pat Kenny, Newstalk
About the author
Dr Katriona O’Sullivan is a psychologist and memoirist. Her first book, Poor, debuted at #1 on the Irish Non-Fiction bestseller list. The book, a memoir of growing up in extreme poverty, describes the far-reaching impact of childhood poverty. As one of 5 children in a home shaped by her parents' heroin addiction, Katriona's story chronicles her journey from poverty, teenage pregnancy, homelessness to graduating with a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and becoming an award-winning lecturer whose work challenges barriers to education. Poor is her stirring argument for the importance of looking out for our kids' futures. Of giving them hope, practical support and meaningful opportunities.
Katriona is Senior Lecturer in the Assisting Living & Learning Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University. She is the Principal Investigator on the STEM Passport for Inclusion project, featured recently on RTE Changemaker series. She has held research grants from the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland leading an initiative to tackle digital inequality in education. She also successfully led the largest HEA PATH funded programme entitled Turn to Teaching which focused on diversifying teacher education. She has been invited speaker at the World Education Forum, the European Gender Action Workshop on Women and Digitalization and most recently at the UN gender equality workshop. She has worked with Irish policy makers to develop policies around education and inclusion. She has published research on equality, gender, education, inclusion and STEM.
Áine Kerr, broadcaster and entrepreneur
Named as part of '100 women changing Ireland in 2021' – The Irish Examiner
Named as one of ‘Ireland’s rising stars: the 50 ones to watch in 2023’ – The Irish Independent
Áine was co-founder and COO of Kinzen; a technology company helping platforms detect and disrupt misinformation and disinformation. Kinzen was acquired by Spotify in October 2022. She is now a director at Spotify, heading up its Content Safety Analysis team.
Previously, Áine led global journalism partnerships at Facebook, overseeing a team in New York focused on building products, tools and services for journalists and also working to improve news literacy for news consumers. She was instrumental in helping to create and execute on the Facebook Journalism Project and led the creation of the News Integrity Initiative (NII).
Before Facebook, she spent five years at Storyful, where she served as head of content and political editor before being appointed managing editor in December 2011 at the time of the company’s acquisition by News Corporation. Áine spent over 7 years working as a political correspondent and news reporter with The Irish Times, The Irish Independent and The Irish Examiner.
Áine is a member of the Gaisce council; the organisation overseeing the President of Ireland's Award, chair of the Shona Project and chair of Rethink Ireland.
In 2018, she graduated as a Fellow of the Sulzberger Leadership Program in Columbia University in New York City. She has a Bachelor of Education (B’ED) and a Masters of Journalism (MAJ) with Dublin City University [DCU]. She has certificates with Cornell University and Harvard University in financial accounting and project management, completed an Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Executive Coaching with Kingstown College and two Professional Diplomas in Management and Organisational Transformation with Institute of Management (IMI). She is currently completing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with an expected graduation in Autumn 2023.
She was awarded Woman of the Year in Media 2018 by Irish Tatler Magazine, the VIP Eir Power of Women award in 2022 for digital and technology and a Woman of Vision award for business and technology in 2023. Her Alma Mater DCU recognised her with an Alumni Award in 2020.
She has spoken at major conferences and events world over. She is host of RTÉ's Reignite on RTÉ Radio One (four seasons - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and is the occasional stand-in host of RTÉ's The Business and RTÉ's Saturday With. Áine is also a judge with News Brands Ireland, Local Journalism Awards and UCD Business Awards.