John Kearns is Chief Executive of Partas, managing four Enterprise Centres, a training division and a micro-loan fund. He has led research on a national and EU level into many areas of social policy, particularly innovation, entrepreneurship and social enterprise. He has also worked with partners throughout Central and Eastern Europe in developing their social enterprise policies and practices.

 

Prior to his current position he was a senior manager in financial services. He has held advisory roles at local, national and international level and is currently driving a new collaboration initiative in Tallaght called the ‘Social + Local Enterprise Alliance’. The first three businesses that have been developed are in the area of artisan food and drink. He has a successful track record as an entrepreneur in his own right in a variety of sectors, most notably the music business. He holds an MBA with a specialization in Entrepreneurship and serves as an expert advisor to the European Commission on social enterprise.

 

jkearns@partas.ie