Dunseverick businesswoman Diane Koplewsky named National Entrepreneur of the Year 2026
A Dunseverick woman has been named National Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 at the National Entrepreneur Awards, organised by Entrepreneurs Circle.
Entrepreneur and TEDx speaker Diane Koplewsky received the award at a ceremony held at the ICC Birmingham on September 7.
Hosted by Taskmaster creator and star Alex Horne and The Horne Section, the 14th annual awards celebrated outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the United Kingdom.
Founder and CEO of Sleepy Hollow Group, Diane succeeds the 2025 winner, leading consultant cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeon Inderpaul Birdi, founder of The Keyhole Heart Clinic in London.
Diane lives in Dunseverick, while Sleepy Hollow Group is headquartered in Belfast and operates across Northern Ireland and beyond.
She studied business and then law before completing an MBA. Following a decade working across the legal and accountancy sectors, Diane changed direction and purchased a small day nursery caring for just 35 children.
The personal circumstances behind that decision, and how they shaped her entrepreneurial journey, form part of the story she shares in her TEDx talk.
From those modest beginnings, Diane and her husband have grown Sleepy Hollow Group into a diverse organisation encompassing 41 provisions and supporting approximately 6,000 children and families.
Receiving the award, Diane said: “To be named National Entrepreneur of the Year is an extraordinary honour. I genuinely never expected to be shortlisted, never mind hear my name called.
“To follow someone of the calibre of last year’s winner is deeply humbling. To receive this recognition on a national stage, while remaining firmly rooted in Northern Ireland, makes it particularly special.
“Entrepreneurship is about much more than growing a successful company. It is about recognising problems, creating solutions and building something that makes a lasting economic and social contribution.”
The national title is the latest in a series of significant achievements for Diane and Sleepy Hollow Group.
Earlier this year, the Group, was named Employer of the Year at the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2026.
Diane was also selected as a finalist for Transformational Leader of the Year at the 2026 Women in Business Awards, while all four of the Group’s early education and care settings have recently been recognised among the Top 20 Day Nurseries in Northern Ireland.
Sleepy Hollow Group provides registered early education and care and school-age childcare, including fully registered wraparound provision delivered in partnership with primary schools.
The Group also works with leading employers and government departments to develop corporate childcare solutions around the needs of their workforces. These partnerships help working parents remain in employment and progress in their careers, while supporting employers to recruit and retain talented people.
Diane explained: “Childcare is one of the greatest economic enablers we have. When parents can access the support they need, they can work, undertake education, develop their careers and establish businesses of their own.
“It also helps employers address skills shortages and build more inclusive workplaces. Through it all, children and young people must remain at the centre of everything we do,” she said.