Local Bangor business owner and entrepreneur Kevin O’Reilly, has won his third major award in just six weeks, marking a remarkable period of recognition for his work supporting businesses, entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, future leaders, and future entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland.
Kevin is the founder of Thrive Now Group, which brings together The Communications Clinic and Interview Skills Coach. Through both brands, Kevin helps people and organisations communicate with confidence, prepare for opportunities, present their value, and take practical steps towards business, career, and personal growth.
The latest recognition came at the OCN Learning Endeavour Awards 2026, where Thrive Now Group received the Advancing Learning Through Innovation Award for its creative and forward-thinking approach to education and engagement.
This followed Kevin winning the NI and Scotland Small Business Growth Award for Service Excellence, part of the Small Business Growth Awards brought to businesses by HSBC UK and the Federation of Small Businesses. The award recognised the quality of service, customer focus, and impact being delivered through Thrive Now Group.
Just one week later, Thrive Now Group was named Northern Ireland Business to Business StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards, recognising the growth and development of the business and its work supporting entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, schools, and organisations.
Kevin and Thrive Now Group have also been shortlisted for a fourth major award at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, which will take place in London in September.
Kevin said:
“To be honest, this run of recognition has been overwhelming. When you are building something, you are often focused on the next client, the next session, and the next problem to solve. You do not always stop to look at how far things have come.
To win awards for service excellence, business-to-business start-up growth, and learning innovation in the space of six weeks is something I am incredibly proud of.
These awards are not just trophies. They are evidence that practical, human-centred learning makes a difference. Whether someone is growing a business, pitching an idea, leading a team, building confidence, improving their communication, or learning how to present themselves more effectively, the goal is always the same: help people understand that little by little, a little becomes a lot.”
Kevin’s work is rooted in practical learning, confidence-building, and real-world application. Rather than simply giving people information, Thrive Now Group focuses on helping future leaders and future entrepreneurs understand themselves, communicate their value, and take meaningful action.
Kevin added:
“There is a bigger message here. People do not need more information thrown at them. They need learning that connects, sticks, and gives them the confidence to act.
That is what we are building through Thrive Now Group, The Communications Clinic, and Interview Skills Coach. These awards give us momentum, but the real work is helping people believe they can move forward and then giving them the tools to do it.”
The OCN Learning Endeavour Awards 2026 took place at Titanic Belfast on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, bringing together over 350 learners, teachers, tutors, and special guests to celebrate achievement, resilience, innovation, and success in learning.
At the awards, Thrive Now Group was shortlisted alongside South West College, Connected Academy, South Eastern Regional College’s BOYB course, South Eastern Regional College’s Thrive Programme, and South Eastern Regional College’s Families Learning Together programme.
Looking ahead, Kevin is continuing that mission by bringing the first ever TEDxBangor event to the town on 9 October 2026.
TEDxBangor has been created to support local and international voices and to give people a platform to share ideas, stories, and perspectives that can inspire conversation and change.
The event is built on the belief that powerful ideas do not only come from global stages or major cities. They also come from local communities, businesses, classrooms, creative spaces, personal journeys, and people who have lived something, learned something, built something, or overcome something worth sharing.
With three major awards secured, a fourth shortlisting ahead, and TEDxBangor now on the horizon, Kevin’s work continues to place communication, confidence, entrepreneurship, and opportunity at the centre of local impact and wider ambition.
