Noel is the Head of Design at HAX. He has been working at HAX from program 1 and oversees the design team in Shenzhen, actively supporting 30+ new HAX teams annually, as well as providing ongoing mentorship to the global ecosystem of HAX alumni and recruiting design mentors and staff for the program. Noel’s specialties are in design and innovation, user centered product development, design for acceleration and design orientated business.
Prior to his time at SOSV, Noel served with the Irish military for 5 years, during which he completed a tour of duty in Liberia, West Africa. A mountain biking accident in 2006 left Noel confined to a wheelchair and he returned to education.
Noel graduated from the Institute of Technology Carlow with a BA in product design innovation, and has contributed significantly to the design community in Ireland, including establishing the designhub collaborative for young Irish designers, and serving as a guest lecturer and mentor at NCAD and the University of Limerick. Noel also won the James Dyson Award and is a serial entrepreneur, including a successful appearance as a competitor on Ireland’s Dragons Den.
Noel sees his work as his biggest passion and enjoys the challenges new startups bring to design development. A problem solver and maker at heart, he enjoys bringing new value to peoples lives through design. His experience of having lived life as an able bodied individual and with a disability gives him a unique perspective on the design development of new ideas.
Noel Joyce