Entrepreneurs and creative minds will be taking over Bank of Ireland’s new Workbench on The Quay for the very first Startup Weekend in Waterford, which will run from April 5th to 7th. Organisers and volunteers have been working behind the scenes to ensure that this event provides not only inspiration, but the resources required for building and launching a viable, scalable company.
Pictured from left: Aidan Shine (South East BIC), Laura O’Keeffe (Bank of Ireland), Elaine Fennelly (Crystal Valley Tech), Pamela Pim (Bank of Ireland) and Rosemary Ward (South East BIC). | Photo: John Power
Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event, where attendees pitch ideas, form teams and start companies. These events are community focused and provide a place for budding entrepreneurs to find co-founders, mentors and momentum for their ideas. Startup Weekend is hands down the best way to find someone you can actually launch a startup with! But possibly most valuably of all, is that not only will participants be integrating with our local community, but they will be joining a global community of over 30,000 Startup Weekend alumni with a common mission: to change the world.
First and foremost, Startup Weekends are about learning through the act of creating. Participants don’t just listen to theory, but build out their own ideas and truly put them to the test while collaborating with like-minded, passionate individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and points of view. On top of that, Startup Weekenders receive invaluable one-on-one time with the movers and shakers within the community, as local tech and startup leaders take part in Startup Weekends as coaches and judges.
Said South East BIC’s CEO Aidan Shine: “We are thrilled to bring the Startup Weekend to Waterford for the first time; it is a great opportunity for the City & Region to show its true entrepreneurial pedigree.”
According to Bank of Ireland’s Pamela Pim: “It is very exciting to be hosting Startup Weekend in our new Workbench on the Quay, where entrepreneurs and creative minds will aim to find the inspiration to help launch their bright ideas and meet people to partner with in bringing these ideas to life. Bank of Ireland is delighted to be on board from the start of this innovative programme and we look forward to welcoming the participants in April.”
A similarly enthused Elaine Fennelly (CEO of Crystal Valley Tech) stated: “This is a wonderful addition to the start up ecosystem in Waterford, along with WIT spin outs, our own VC company Suir Valley Ventures, a thriving Tech Meet up scene, the NDRC accelerator program at Arclabs and of course a critical mass of ICT companies in the City, this event will hopefully reach a new audience who may have the next big idea.”
Startup Weekend Waterford is designed as an inclusive event and program that brings all sorts of people together including: aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs, developers, designers, non-technical talent (i.e. business, sales, finance, legal etc.), students, professionals looking to switch careers or build new skills, and travel/tourism industry professionals.
There will be knowledgeable and successful entrepreneurs in attendance to inspire, share and mentor each team throughout the weekend. Along with global partner Google for Entrepreneurs, Startup Weekend Waterford is sponsored and organised by South East BIC, Bank of Ireland and Crystal Valley Tech.
