Startup Ireland: Day 5 - Galway

Galway on Friday was the last day of big Startup Gathering events. The whirlwind of new foods, a different time zone, and lack of sleep caught up to me that morning. Since I wasn't feeling well, I missed several of the speakers and didn't explore the city as much as I had hoped. Thankfully, I bounced back quickly and was still able to experience some of the city.

They mayor of Galway spoke during the morning forum. Photo credit: Paul Condron

Like most of the other cities, the mayor came to speak about the importance of startups in their region. It was really cool to see so many important people make the Startup Gathering a priority and recognize the positive impact a good startup ecosystem could have on their area.

The rest of the morning forum proceeded as normal with breakouts, panels and keynote speakers. After those wrapped up, smaller events with a more industry specific focus took off around the city. Rachel, Clayton and I chose to attend the open house for an incubator office sponsored by Bank of Ireland that was recently completed. The space was beautiful and we all agreed we would love to work there. Here's a picture from a fun little side room that would be perfect for a conference call or locking yourself away form your devices to get work cranked out before a deadline.

Isn't this just the cutest little space? Photo credit: Rachel Kelly

The rest of the office was super hip bright orange and blue with nice big tables and huge presentation screens. I want an office like that some day!

In the evening, things wrapped up with a reception, just like all the other cities. The keynote speaker was a man who had recently sold his successful startup. He made two comments that really struck me.

• "Out of adversity there is always opportunity."

This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. It really is all about perspective.

• "There is absolutely no reason you can't start a business anywhere in the world."

This comment was made as he spoke about technology and all the doors recent advancements have opened. It really challenged me personally to learn more about the technology resources available to me. I need to learn, and use them effectively to achieve my goals. 

Galway was a great place to wrap up our tour of the country promoting the startup message. I feel so blessed to be a part of such an impressive conference and am thankful for all the new skills and connections I've gained. Stay tuned for a my final reflection on the whole trip coming soon. Thanks for reading!