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Sarah Wynn Williams

Tech & Policy Expert and Author of “Careless People”

Sarah Wynn-Williams is a global public policy expert, New York Times bestselling author, and former Director of Global Public Policy at Facebook, now working in technology, geopolitics and AI. She became headline news when her book, Careless People, about her time at the social media giant, laid bare the behaviours, attitudes and personalities at the company.

Almar Latour

Publisher, The Wall Street Journal
CEO, Dow Jones

Almar Latour is Publisher of The Wall Street Journal and CEO of Dow Jones, a world-leading news and business information services company.

He was named CEO in 2020 and, under his leadership, Dow Jones has delivered record financial results, more than doubling profitability in four years, with significant growth in subscriptions and business information services. The company has doubled digital subscriptions, while safeguarding The Wall Street Journal’s reputation as one of the world’s most-trusted news organizations. Dow Jones’s portfolio of business information offerings including Factiva, OPIS and Risk & Compliance provide businesses with key data and insights to make better decisions.

Almar has an extensive track record of building successful news media businesses in the digital age. He oversaw the creation of the Barron’s Group, quadrupling the group’s digital audience at Barron’s and MarketWatch, and led the modernization of The Wall Street Journal’s website. Almar also led the development of The Wall Street Journal in Japan, Korea and China.

Almar has been stationed as a journalist in Brussels, London, Stockholm, New York and Hong Kong. He has also served as a bureau chief in New York, the managing editor of The Wall Street Journal online, and the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones in Asia-Pacific before being appointed its Executive Editor.

He is a native of the Netherlands and lives in New York City.

Andrew Melchior

Creative Technologist & Producer
Bowie, Björk, and Massive Attack

Andrew Melchior is a British-German producer and creative technologist. He’s worked with artists like Bowie, Björk and Massive Attack on experimental projects, and is currently developing tools for artists and rights owners in the age of AI whilst creating spatial and data-driven art works for European Capitals of Culture with Timothy Morton and MIT.

Jennifer H. Cunnigham

Editor-in-Chief
Newsweek

Jennifer H. Cunningham is the Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek and an award-winning investigative journalist and newsroom leader with two decades of experience in fast-paced digital and print media. Previously Editor-in-Chief of Business Insider’s News Division, she led global teams across the US, UK, and Singapore. She began her career as a local reporter in New Jersey before rising through the New York Daily News, and she is the immediate past president of the Newswomen’s Club of New York, where she continues to volunteer in support of women in journalism.

Emma Redmond

Head of Ireland
OpenAI

Emma Redmond is Associate General Counsel, Head of Privacy and Data Protection at OpenAI. She was formerly Global Head of Privacy and Chief Privacy Officer at Stripe, with previous roles as the Head of International Data Protection at both Ancestry and LinkedIn. She has been appointed by the Government of Ireland to the National AI Advisory Council. Emma is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at University College Dublin and was honored with a selection for the Leadership in Law programme at Harvard Law School in May 2017.

Eileen O’Mara

CRO
Stripe

Eileen O’Mara is Chief Revenue Officer at Stripe, where she is responsible for the go-to-market function. Based in Dublin—Stripe’s dual HQ—Eileen leads a global team that helps millions of companies, from the world’s largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups, use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Prior to joining Stripe, Eileen held a number of roles at Salesforce, including International CMO and head of commercial revenue for APAC & EMEA, where she led large teams across diverse markets. Eileen also held senior leadership roles at Oracle.

Alvina Antar

Chief Digital Officer
F5

Alvina Antar is the first-ever Chief Digital Officer at F5, where she leads the company’s digital transformation and drives its evolution into a data- and AI-first enterprise. With over 25 years of experience, she is a visionary leader known for building high-performing, diverse teams across Fortune 50 companies, high-growth businesses, and startups—focused on innovation through disruptive technologies and challenging the status quo.

Prior to F5, Alvina spent four years as CIO at Okta, where she championed identity-driven security and helped scale the business. Before that, she served as the first CIO at Zuora, building a modern Business Technology organization for subscription-based businesses and guiding the company through a successful IPO. She began her career as a software engineer at Dell, spending 17 years leading M&A integration and supporting the company’s evolution from a hardware to a software solutions provider.

A purpose-driven leader, Alvina creates meaningful relationships as a voice of the customer, blending startup agility with enterprise scale. She advises several AI and security startups—SGNL, SquareX, and Olakai—and serves on the Board of Directors at Couchbase. She is also deeply committed to advancing women in tech and empowering under-resourced youth. Alvina co-founded the Silicon Valley CIO Women’s Network and serves on the advisory board for BUILD. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Houston.

Eric Mosley

Founder & CEO
Workhuman

Eric Mosley is a visionary leader, author, speaker, and the driving force behind the Workhuman® movement, which focuses on transforming work through human connection and AI-powered recognition. As the founder and CEO of Workhuman, he has spent more than two decades pioneering a more human-centric approach to work, demonstrating how recognition, connection, and purpose fuel organizational success. A global thought leader on the intersection of technology and humanity, Eric challenges traditional HR frameworks and advocates for a future where AI and emerging technologies amplify human potential. His work especially explores how organizations can harness the collective intelligence of their people, using recognition data and social insights to build thriving, inclusive workplaces.

Issam Hijazi

Founder & CEO
Upscrolled

Issam Hijazi is a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technology entrepreneur and the founder of UpScrolled, a social media platform built to amplify authentic voices and eliminate algorithmic censorship.

Vrushali Paunikar

CPO
Carta

Vrushali Paunikar is the Chief Product Officer at Carta where she leads the team that is responsible for developing new products and advancing existing solutions. Vrushali’s team delivers value to Carta’s more than 30,000 customers in the venture and startup ecosystem, and generates growth for the overall business.

Before becoming CPO, Vrushali worked on building the valuation business and helped that business scale to software margins. She then went on to lead the Venture Capital business taking that business from zero to over $80M in ARR. She’s credited with envisioning Carta’s fund admin platform, known as Event Based Accounting, which today supports over $100B in assets under administration.

Before joining Carta, Vrushali served as a product leader at Applied Predictive Technologies, Dynamic Signal, and Rocket Lawyer. She has a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University.

John Willett

Co-founder & COO
Rogo

John is the co-founder & COO of Rogo, an AI platform purpose-built for finance. He oversees security, trust, and enterprise deployment from Rogo’s first international office in London. Prior to Rogo, John worked as an investment banker at Barclays and J.P. Morgan. He is a graduate of Princeton University, where he met his co-founder Gabriel Stengel and earned an undergraduate degree in economics, machine learning, and computer science.

Bianca Zwart

Chief Strategy Officer
bunq

Bianca Zwart began her journey at bunq in 2016 as a support guide, rapidly advancing into leadership positions including Head of PR & Communications. After stepping away to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, she returned in 2022 as the CEO’s first Chief of Staff. Today, she has made history as the youngest Chief of Strategy in banking—and she’s only just getting started. As bunq’s Chief Strategist, Bianca leads the team at the core of the company’s mission: user operations, ensuring every decision and innovation is grounded in delivering exceptional experiences for bunq users.

Ciaran Flanagan

VP & Global Head of Data Center Solutions & Services
Siemens

As Vice President and Head of Global Data Center Solutions at Siemens, Ciaran leads the company’s global market strategy for the data center industry. Drawing on deep technical expertise, industry insight, and cross-functional leadership, he steers Siemens’ data center business across its full portfolio. His focus is on creating tangible value for customers by enabling data centers around the world to better plan, design, build, operate and scale their facilities.

Prior to joining Siemens, Ciaran held several senior leadership positions in the global data center industry, most recently as Managing Director with ISG Ltd and previously as Vice President, Global Data Center Solutions at ABB. Ciaran was also Head of Datacenter Strategy at Nokia/Microsoft and held consulting and business leadership roles at Cirrascale Cloud Services and Intel Corporation.

Thomas Zimmermann

CEO
Freenow by Lyft

Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow by Lyft since 2022. He is driving the company’s focus on sustainable mobility, a strong taxi offering, and profitable growth. Since joining the company in 2018 as a CMO, he has played a key role in Freenow’s transformation into Europe’s leading multimobility platform and the company’s acquisition by Lyft in July 2025. With over 15 years of experience in the digital industry and leadership roles, he is passionate about building urban mobility solutions that truly work for cities and people.

Anita Hawser

Europe Editor
The Banker (Financial Times)

Anita Hawser is the Europe Editor of The Banker, where she covers a range of topics: digital currencies, tokenisation, banking collapses, financial literacy, financial crime, fraud, ESG, and diversity in financial services.

Paul Hourican

Head of Creative Industries
Namier Capital Partners

Paul Hourican is Head of Creative Industries at Namier Capital Partners. He previously served as Global Head of Music at TikTok, where he led the platform’s worldwide music strategy. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at YouTube and was Head of Talent and Music at MTV UK in London, overseeing artist partnerships and music programming.

Sigurdur Arnason

Co-founder & CEO
Overtune

Sigurdur Arnason, CEO and founder of Overtune, a music‑making app that lets anyone create music using simple sequencing, samples, and beat packs.

Ayuna Nechaeva

Head of Europe, Primary Markets
London Stock Exchange

Ayuna was appointed Head of Europe, Primary Markets in 2018, after holding senior roles across CIS and Emerging Markets since 2009. She has led numerous international IPOs and London Stock Exchange listings across sectors including Energy, Technology, Consumer, Fintech, and Metals & Mining.

Outside LSEG, she served on TheCityUK’s EMEA Market Advisory Group and International Trade and Investment Group (2021–2024).

Ayuna holds a Master’s in International Business from Grenoble Graduate School of Business and was named in Management Today’s 35 Under 35 Women in Management (2017), as well as shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement Award (2018).

Colin Crowell

Global Managing Director
The Blue Owl Group

Colin Crowell is an international tech policy consultant and the former Vice President of Global Public Policy, Government, & Philanthropy at Twitter. During his eight-plus years at the company, Colin built an award-winning philanthropy program and engaged with global policymakers and civil society on a range of Internet policy issues. Prior to joining Twitter, Colin worked as Senior Counselor to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He previously spent more than two decades on Capitol Hill drafting telecommunications and Internet laws on the committee staff of then-U.S. Representative (now Senator) Ed Markey (D-MA). Colin is a graduate of Boston College with a BA in Political Science and a minor concentration in Computer Science. After college, Colin was a Jesuit International Volunteer in Arequipa, Peru.

Carmel Crimmins

Host, Reuters Econ World
Thomson Reuters

Carmel Crimmins is the host of Reuters Econ World, a weekly vodcast that dives into the economic angles behind the news. An experienced journalist and editor, Carmel helps to run Reuters’ podcasting division. Prior to her current role, Carmel ran Reuters’ coverage of Wall Street in New York. She is a native of Dublin and lives in the city.

Amor Sexton

COO
Blockdaemon

Amor is COO for Blockdaemon, the world’s largest Web3 infrastructure provider. Her diverse background includes operations, strategy, communications, marketing, regulatory engagement, commercial law, and development of enterprise grade solutions. A qualified lawyer, Amor launched a pioneering digital currency legal practice and was a founding member of COALA, a global blockchain R&D collaboration between academics, lawyers, technologists and entrepreneurs. In addition to active involvement with many startups, Amor was also Head of Operations for Coinbase’s European crypto business, Head of Blockchain for Citi’s Treasury and Trade Solutions Group, and she helped lead Digital Transformation Strategy at BNP Paribas Securities Services.

Josh Builder

CTO
Datavant

Josh Builder is Chief Technology Officer of Datavant, where he leads the global technology organization. He has previously served as Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Health Care Delivery at CVS and CTO of Signify Health, Rent the Runway, and SoulCycle. Throughout his career, Josh has focused on aligning technology and business strategies to strengthen systems and scale organizations, including through IPOs and acquisitions. Josh has a particular focus on what it takes to embed AI into how engineering organizations operate – not just as a capability layer, but as a fundamental shift in how products get built, teams are structured, and engineers stay effective. At Datavant, he’s applying that lens to accelerate innovation in the healthcare data ecosystem with a high-performing engineering team. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.

Tim Ayling

VP of Cybersecurity Solutions EMEA
Thales

Tim Alyling is VP of Cyber Security Solutions EMEA at Thales, He leads teams across diverse markets to help protect the data and digital infrastructure of some of the world’s most recognised organisations. With 28 years of experience in cybersecurity and anti-fraud software, he has helped global enterprises stay resilient in the face of evolving threats while driving growth through innovative, customer-centric solutions.

Ada Mockute Jaime

CMO
Nordcurrent

Ada Mockute Jaime is the Chief Marketing Officer at Nordcurrent, the largest Baltic video game development and publishing studio. With over a decade of marketing leadership across finance, tech, and consumer goods, she brings a data-driven and community-focused approach to gaming. At Nordcurrent, Ada is focused on strengthening the company’s global brand, fostering player-driven content and communities, and expanding in key markets like Asia, North America, and Europe. She has played a pivotal role in scaling the company to over €100M in revenue and 800 million game downloads worldwide with hit mobile titles like Cooking Fever and Airplane Chefs, all while remaining bootstrapped. Previously, she led marketing and customer intelligence at Luminor Group and served as CMO at Citadele Bank, driving brand growth in competitive markets. She is passionate about championing diversity and inclusion in gaming.

Dr. Dympna O’Sullivan

Vice President of Research and Innovation
Technological University Dublin

Dr Dympna O’Sullivan is Vice President for Research and Innovation in TU Dublin. She holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and has served as the Head of Research for the Faculty of Computing, Digital and Data. Most recently, founded and led the Digital Futures Research Hub, advancing interdisciplinary research that bridges ICT in collaboration with industry, community, and public-sector partners.

She is a recognised expert in transdisciplinary research methods and a strong advocate for patient and public involvement (PPI), championing collaborative approaches that engage societal stakeholders throughout the research process. She is also an active contributor to public discourse on AI and digital transformation contributing across national and international TV, radio, and print media.

Dr O’Sullivan is committed to strengthening the representation and visibility of women in STEM, contributing to multiple initiatives that promote equity and inclusion in higher education. She is a current board member of IPPOSI (the Irish Platform for Patients Organisations, Science & Industry) and a former board member of Informatics Europe.

David Savage

Group Technology Evangelist
Nash Squared

David is Nash Squared’s Group Technology Evangelist. He crafts podcasts, hosts video debates, speaks, moderates conferences, and chairs keynote stages. He’s a passionate advocate for technology, dissecting its challenges and opportunities. David has worked at Nash Squared since 2007, where he has developed a deep understanding of the technology and talent markets. Recognised as Computing’s Digital Ambassador of the Year (2018), he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to every conversation. Since 2015 he has been editor and host of Tech Talks, a show about leadership and technology currently ranked as one of the most popular technology podcasts in the world. Since 2023 he has branched into film-making, with a series of popular technology focused documentaries.

Victoria Isa Daniel

Global Mobility Manager
Deloitte

Victoria Oluwatobi Isa Daniel is a legal professional, academic researcher, and global mobility specialist at the intersection of international law, human rights, and workforce strategy. She serves as Global Mobility Immigration Manager at Deloitte Ireland, advising multinational organisations on cross-border talent deployment and immigration compliance.

Victoria graduated top of her class from Maynooth University’s inaugural BCL Law and Criminology cohort and holds an LLM in International Human Rights and Public Policy from University College Cork. A recipient of the Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship, she is currently pursuing her PhD at Maynooth University’s School of Law and Criminology.

Her research has been published in the Refugee Survey Quarterly and the International Journal of Refugee Law, with policy contributions in association with Social Justice Ireland. A published contributor to RTÉ Brainstorm, Victoria has presented at national and international conferences. She is a One Young World Ambassador and currently serves as Chairperson of the Irish Universities Athletics Association.

Eamonn Forde

Music Journalist & Author

Eamonn Forde is an award-winning freelance music business and technology journalist who has written about all areas of the music industry since 2001. He is a regular contributor to Music Ally, Music Business Worldwide, The Guardian, IQ, Pollstar, The Quietus, The Big Issue and more. His music business books include The Final Days of EMI: Selling The Pig (2019), Leaving The Building: The Lucrative Afterlife Of Music Estates (2021) and 1999: The Year The Record Industry Lost Control (2024).

Francesco De Stefano

Co-Founder and CEO
Caracol

Francesco De Stefano is the Co-Founder and CEO of Caracol, a leading industrial robotic advanced manufacturing technology provider. He manages Caracol’s growth and global operations, overseeing fundraising, strategy, commercial, finance, and operations. Prior to starting the company, he worked on international projects at the Milan branch of the Boston Consulting Group with an emphasis on automotive and aerospace. He has a deep expertise in Industry 4.0 technologies, for example, by collaborating with major automotive conglomerates to introduce additive manufacturing processes in their production lines. De Stefano holds degrees from Bocconi University, London Business School, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He lives and works between Milan, Italy, and Austin, TX, USA.

Clare Hickie

CTO (EMEA)
Workday

Clare Hickie, Chief Technology Officer, EMEA joined Workday in 2018. She is a passionate leader and tech champion at the intersection of transformation, talent and AI. She serves on the Board of Directors for Workday Limited. Prior to joining Workday, she worked in senior roles for global innovators including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and General Electric.

Clare advocates for greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace, nurtures talent and promotes future generations in STEM through mentorship and leadership, both within and outside of Workday. She was awarded the title of Female CTO of the Year in 2024 by SheCanCode.

Brendan O’Reilly

CEO (UK & Ireland)
Boldyn Networks

Brendan O’Reilly is CEO of Boldyn Networks UK & Ireland. He previously served as the company’s Group COO and Group CTO, playing a key role in its rapid expansion across the US, UK, and Europe.

Charlie Taylor

Technology and Innovation Editor
Business Post

Charlie Taylor is Technology and Innovation editor at the Business Post, where his duties also include editing Connected, a tech-focused monthly magazine., and a regular podcast. Charlie covers a range of companies and trends in Irish technology, ranging from start-ups to Big Tech companies. Before joining the Business Post, he spent 15 years working for the Irish Times in a number of roles across the newspaper.

Dr. Robert McArdle

EMEA Director, Senior Threat Researcher
TrendAI

Robert is Director of TrendAI’s Forward Looking Threat Research (FTR) and Adversary Intelligence and Monitoring (AIM) teams, where he is involved in analysing and monitoring the latest Cybercrime threats – specializing in researching the future threat landscape, Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) and coordinating investigations with international law enforcement. Robert is a regular presenter for the press and at security conferences. He also has lectured in Malware Analysis and Cybercrime Investigations on MSc modules at Munster Technological University (MTU) and University College Dublin (UCD). He worries that his hobby and job are one and the same, and constantly wonders if “normal” people have that problem.

Alice Charles

Director, Cities, Planning & Design
Arup

Alice Charles is a Director for Cities, Planning & Design focusing on delivering cross cutting urban strategy projects globally. She is also a member of the UN Habitat Executive Directors Stakeholder Advisory Group Enterprise, Co-Chair of the Earthshot Prize Cities Working Group, member of the SDSN Urban SDG Finance Commission and Chairs its Private Sector Taskforce, UN Global Compact Ireland Chapter Board Member, Member of the World Economic Forum Davos Baukultur Alliance and a Member of the Steering Board of Construct Innovate. She previously led the World Economic Forum’s cities work, was an External Member of the Board, NAMA Planning Advisory Committee, EU Presidency Officer with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, worked in Dail Eireann, Jacobs and Avison Young.

Kimberley Waldron

Founder & CEO
Started PR

An award-winning advisor and entrepreneur, with over 15 years in the financial services and tech industry. Kimberley hosts the popular Get Started podcast, chairs the Manchester Fintech committee and is a long-term mentor for fintech founders via programs like Rise by Barclays and Fintech Circle. A regular on stage at events like Web Summit, Money2020, Money Live, Fintech Fringe and IFGS, Kimberley’s insight also features in publications such as Fintech Magazine, Payments Expert, Entrepreneur and The Fintech Power50 journal.

Kimberley was recently named in both the Fintech Power50 most influential list 2025 and the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist 2025. She is also board advisor to several exciting Fintech start-ups.

Ülane Vilumets

Head of Global Expansion
e-Residency

Ülane leads the team that is responsible for ecosystem development and partnerships at the e-Residency of Estonia. Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency – a government-issued digital identity that allows entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world to start and manage a paperless EU-based company fully online. Before joining the team Ülane was an entrepreneur and a startup founder herself so she understands the challenges of SMEs doing cross-border business and startups looking to expand very well.

Dorothy Creaven

Co-founder & COO
Jentic

Dorothy is the COO and co-founder of Jentic. She is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation across startups, multinationals, and high-growth tech companies. Before co-founding Jentic, Dorothy served as Managing Director and VP of Technology at Rent the Runway, the publicly traded New York–based eCommerce company. Earlier, she founded Element Wave, scaling it from a €400 start into a Gartner-recognised enterprise platform. She has been recognised among Ireland’s Top 25 Women in Engineering for her leadership in technology and innovation.

James Kretchmar

CTO & SVP
Akamai Technologies

James Kretchmar is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Cloud Technology Group at Akamai. In this role, he oversees the architecture and technology strategy of Akamai’s globally distributed edge and cloud platform. Kretchmar joined Akamai in 2004. Previously, he served in a variety of technical leadership roles across the company in both engineering and operations, including as Chair of Akamai’s Architecture Board, CTO of EMEA, and lead architect of Akamai’s global traffic management and load balancing system, which directs billions of internet users to hundreds of thousands of servers based on real-time conditions. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he also worked as a network engineer and systems programmer prior to joining Akamai.

Marnix Stokvis

Co-Founder & CEO
Aquablu

Marnix Stokvis grew up in The Hague, Netherlands. After completing his studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam, he settled in Amsterdam, where he currently lives and works. As co-founder of cleantech scale-up Aquablu, he is driven by a mission as bold as it is urgent: to help one billion people drink healthier and perform better. Aquablu is often described as the “Nespresso of water.” With its advanced technology, the company is making hydration smarter, more sustainable, and more appealing—by producing enriched beverages (with vitamins, minerals, and flavors) directly at the point of use. All without plastic packaging, transportation, or compromise on quality and experience.

With clients like Microsoft, Adyen, and Heineken, and a network spanning 17 European countries, Aquablu is gaining traction fast. But their ambition reaches beyond B2B: it’s about driving a global shift in how we hydrate, think, and care for the planet.

Dr. Barry Scannell

Partner
William Fry

Barry is a Partner in William Fry’s Technology department. He specialises in artificial intelligence (AI), copyright, IP, technology law and data protection.

Henrik Landgren

Co-Founder and CPTO
Gillion

Gilion is an AI-powered platform for investors, including VCs, to evaluate and deeply understand the data behind a company. Gilion’s agentic AI architecture can analyse 1 billion+ live data points per company, and predict revenue 12 months ahead of time with 90%+ accuracy. Having deployed €130M+ with zero credit losses using this technology, Gilion now offers it as a product to help investors gain greater granularity on their investment data.

Henrik was Spotify’s first VP of Analytics, where he led data strategy under Daniel Ek during the company’s growth to over 20M subscribers. He then helped build EQT Ventures’ Funds I and II from launch to over 100 investments.

Armin Moradi

Co-Founder & CEO
Qashio

Armin Moradi is the co-founder and CEO of Qashio, a revolutionary spend management platform and financial control center that equips finance and HR departments with automated and transparent expense reporting, better visibility, control of cash flows, and an empowered workforce. At Qashio, Armin is responsible for commercial growth and scaling up operations, while focusing on increasing revenue streams and business development.

Simone Basso

Chief Product and Technology Officer
WeRoad

Simone Basso is Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) at WeRoad, responsible for defining and delivering the company’s digital product vision and AI strategy.

A highly accomplished technology leader, with over two decades of experience, Simone has a passion for founder-led businesses and a dedication to thriving tech ecosystems. His expertise lies in scaling teams and technology platforms (e-commerce, marketplaces, content management systems, social networks).

Prior to WeRoad he led digital teams for Just Eat in London, GetYourGuide in Berlin and Indie Campers in Lisbon.

David Hardwicke

Co-Founder
Aerska

David Hardwicke is Co-Founder of Aerska, a company advancing brain shuttle–enabled RNA medicines for CNS disorders. His background spans biotech entrepreneurship, venture investing, and commercialization across cell and gene therapy and RNA therapeutics, with prior roles at AveXis (now Novartis Gene Therapies), ONK Therapeutics, and Pathway Bioventures. He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, US and University College Cork, Ireland.

Éanna Kelly

Contributing Editor
Sifted.eu

Éanna is a tech journalist living in Paris. He is currently a Senior Editor at Sifted, and reports largely on deeptech and startup culture.

Rupal Karia

SVP & GM – North America, UKI & MEA
Celonis

Rupal is a highly experienced GTM leader with a proven track record in delivering business results across various organisations. Rupal is laser-focused on supporting Celonis customers in North America, UKI & MEA. Rupal joined from UiPath where he successfully led their Global and Strategic Accounts. Rupal previously led Adobe’s Strategic Accounts across Europe and Public Sector for the UK&I. Before moving to hyper growth software companies, Rupal was previously Head of UK&I at Fujitsu overseeing revenue of over £1 billion. Rupal is passionate about diverse work forces and has been recognised as number 18 in the Financial Times EMpower Minority Executives list (North America and UK), and in the FT’s top 100 list for most influential BAME leaders in technology for his contribution to the area.

Eoin McDonnell

Head of Strategic Programmes
Skillnet Ireland

Eoin is the Head of National Talent Initiatives at Skillnet Ireland, where he leads a portfolio of national workforce programmes focused on upskilling, reskilling, and talent development. This work sits at the intersection of policy, enterprise, and delivery – shaping initiatives that help businesses respond to structural shifts such as digital transformation, emerging sectors, and the changing nature of work.

Eoin’s experience spans consultancy, corporate, and public-sector environments. He has led complex, partner-driven initiatives with a consistent focus on translating strategic intent into practical, scalable solutions that deliver impact at both enterprise and system level.

He is particularly interested in how organisations can anticipate future skills needs to build competitive advantage – not just react to them – by strengthening data foundations, aligning stakeholders, and creating the conditions for continuous workforce adaptation.

Jordan Casey

Co-Founder & CEO
Mindpath.ie

Jordan Casey is an Irish entrepreneur and technology founder who began his career at a young age, building multiple ventures and speaking internationally on innovation and youth entrepreneurship.

He is currently the Co-Founder & CEO of MindPath, a fast-growing digital mental health ecosystem focused on expanding access to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergent care through clinician-led, technology-enabled services.

Alexander Danielsson

Partner
Norrsken VC

Alexander Danielsson is a Partner at Norrsken VC, Europe’s leading early stage impact investors. With a background in private equity at TA Associates, Alexander is enthusiastic about supporting visionary founders. He is particularly excited about those who utilise technology to address the biggest societal problems of our time.

Alistair Stoops

Head of Microsoft AI Solutions
Kainos

Alistair Stoops is Head of Microsoft AI Solutions at Kainos, where he leads research, innovation, and delivery across the Microsoft technology stack. With a background spanning data science and engineering, he focuses on helping organisations adopt new AI technologies in practical, secure, and value‑driven ways across both public and private sectors.

Ethan Pierse

Partner
Borderless Ventures

A prolific keynote speaker and sought-after MC and moderator at over 80 events each year including Web Summit, SXSW, Vivatech, CES, AI for Finance/Health/Life Summits, Adopt AI, Nexus, etc…Ethan currently educates and inspires audiences on generative and agentic AI, web3, and the opportunities for enterprise, brands, and creators in the AI-First economy.

He is the author of the upcoming “The AI-First Economy” about the new standard of small team entrepreneurship powered by generative AI, agentic AI, low-code, and the creator economy.

Brendan Barry

CTO
Equal1

With experience in developing highly complex AI solutions, Brendan Barry oversees the team that is bringing the company’s silicon quantum strategy to the next phase.Most recently, Brendan was Director of VPU (Vision Processing Unit) Development at Intel Movidius where he ensured the successful integration of Movidius’ key technology into Intel, proliferation of VPU technology into other Intel products, and development of next generation tools for AI, ISP and computer vision products. Prior to the Intel acquisition, as Vice President of Engineering at Movidius, Brendan led the development of three generations of Myriad products, including the successful development of Neural Compute Engine, DSP and CV hardware engines and associated software development tools to harness the power efficient flexible architecture.

Jesus Serrano

Principal Product Manager, Studio42
Microsoft

Jesus Serrano Castro is the AI Principal Product Manager at Studio42, Microsoft’s in-house innovation studio. With over 25 years of experience in the digital sector, including 19 years at Microsoft, he specializes in blending Artificial Intelligence and User Experience by drawing on his dual background as an engineer and designer.

Jesus has a proven track record of turning emerging technologies into high-impact, tangible solutions. He is a Microsoft patent inventor and has led the design and development of solutions and consumer applications with millions of users. His career includes collaborations with more than 300 clients across 35 countries, spanning industries from sports and media to retail.

Beyond his work at Microsoft, Jesus is an award-winning speaker with over 200 global keynotes and sessions. He also serves as an AI Tutor and Course Co-Director at the University of Oxford, where he shares insights on product innovation and cloud adoption.

He remains dedicated to bridging the gap between visionary concepts and practical implementation, helping organizations innovate at scale in an increasingly digital world.

Dr. Madhu Shashanka

Co-founder & Chief Scientist
Concentric AI

Dr. Shashanka is Chief Scientist and Co-Founder for Concentric. Before joining Concentric, Dr. Shashanka served as Managing Director for Charles Schwab’s Data Science and Machine Learning team. He co-founded and was the Chief Scientist for PetaSecure before their purchase by Niara.He is a senior member of the IEEE and served as Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems. Dr. Shashanka received his doctorate in computational neuroscience from Boston University and a degree in computer science from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.

Mark Kelly

Co-founder & Chief Customer Officer, Alldus
Founder, AI Ireland

Mark Kelly stands out as a leading figure in Ireland’s AI community, having established both AI Ireland and the AI Awards to elevate the sector. As the Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Alldus, he bridges the gap between AI talent and opportunities across Europe and the U.S. His recent book, “”AI Unleashed,”” serves as a practical guide for business leaders entering the AI arena. With over 450 interviews conducted with AI leaders ranging from tech giants to cutting-edge start-ups, Mark has cemented his role in shaping meaningful dialogue in the industry. He has evaluated more than 500 AI initiatives in Ireland, thereby steering AI discourse at both local and international levels. In addition to his AI achievements, Mark garnered attention as a TEDx speaker in 2017 for his impactful talk on the transformative power of kindness.

Tony Dignam

CEO
Agile Executives

Tony is Founder and CEO of Agile Executives, Irelands largest provider of Fractional Executives, mentoring and consultancy services to scaling businesses. He is a commercially strong leader who qualified as an accountant while working with PWC. Through over 200 Fractional Executives Agile have helped over 3,000 businesses since being established in 2019. He also founded Pinnacle Computing in Dublin in 1998, Franchise Connections in 2007 and owned franchises in retail and consultancy. Previous roles include FD of Compass Catering, MD of Zomax, EMEA Director of Technical Support Services for Compaq and Finance Director of MTI Technology. He has consistently improved the financial and operational performance of businesses he has worked with.

Trevor Parks

Sr. Director, Advanced Security Solutions
Comcast Business

Trevor Parks comes with over two decades of experience helping enterprises defend and modernize their security posture. As the leader of the Advanced Security Solutions specialist team, he enables organizations across the globe to protect complex hybrid networks while embedding innovation at every layer of defense. Trevor has deep technical roots in penetration testing, threat analytics, and global SOC operations. As a recognized thought leader and keynote speaker at events such as Black Hat and Def Con, he provides clear insight into how AI is reshaping the threat landscape—transforming both adversarial tactics and defensive strategies. His mission is to help organizations harness AI responsibly to strengthen resilience and outpace evolving cyber risks.

Alan Murphy

Regional Manager
Smart Dublin

Alan is the Smart Dublin Regional Manager working across all four Dublin Local Authorities exploring how emerging technology can transform public services. He has extensive experience in delivering change enabled by technology in sectors such as the Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Humanitarian. He was the Design Authority on the Irish Smart Metering programme which sparked his interest in Smart Cities. He has previously worked in Consulting roles for PwC and IBM. Alan’s qualifications include a Business Studies Degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Computing from the University of Limerick.

Nadja D’Arcy

Ireland Country Leader
Salesforce

Nadja D’Arcy is Country Leader for Salesforce Ireland, where she leads the Ireland Hub of approximately 3,000 employees and helps shape Salesforce’s long-term growth and impact in the Irish market. She works closely with customers, partners, and public sector stakeholders to strengthen Salesforce’s role within Ireland’s technology ecosystem. In parallel, Nadja leads Salesforce’s EMEA Sales Development Representative organisation, overseeing large-scale pipeline growth and early-career talent programmes across the region. She brings over 20 years of international leadership experience in global technology organisations.

David Gilbert

Reporter
Wired

David Gilbert is a reporter with two decades of experience covering technology. He currently works at WIRED where he covers disinformation, online extremism, and how they impact people’s lives across the globe, with a special focus on US politics and elections. He is a regular contributor to CNN, PBS, and MSNBC, as well as RTE radio and TV. Prior to joining WIRED, David worked at VICE News. He lives in Ireland.

Mark Little

Tech Entrepreneur

Mark Little is an Irish entrepreneur, journalist, and digital media expert, best known for founding Storyful (the world’s first social news agency) and co-founding Kinzen. Previously a foreign correspondent and Prime Time anchor for RTÉ, he also served as Twitter’s VP for Media in Europe and later worked with Spotify on trust and safety.

Alex Mann

VP of Patient Care Systems
Medtronic

Alex Mann is Vice President of Medtronic Patient Care Systems. With more than three decades of deep technical experience in digital product engineering, platform strategy, and organisational leadership, Alex leads a team of nearly 1,000 people globally whose goal is simple: help care teams make faster, better decisions so more patients get the best possible outcome.

Paddy Flynn

VP, Geo Data Operation
Google

Paddy Flynn joined Google in 2009 and was the Director of the Trust & Safety team for EMEA and APAC until August 2017. This involved managing a multi-market team who works across Google’s core products to ensure user safety through adherence and promotion of Google’s guidelines and policies. Paddy has 20 years of experience before joining Google, he has a background in information technology and general management across a wide range of industries and businesses including working in consulting for a number of years. Paddy graduated from University College Cork as an Electrical Engineer and started his career at Accenture. Over the past 17 years Paddy has led Google Ireland’s engagement with the Irish startup community. In that role he has helped develop/scale a thriving local eco-system by running events, providing mentorship and creating global/local Google for Entrepreneurs partnerships for startups.

Julien Haure

Partner, Employment & Benefits
Mayer Brown

Julien Haure is an experienced employment law advisor who intervenes on complex employment and collective action matters and represents clients in court for litigation matters.

Several leading Californian tech-companies enlist Julien as their go-to-advisor. As such, he assists them in solving their trickiest French employment law issues and regularly organizes French employment law training sessions focusing on business-oriented solutions.

Rémy Bonnaud

Partner, Tax
Mayer Brown

Rémy Bonnaud serves French and international Tech clients on their day-to-day tax affairs (monitoring and diagnosing tax situations, tax audits and tax litigations). He also advises private individuals on managing their tax affairs, particularly executives and managers on structuring their remuneration and professional investments. Rémy has extensive experience of international taxation, including transfer pricing.

Máire P. Walsh

Managing Partner & CEO
Belayer

Máire P. Walsh is a Silicon Valley-based investor, operator, and advisor working at the intersection of venture capital, commercialization, and international scale. She is the founder of Belayer, where she advises high-growth technology companies on fundraising, U.S. market entry, and enterprise growth. She is also a Venture Partner at AiiM Partners, a Silicon Valley and London-based sustainability fund investing in companies driving industrial transformation, resource efficiency, and scalable growth.

Previously, she led Digital Technologies for Enterprise Ireland in Silicon Valley, supporting Irish founders on U.S. expansion, strategic partnerships, and early commercial traction. She is also a direct investor in companies such as Airalo, Dromos, Urban Fox, and Swippitt, and brings one of the strongest cross-border networks between Ireland, Europe, and Silicon Valley.

Marine Hamon

Counsel, Employment & Benefits
Mayer Brown

Marine Hamon advises French and foreign Tech companies on all matters related to French Employment and Labor Law. She also represents their interests before French courts.

Clients notably turn to Marine for her extensive experience on employment-related investigations and complex negotiations. She assists a wide array of clients and provides pragmatic and business oriented advice on day-to-day human resources issues.

Over the years, she has also gained in-depth and practical knowledge of employees’ intellectual property issues.

David Ayache

Partner, Corporate & Securities
Mayer Brown

Clients turn to David Ayache for advice on their domestic and cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity transactions, including corporate acquisitions and divestments, joint ventures, carve-outs, turnarounds, growth capital transactions and LBOs. David advises Tech companies, entrepreneurs, private and listed companies, private equity funds and family offices.

Richard Lennox

Interim COO
CodeBase

Richard Lennox is a technology entrepreneur and operator who has spent more than two decades building companies that matter. He was part of the core teams at two of Scotland’s most celebrated technology exits, Skyscanner ($1.7bn) and Current Health ($400m, acquired by Best Buy). He now serves as interim Chief Operating Officer at CodeBase, Scotland’s national startup hub, leading delivery of the Techscaler programme on behalf of the Scottish Government. He believes the defining companies from this part of the world are yet to be built.

Niall McEvoy

Partner
Elkstone

Niall is Partner and Head of Venture at Elkstone, Irelands largest seed stage fund (€100m). Niall joined Elkstone from Enterprise Ireland where he led the High Potential Start-up (HPSU) team. Prior to that, Niall spent 7 years at the helm of his own start-up as Co-Founder and CEO at Irish Sportstech company Teamer. He has spent much of his career working directly with start-ups and scale-ups, has deep domain expertise in start-up and growth stage funding, and a real passion for supporting founders on the journey from start to scale.

Conor Moules

Co-founder & CEO
Barespace

Conor is the CEO and Co-Founder of Barespace, a Dublin based vertical SaaS company building the operating system for the hair and beauty industry. Barespace covers everything a salon needs to run and grow, including management, payments, AI-driven marketing, and working capital. It is one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in Ireland. Conor’s focus is straightforward: build something salons actually need, make it work, and grow it into a category defining business.

Aisling Browne

Co-founder & CEO
Glitch

Aisling (“Ash”) Browne is the CEO and co-founder of Glitch, a Dublin-based AI startup transforming how scaling businesses acquire customers through digital advertising. Glitch combines the precision of AI with strategic human insight to make high-performance advertising more accessible and effective for growing businesses.

Prior to founding Glitch, Aisling spent over a decade working in early-stage and scaling startups. With experience at global fintechs like Wayflyer, she brings a strong focus on capital efficiency and data-driven transparency. She believes that success in modern advertising isn’t determined by budget alone, but by the quality and intelligence of the data behind every decision.

Vincenzo Ruffa

Co-founder & Director of Global Strategy
Humans.tech

Web Entrepreneur and Technology Visionary, Vincenzo Ruffa began his programming journey at an early age and has built a solid and successful entrepreneurial career. With over 15 years of experience in leading complex digital initiatives and partnering with major international organizations, Vincenzo brings a clear strategic vision: leveraging technology and innovation to drive measurable business impact.

Bella Thornely

UKI Centre of Advanced AI Lead
Accenture

Bella leads the Centre for Advanced AI for Accenture in the UK, Ireland and Africa. Bella has 10+ years’ experience in being an agent of change, delivering transformation programmes with a particular specialism in Financial Services. Bella helps organisations navigate the rapidly evolving world of emerging technologies especially Gen AI, bridging the gap between visionary technology adoption and practical, safe, measurable business impact.

Steve Blanche

CTO
Ergo

Steve is CTO at Ergo, bringing over 26 years of experience across the IT landscape. He leads the technical strategy for Ireland’s leading Managed Services provider, supporting more than 400 enterprise customers. A long-standing Microsoft Partner of the Year leader, Steve is known for helping organisations turn AI ambition into real-world impact, particularly in highly regulated environments. With a pragmatic approach to cloud migration and digital transformation, and a strong belief in putting people at the centre of technology, he works closely with fellow CIOs to deliver secure, scalable solutions that drive measurable business value.

DC Cahalane

Venture Partner & Head of Ecosystems
Sure Valley Ventures

DC has founded four companies and led sales and marketing across a number of high profile startups and scaleups, such as Teamwork.com, Trustev, Dogpatch and Republic of Work. DC is a founding member of Scale Ireland and an Irish government appointment to the Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum & SME Growth and Entrepreneurship Taskforce. DC is passionate about helping people start and scale their own businesses and in his not-so-spare time has helped more than 250 startups across the globe get started, get funded and get noticed using his global network of friends and contacts.

Barry Downes

Managing Partner
Sure Valley Ventures

Barry is a founder-operator turned investor and Managing Partner of SVV (Sure Valley Ventures), which he founded in 2017. Before venture capital, he built and exited technology companies, including FeedHenry, which was acquired by Red Hat, and later led the Walton Institute, an internationally recognised applied research centre. His focus is on how artificial intelligence – and increasingly agentic systems – are reshaping how companies are built, how decisions are made, and how capital is governed.

Padraig Hyland

CEO & Co-Founder
Core Story

Padraig Hyland believes that the best leaders don’t just communicate strategy; they tell stories that move people. As the founder of The Core Story, Padraig has spent over 20 years helping leaders across Asia, North America, and Europe find their authentic voice and lead change that actually sticks. He’s worked with global organisations including Heineken, DHL, Mars, Takeda, Irish Medtech Skillnet and Bank of Ireland – bringing together research-based leadership development, a deep understanding of human connection and just the right amount of humour. The Core Story are innovators in how organisations engage people around change.   At the heart of their work is a simple conviction: business needs heart strategy as well as smart strategy. Real change only happens when people can connect personally to what’s changing and why. That’s the story Padraig and his team help leaders and organisations learn to tell.

Faye Walsh Drouillard

Founder & General Partner
WakeUp Capital

Faye Walsh Drouillard is a former social entrepreneur and Founder and General Partner of WakeUp Capital, a Dublin-based impact venture capital firm. Driven by a refusal to accept the status quo, Faye invests in visionary founders across the EU who are tackling complex social and environmental challenges, specifically focusing on climate resilience, sustainable value chains, health equity, and an inclusive economy. A staunch advocate for democratizing finance and philanthropy, Faye is the founder and Board Chair of The Giving Circles of both Ireland and Amsterdam. Her career is defined by leadership roles within mission driven organizations, including her tenure as the former Executive Director of the Freedom Writers Foundation. Beyond her work with the firm, she continues to consult, catalyze capital, and angel-invest with a sharp focus on leveraging diversity as a driver of outsized impact and financial performance within the investment ecosystem. Faye is a frequent speaker, board member, and a relentless champion for using innovative and impact-driven finance as a key tool for systemic change. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Liam Dunne

CEO & Co-Founder
Klearcom

Liam Dunne is the Co-Founder and CEO of Klearcom, a leading SaaS platform for Voice AI testing. With over 20 years’ experience across media, telecoms, and enterprise software, Liam has built and scaled multiple ventures, including two successful exits, and is recognised as a multi-award-winning entrepreneur. In 2025, Klearcom ranked #3 in the Deloitte Fast 50, and Liam was selected as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Emerging Category). That same year, Klearcom partnered with Synova, marking a pivotal step in scaling the business globally—bringing operational expertise, capital, and strategic support to accelerate growth. Under Liam’s leadership, Klearcom supports global leaders including Google, Mastercard, Pfizer, and Visa, ensuring flawless customer communication across 100+ countries. Liam is now focused on scaling Klearcom into the global standard for Voice AI and customer experience assurance

Fintan Buckley

CEO & Co-Founder
Ubotica

Fintan has over 25 years of experience in senior technical and leadership roles in software and hardware. He was VP of Engineering at Scenario Inc., guiding key technology development and playing a vital role in its 2014 trade sale. As Senior Engineering Director at Trintech Technologies, he managed the UK and Ireland rollout of the “Chip and Pin” system. A founding employee of Parthus Technologies, he contributed to its successful NASDAQ and LSE listings. Fintan holds a BA in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin.

Phil Barnes

Business Development Manager, EMEA
Geotab

Phil Barnes is the Business Development Manager, EMEA, for Geotab; the world’s largest commercial telematics company. With a background in software & telematics for over 25 years, he has a proven track record for helping businesses on delivering their objectives, often complex programmes for change management, efficiency & sustainability. His experience places him well to support Geotab’s business development efforts across the island of Ireland, focusing on unlocking the value of the connected vehicle ecosystem & delivering global technology within the local region.

Shawn Butler

Co-founder & Vice-President
BNS

An architect of the digital landscape since 1996, Shawn has spent nearly three decades architecting systems for global leaders including AT&T, Anixter, and Optiv. His career evolution from Network Engineer to Principal Architect and Director of Solutions Architecture provides him with a unique, “”full-stack”” perspective on how data flows throughout the enterprise, supply chain, and to the consumers.

Currently, as the Co-Founder of BNS (Building New Systems), Shawn focuses on the intersection of data inventory, governance, and architecture with a core emphasis on security and privacy for Data & AI. He is an advocate for Data & AI Lifecycle Management and the democratisation of data, specialising in the correlation of disparate datasets to quantify risk and drive monetisation. He is dedicated to making data meaningful, relevant, and accessible for all. Shawn’s experience spans the spectrum—from agile SMBs to Fortune 100 giants—across diverse sectors including Energy, Finance, Healthcare, Media & Entertainment, Eduction, and Manufacturing.

Ivar Kruusenberg

Founder & CEO
PowerUp

Dr. Ivar Kruusenberg is a serial entrepreneur and scientist dedicated to embedding sustainability into the infrastructure of tomorrow. As the founder of PowerUP Energy Technologies, he leverages his extensive background in fuel cell chemistry and research — honed at the University of Tartu and UC Berkeley — to develop clean energy alternatives to diesel. Following the success of his previous venture, UP Catalyst, Ivar now balances executive leadership with his mission to accelerate the energy transition. He is a vocal proponent of “built-in” sustainability, arguing that decarbonization must be an intrinsic design choice rather than a corporate add-on. A former Estonian national snowboarding champion, Ivar brings the same drive and precision to building high-impact deep-tech solutions.

Donagh Kiernan

Founder & CEO
Tenego Partnering

Donagh is Sales focussed, Entrepreneurial, Creative in Business Ideas and Business Development, Broad Network of Contacts in Business Community and Technology Sectors. Donagh has 30+ years of experience of technology development, sales, board director, business ownership, investment and management. Starting as a Software Developer, he developed to business founder/owner/manager, Business development, sales and marketing of technology.

Ross Keating

Founder
Overpath & The Lennox Academy

Ross Keating is a founder and operator focused on improving how revenue teams execute under pressure. He has built three businesses centred on sales performance, enablement, and execution.

Ross is the founder of Overpath, an AI-powered sales execution system designed to help revenue teams act with precision. In December 2025, Overpath raised €1.6M to develop agentic AI that guides sales reps toward the right actions at the right time. The platform analyses prospect interactions, identifies behavioural gaps and deal risk early, and automates key parts of go-to-market execution integrating directly into tools reps already use, including Slack, web platforms, WhatsApp, and voice.

Ross is also behind The Lennox Academy, a sales training business for GTM teams. Over the past three years, the company has trained more than 10,000 sales professionals, delivering structured skills programmes and frameworks such as MEDDICC. Its client base includes organisations like LinkedIn, ServiceNow, and Udemy.

Across his ventures, Ross focuses on combining training, systems, and AI to help revenue teams execute more effectively in high-stakes environments.

Ryan Woods

Head of Strategy
Started PR

Ryan Woods is an emerging voice in fintech and a recognised moderator and speaker on the themes shaping financial services today. He is Head of Strategy at Started PR and presenter of the Get Started Podcast. With nearly a decade of experience in B2B PR, he understands how fintech and technology companies can turn complex ideas into credible narratives that deliver impact.

He regularly moderates and contributes to panels for organisations including Pro Manchester and FinTech North, featured at last year’s Global FintechForum as part of UK FinTech Week, and serves as a judge for FinTech Circle’s Investor Network selection days. He has also been featured in industry titles including FinTech Intel, Payment Expert and Green Sheet. Alongside this, he is the Head of Content for the Started Advisory Board.

John Brennan

CEO
West BIC

As CEO of WestBIC, John Brennan sets the strategic direction of the organisation, leading its mission to support start-ups and scaling companies across the region and overseeing day-to-day operations. His role spans strategy, leadership and relationship building. With a background in business and finance and more than 20 years at WestBIC, John is a recognised specialist in preparing High Potential Start-Ups for seed investment from Enterprise Ireland, business angels and the wider venture community.

Conor O’Sullivan

Investment Director
Atlantic Bridge

Conor joined Atlantic Bridge in 2021 where he focuses on identifying and evaluating new investment opportunities for the University Bridge Funds. Prior to joining Atlantic Bridge, Conor was based in London where he was Vice President at Paladin Capital, one of the most active early-stage venture capital investors in the cybersecurity sector. Before Paladin Conor was Investment Manager at Seraphim Capital, the largest investment group dedicated to investing in space technology start-ups. Following his MBA at the University of Oxford, Conor joined the Satellite Applications Catapult, a space research and technology centre funded by the UK Government, as Head of Business Strategy supporting over 100 start-ups. Prior to this Conor worked in sales, trading and operational roles for 5 years at two global investment banks. Conor holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and a BA in Business and Economics from Trinity College Dublin.

Patrick Ryan

Writer, producer, entrepreneur, investor, MBA, Chartered Director

Patrick Ryan, Writer, producer, entrepreneur, investor, MBA, Chartered Director, interested in culture, tech & social impact. Co-founder, Two’s Company Media. Former co-founder & CEO, KYCnet, world’s first KYC SaaS. Patrick Ryan is a writer, producer, entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author and board member with an interest in culture, technology, financial services, regulatory compliance and social impact. Patrick was born and raised in Dublin and has lived in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Los Angeles – with regular stints across Europe and India and China – over the past 30 years. Patrick and his family returned home to Dublin in late 2021.

After starting his career in the late ‘80s with KPMG in Ireland, Patrick then spent the ‘90s and early ‘00s globetrotting in senior technology and new product development roles with ABN Amro Bank and Mattel Toys. He moved back from Los Angeles to Amsterdam in 2006 and founded KYCnet in 2008. KYCnet, a regtech / fintech Saas innovator, provided award winning KYC services and Saas solutions to dozens of regulated financial institutions in Europe, the UK and Ireland grew to employ over 160 people in Amsterdam, with hundreds more in India and thousands of partner and customer users. Patrick successfully sold the company to Equiniti PLC and exited in late 2017.

Patrick has a wide range of interests and is an investor in and advisor to a number of fintech, regtech, medtech, high tech and b2b Saas companies in Europe, The UK, Ireland and the US, as well as more active shareholder involvement in a web3 / smart city development firm in Amsterdam and Bali and a high-end electric guitar manufacturer in Nashville, Tennessee. Patrick has served on the boards of three companies in Ireland: Chirp, a smartphone and digital child protection software company, Valid8me, an innovative digital onboarding Saas solution and Sports Impact Technology, a head collision and concussion monitoring solution for amateur and professional players. Patrick is an active member of the HBAN investor network in Ireland and was also a founding Investment Partner at Amsterdam-based Great Stuff Ventures and investor and investment committee member in PYMWYMIC, a Dutch social impact investment coop. Patrick is also a member of both Harvard Business School and IESE global entrepreneur, venture and private equity groups.

Patrick is a graduate from IESE’s inaugural Global Executive MBA program (2002) and has more recently completed further executive programs at Harvard Business School and IESE in Private Equity & Venture Capital and Effective Boards. He is also a Chartered Director and member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.

Patrick published the Financial Institutions NED Playbook in 2025 and “The Moral Market – Adam Smith and the Promise of Virtuous Capitalism” in early 2026.

In early 2026, Patrick co-founded Two’s Company Media Ireland Limited, a Dublin-based television and film production company. As co-founder, writer and producer, Patrick leads creative development and strategy across the company’s slate, which spans prestige drama, premium comedy, animation and musical biopic.

Patrick remains keen to widen his network and is interested in senior non-exec roles in national champions and international subsidiaries in Ireland, as well as start-up ventures and seed and early-stage investment opportunities.

Jane Corr

CISO
CIÉ

Jane is a recognised Information Security & IT leader who has a track record of building successful teams. She is known for her ‘Can Do’ attitude while always keeping the customer in mind. With over 30 years’ experience in a variety of IT infrastructure roles, Jane moved into Information Security over ten years ago. She has held Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Cybersecurity roles in both private and public sector. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity College Dublin and has attained CISSP, CRISC and CISM security certifications.

Simon Collins

CISO
Allianz Global Investors

Simon is Head of Digital Risk & Resilience at Allianz Global Investors. He has over 25 years’ experience in IT the last 20 of which have been focused on Information Security, Cybersecurity and Operational Resilience. Simon was previously a Director in EY’s EMEIA Cybersecurity practice based in Dublin, where he spent his early years as an ethical hacker and investigating cybercrime. His later years were spent helping organisations protect themselves from cyber-attackers and keep them out of trouble in the first place.

Áine Devlin

Co-founder
ExamRevision

Áine Devlin is co-founder and CSO of ExamRevision, Ireland’s fastest-growing teaching and learning platform for secondary schools – the 21st Century Textbook. The platform delivers bite-sized video tutorials, self-correcting quizzes, presentations, notes, exam papers and teacher dashboards designed to simplify revision, empower teachers, and elevate learning.

With over 15 years of teaching experience, including 9 years as an Assistant Principal, Áine holds a Master’s degree in Education (Leadership) from Maynooth University, a Professional Master’s in Education from Trinity College Dublin and a B.A. in Mathematics and Irish.

As CSO, she leads strategic direction and growth, shaping how ExamRevision evolves to meet the needs of schools nationwide. Her work is central to advancing the company’s mission to simplify revision, empower teachers and elevate learning outcomes.

Paddy Ward

Co-founder
ExamRevision

Paddy Ward is co-founder and COO of ExamRevision, Ireland’s fastest-growing teaching and learning platform for secondary school students and teachers – the 21st Century Textbook. The platform integrates bite-sized video tutorials, self-correcting quizzes, presentations, notes, exam papers and teacher dashboards to simplify revision, empower teachers, and elevate learning.

With over 8 years of teaching experience, including 3 years as an Assistant Principal, Paddy holds a Professional Master’s in Education and a B.A. in Business and Geography from Maynooth University.

He leads product development and innovation, ensuring the platform remains intuitive, impactful and closely aligned with the needs of students and educators.

Keith Walsh

Co-founder
ExamRevision

Keith Walsh is co-founder and CEO of ExamRevision, Ireland’s fastest-growing teaching and learning platform for secondary school students and teachers – the 21st Century Textbook. The platform combines bite-sized video tutorials, self-correcting quizzes, presentations, notes, exam papers and teacher dashboards to simplify revision, empower teachers, and elevate learning.

A highly experienced educator with over 13 years of teaching experience, including 6 years as an Assistant Principal, Keith holds a Master’s degree in Education (Leadership) from Maynooth University, a PGCE in Geography from Aberystwyth University and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Economics.

He has led the platform’s technological development and rapid growth across schools nationwide, focusing on delivering measurable impact -helping students improve performance, build confidence and maximise their study time.

Alan Cahill

CISO
Aer Lingus

Allan Cahill is Chief Information Security Officer at Aer Lingus, leading cybersecurity across digital, operational, and customer platforms in a highly regulated, technology‑driven industry. Through roles such as Executive Director of Cybersecurity at automotive technology company Aptiv, and his background as a software engineer, Allan has developed deep experience operating at the intersection of security, software, and product engineering. He has built and led large cyber and engineering‑aligned teams, delivered board‑level risk insight, and enabled innovation at scale across IT and OT environments. Allan is passionate about using strong technology foundations to drive resilience, trust, and long‑term relevance.

Ken Finnegan

Chief Strategy Officer
Skillnet Ireland

Ken is the Chief Strategy Officer at Skillnet Ireland, where he leads the organisation’s skills investment and partner strategy. In this role, he works closely with the European Commission, higher education institutions, government departments, business representative groups, enterprise agencies, and both international and indigenous companies across all major business sectors. His focus is on enhancing the competitiveness of Irish enterprise and equipping businesses with the skills needed for the future world of work.

Ken brings extensive experience at the intersection of policy, enterprise, and innovation. His career reflects a strong commitment to building Ireland’s international reputation as a hub for entrepreneurship, skills, and inclusive economic growth.

Pascal Condamine

CMO
Craft AI

Pascal Condamine is an entrepreneur and Chief Marketing Officer at Craft AI, focused on turning complex technology into clear, compelling narratives that drive business growth. With a strong foundation in digital marketing and company building, he brings a pragmatic, results-driven approach to scaling brands in competitive environments.

At Craft AI, he leads marketing with a clear mission: make artificial intelligence understandable, trustworthy, and above all, actionable for business leaders. He works at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, growth and sales, helping organizations move beyond AI hype to real-world impact.

Pascal is particularly interested in how marketing can bridge the gap between innovation and adoption, translating cutting-edge technology into messages that resonate, convince, and convert.

Daniel Murray

Policy Editor
Business Post

Daniel Murray is Policy Editor for the Business Post, focusing on government policy, ESG, energy, and the economy. He is the host of Five Degrees of Change, the Business Post’s energy and environment podcast, where he speaks with leading experts in the fields of environmental science and climate change about the policy and personal changes they would make for a greener world. Daniel previously won the Newsbrands political journalist of the year award twice and investigative journalist of the year award.

Varun Kabra

Chief Growth Officer
Concordium

Varun Kabra is Chief Growth Officer at Concordium, with 20 years of P&L and executive leadership across fintech, AI, and technology platforms. He leads ecosystem wide growth efforts at Concordium, building the trust and identity infrastructure that AI-powered financial services and agentic payments require to scale compliantly. Previously, he held executive leadership roles at Europe’s leading fintech Revolut during its international scaling, and regional leadership roles at Google, operating at the intersection of AI, data, and global consumer platforms. As Chief Growth Officer at Proton, he owned the full growth agenda for a privacy-first platform serving tens of millions globally.

Tansy Murray

Senior Director of Product Design
Hubspot

Tansy Murray is Senior Director of Product Design at HubSpot, with a career built on helping organisations envision the future – and actually build it. She led design for Workplace at Meta, spearheaded Workrooms (Meta’s VR collaboration product), and at Mastercard developed global digital payments experiences now used by millions. She’s known for building high-performing teams, articulating product visions that align entire organisations, and raising the bar on design quality wherever she goes.

Dr. Rosalind Beere

CEO and Founder
The Innovation Strategist

Dr. Rosalind Beere. Rosalind is a distinguished serial entrepreneur, lecturer, presenter, and author specialising in strategy and entrepreneurship. Growing up surrounded by entrepreneurship, she was inspired by her father and uncle, who founded Abrakebabra, now known as the AIL Group, which remains Ireland’s largest Irish-owned franchise system. With a wealth of experience, Rosalind currently works with Agile Executives and Furthr helping start-ups prepare for investment opportunities. As a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, she brings a deep understanding of franchising and strategic management, supported by her extensive knowledge across various industry sectors. Renowned for her analytical prowess and creative problem-solving abilities, she excels in business consultancy, identifying and addressing complex challenges to provide clients with effective commercial solutions that deliver tangible results. Her expertise extends to coaching, lecturing, and mentoring, empowering clients to achieve their business goals.

Emer Walsh

Business Journalist
Irish Examiner

Emer Walsh is an award-winning business journalist with the Irish Examiner. With an academic background in finance and economics, she primarily reports on tech, finance, property and economic policy. Emer is also the host of the ieBusiness Podcast, where she speaks with leading figures across business and industry to unpack the key issues impacting their sectors.

Tom Early

Head of New Investments
Enterprise Ireland

Responsible for delivering Enterprise Ireland’s new Investment Strategy, leading the investment team that originates, analyses and completes direct equity investments to accelerate client growth from preseed to scale.

Previously responsible for developing Enterprise Ireland’s strategic engagement with rapidly scaling clients, with a particular focus on strengthening the funding ecosystem. Earlier roles include serving as Head of Equity and Legal, overseeing EI’s investment strategy and managing a portfolio of 3,600 investments with a cost of €433m.

Brings a strong track record of supporting companies across multiple sectors and lifecycle stages in shaping and executing growth strategies and securing appropriate finance to scale. Prior to joining Enterprise Ireland, accumulated over nine years’ experience in telecoms, banking and consulting. A qualified CIMA Accountant with a Master of Business from the IMI and a degree in Business Studies (Economics & Finance) from Waterford Institute of Technology, complemented by executive programmes at IMD (Switzerland), Stanford University and EVCA.

Nicola McClafferty

Partner
Molten VC

Nicola is a Partner at Molten Ventures, where she has played a pivotal role since joining the firm in 2017. Prior to Molten, she co-founded an online fashion marketplace, which was acquired by ASOS plc in 2015. Her career also includes five years as a venture capital investor with Balderton Capital and Ravensbeck, focusing on early-stage technology and digital media investments.

At Molten, Nicola leads the firm’s digital consumer investment strategy, with a particular interest in technologies that shape and enable consumers’ digital lives and commerce. She heads Molten’s Dublin office, extending the firm’s reach and expertise in Ireland. Nicola is a graduate of University College Dublin, and brings a wealth of entrepreneurial and investment experience to her role.

Greta Dunne

Founder and CEO
Marker Video

Greta Dunne is the Founder and CEO of Marker Video, the antidote to AI slop. Her platform connects brands like HelloFresh and Unilever with their real customers who create authentic video content, proving that human creativity still outperforms synthetic content when it comes to trust and conversion. She previously built and sold two online magazines that reached 4 million monthly readers, creating content for Netflix, Red Bull, and Paramount. Marker keeps content human in an increasingly artificial world.

Ken Johnstone

Chief Product Officer
Natwest Boxed

Ken Johnstone is the Chief Product Officer at NatWest Boxed and Mettle, leading two agile fintech businesses within the NatWest Group. He delivered the cloud-native platform powering Banking-as-a-Service for brands like the AA and Saga. A champion of transparency and cross-functional alignment, Ken focuses on building high-performing teams that bridge the gap between startup innovation and enterprise-scale banking.

Conor O’Donovan

Head of Startups / Startup Ireland
Enterprise Ireland

Senior Executive with 20 years’ leadership, strategic communications, government relations/public policy, sales & marketing and international business development experience across the public, representative body and private sectors. Enterprise Ireland is the Irish Government’s development agency helping Irish start-ups, SMEs and Irish Multinational Companies succeed globally. Ranked #1 in Europe for Seed/VC investment by Pitchbook.

Dee Lyons

CEO and Co-founder
Acuru

Dee Lyons is the CEO and co-founder of Acuru (formerly Examfly), where she is building an AI-powered platform to help firms train and upskill professionals more effectively. Coming from a professional services and wealth management background, she has seen first-hand how much learning depends on context, mentorship, and experience; areas where human networks still matter. Acuru works with global firms to bridge the gap between scalable technology and real capability. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, education, and real-world skill and capability building.

Julian Seymour

COO
Furthr

Julian Seymour is a seasoned business leader and strategist with over 30 years of international experience. As the Chief Operating Officer at Furthr he plays a pivotal role in the Irish startup ecosystem, where he leads a team that support high-potential entrepreneurs navigate the journey from initial concept to investment-ready scale-up. His expertise is anchored in innovation translation, business development, sales strategy, and operational excellence. At Furthr, he is known for his detail focused hands-on mentorship, guiding founders through the complexities of business modeling and raising investment. His deep understanding of the angel and venture capital landscape and his ability to critically evaluate startup investor propositions have made him a vital asset to the Irish startup ecosystem. Prior to his leadership role at Furthr, Julian built his career in the consumer (Diageo), telecommunications (Ericsson / Spark NZ) and educational sectors (ICDL Foundation), managing significant national and international projects.

Clare Ryan

Co-founder & CEO
ITUS Secure Technologies

Dr Clare Ryan is the Founder and CEO of ITUS Secure Technologies, an award-winning cybersecurity start-up dedicated to making tailored cyber insurance accessible to every small business. With a PhD, MA, and Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO) status, Clare brings extensive expertise in data governance, cybersecurity, and project management. Under her leadership, ITUS Secure Technologies is redefining how cyber risk is assessed — with authenticity, precision, and a strong focus on the needs of small businesses. Clare is passionate about helping organisations navigate the digital world securely and confidently, ensuring they are protected with insurance that truly reflects their individual risks.

Conall Geraghty

Partner
Mason Hayes & Curran

Conall leads the Start-up and Fast Growth Companies team at Mason Hayes & Curran. He helps founders to grow businesses from the idea-stage right through to multi-million euro exits. He has worked with some of Ireland’s most innovative technology companies since their seed and pre-seed funding rounds.

Laura Grehan

Head of Education, Engagement and Societal Impact
ADAPT Centre

Laura Grehan is Head of Education, Engagement and Societal Impact at the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre at Dublin City University, where she leads strategic initiatives that connect AI research with public understanding and societal needs. Her work prioritises building AI literacy and ensuring that underserved and underrepresented communities are meaningfully included in informing AI policy and innovation.

Laura is the driving force behind the award-winning ‘#DiscussAI’ programme, which has engaged over 85,000 people nationwide in dialogue and learning on AI. Recognised by the European Commission and Media Literacy Ireland as a model of excellence in science communication, #DiscussAI builds critical AI literacy while generating public insight that informs research and policy. The programme has also been recognised by the Irish Government for addressing the ‘AI and Society’ goals of Ireland’s national AI strategy.

Ciarán Murray

Founder & CEO
Olena

Ciarán Murray, founder and CEO of Olena, blends institutional media expertise with blockchain innovation. Formerly at British Sky Broadcasting, he has advised blockchain infrastructure projects, offering a unique perspective on ensuring trustworthy public commentary in decentralized publishing systems.

Victoria Finlay

Founder and CEO
The MenoPal

Victoria Finlay is the Founder and CEO of The MenoPal, a Dublin-based, AI-powered deep tech company transforming menopause health. She is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in European business and technology, focusing on women’s health, data, and strategic innovation.

Oisin Lunny

Speaker, Conference MC, Podcast & Webinar Host, Connector, Curator, Consultant
Main Stage MC

Oisin Lunny is an award-winning marketer, webinar and podcast host, MC, public speaker, virtual event consultant, UX business professor, and journalist. His work has been translated into Chinese and Arabic, and read many millions of times as a senior contributor to Forbes, music editor at PHOENIX Magazine, and via regular contributions to The Guardian, CX Magazine and many others.

Oisin has hosted, moderated, and given keynote presentations at over 350 conferences in every corner of the world, including TEDx and SXSW, where he is a member of the advisory board.

He is the host of the Audio Talks podcast by HARMAN and has worked in a series of leading global technology firms over the past 20 years as Global Product Manager, Country Manager, VP of Technology, Senior Market Development Manager, and Chief Evangelist.

In his spare time, Oisin keeps his lifelong passion for music alive by hosting a fortnightly radio show on Slack City Radio.

Clodagh Swords

Founder & Director
Simply Voice

Clodagh, an award-winning Corporate Voice Coach, is a leading expert in vocal development, communication, and facilitation. With extensive experience in TV, radio, and film as both an actor and singer, she brings a dynamic presence to the industry. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin’s Drama and Theatre Studies Clodagh studied alongside world renowned actors before earning a first-class MA in Applied Drama/Voice, specialising in facilitation and vocal confidence. Professionally trained in physical theatre, she has over 15 years of expertise as a public speaker.

As the founder of the Simply Voice, Clodagh has delivered high-impact corporate workshops globally since 2018, empowering thousands to harness the power of their voices. She is an accredited Life Coach, enhancing her ability to inspire and transform leaders.

Gary McCarthy

Senior Director of OEM Channel Sales
Asset Lifecycle Management
Iron Mountain

Gary is responsible for overseeing Iron Mountain’s OEM channel within the Asset Lifecycle Management division. Gary has extensive global experience in the ITAD sector, ranging from European, Asian and North American markets. He joined Iron Mountain in 2009 and has held multiple senior roles within the company. Gary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Management from Cork Institute of Technology and resides in Cork, Ireland.

Sarah Walker

Senior Client Advisor
Enterprise Ireland

At Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s economic development agency, Sarah is part of the Startup Team with responsibility for running programmes and initiatives to support under-represented entrepreneurs.

Ann O’Dea

Co-founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief
Silicon Republic

Ann O’Dea is CEO, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Silicon Republic, the online source of science and technology news and views since 2001.

Wesley ter Haar

Founder
Monks

Wesley ter Haar is the Co- Founder of Monks, a creative production powerhouse with global reach, recognition and clients. He currently sits on the boards of SoDA (The Digital Society) and S4Capital. Under his ongoing leadership for nearly 20 years, Wesley has sought to wage war on mediocre digital production, growing MediaMonks from a humble production house into an end-to-end creative and production partner, through aggressive expansion and many mergers throughout the years. Employing over 3,750+ people across 40 locations and 31 countries as part of S4Capital, the MediaMonks team works across time zones and around the world to achieve unparalleled creative quality recognized by many Cannes Lions, FWA Awards and inclusion on the Ad Age Digital A-List.

Ted Chalouhi

CEO
Duku AI

Ted is CEO of Duku AI, an autonomous testing platform that deploys agents to test your product the way real users do. Prior to Duku, Ted was the UK regional lead at Uber, ran sales at Deliveroo, and took Foodbomb from pre-seed to a $100M+ exit, navigating hypergrowth, IPOs, and an acquisition along the way.

Yola Jones

Co-founder & CTO
Seluna

Dr. Yola Jones is the CTO and co-founder of Seluna, a Scottish med-tech startup transforming paediatric sleep diagnostics. She holds a PhD in the ethical and fair application of machine learning in healthcare, and prior to founding Seluna, spent time at NHS National Services Scotland, gaining firsthand experience applying AI to real-world medical challenges. At Seluna, Yola leads the development of AI-powered tools that support clinicians in remotely monitoring and diagnosing paediatric sleep disorders. By automating sleep study analysis, Seluna improves access to accurate diagnostics, reduces clinical workload, and eases pressure on waiting lists.

Majella Murphy

Head of Acceleration
Furthr

Majella has over 20 years’ experience working as a commercial leader/consultant in the early-stage ICT sector. She has extensive direct experience in innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialisation, across a broad spectrum of technical and scientific domains and has an intimate knowledge and appreciation of the challenges of commercialising university-led research. She has designed and managed programmes for taking new ventures on their difficult journey towards sustainability, be that organic growth or grant and venture capital investment.

Mary Ryan

Deputy CEO
WestBIC

Mary Ryan is Deputy CEO of WestBIC. With over 30 years’ experience supporting founders and a Masters in Commerce focused on Entrepreneurship, she specialises in Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) applications, business planning and investor readiness, helping High Potential Start-Ups close the gap between a strong idea and a fundable business.

Wendy Slattery

CEO
Beauty Buddy

Wendy Slattery is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of Kaidron and Beauty Buddy, two companies at the intersection of data, technology, and the beauty industry. Wendy has built platforms that empower brands to make smarter decisions through real consumer insight and authentic content. Through Beauty Buddy, she has created a community of over 50,000 consumers, generating powerful data and user-generated content that helps global beauty brands refine their products, marketing, and customer engagement strategies. Her work is driven by a mission to bring transparency, trust, and data-led decision-making to the beauty and wellness space.

Colm Murphy

COO and Co-Founder
Vetpal

Colm Murphy is the COO and Co-Founder of VetPal. A serial entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience building and scaling technology-led businesses, Colm drives VetPal’s commercial strategy, technology scaling, investor relations, key partnerships, and European market expansion. Having worked with Fortune 500 companies and led complex software and digital transformation projects, Colm brings a strong blend of commercial, technical, and operational experience to VetPal, with a growth-focused approach to building a scalable platform that creates real value for veterinary practices, remedy stores, animal owners, and partners.

Aidan Shine

CEO
Propelor

Aidan has spent years in the trenches with early-stage founders, helping startups get investor-ready, raise funding, and scale. As CEO of the Propelor team, he works hands-on with entrepreneurs navigating everything from business model validation to securing public and private equity. With a background spanning finance and strategy roles in Japan and Ireland across the dairy and tech sectors, Aidan brings a grounded, cross-sector lens to startup building. He holds an MBA and specialises in strategy development, business modelling, and financial planning.

Rosemary Ward

Deputy CEO
Propelor

Rosemary works with founders at every stage of the startup journey, from shaping the initial business model to securing the funding that makes growth possible. She has a strong track record helping startups raise from angel investors, VCs, and government bodies, with particular expertise in Enterprise Ireland’s PSSF and HPSU programmes. Before moving into the startup world, Rosemary spent over a decade in sales and marketing across multinational tech, consumer goods, and retail companies, including five years as Trade Marketing Manager with Waterford Crystal. That commercial grounding shapes how she helps founders think about markets, positioning, and scale.

Ryan Loughran

Co-founder & CEO
Audrey AI

CEO and Founder, Audrey AI. Ryan is building an AI-native platform for financial services, having previously worked across product and engineering in the Irish fintech scene.

Martin Murray

CEO
Furthr

Martin Murray CEO at Furthr: As CEO of Furthr, Martin leads the most innovative and impactful team in the Irish enterprise support ecosystem delivering acceleration, funding and connections to 400+ Founders every year.

Anna Marie Turley

Fintech and Financial Services
Enterprise Ireland

Department Manager, Fintech and Financial Services, Enterprise Ireland. Anna Marie leads Enterprise Ireland’s work with Irish fintech companies, supporting them to win international customers, raise capital and scale globally.

Denis Ryan

Technology Sector Specialist
AIB

Denis is a technology sector specialist in AIB Business Banking Sector Team. Denis supports Technology companies from seed stage to established enterprise access capital and advisory services to augment growth.

Denis worked in a high growth software development company in Ireland for 6 years before joining AIB at the end of 2022 so he is well positioned to support Technology SMEs navigate the growth lifecycle as well as the correct funding mix.

Jennifer McMahon

Partner
Seroba VC

Jennifer is a Partner at Seroba VC, based in the Dublin office, where she focuses on medtech and biotech deal origination and investments. She joined the firm as an Investment Analyst in 2011 after her Master’s in Biotechnology and Business, having earned an honours degree in Pharmacology from University College Dublin. She holds a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors UK (2019).

Jennifer represents Seroba on the boards of Palliare and Deciphex, and as Observer on ShiraTronics and Shorla Oncology. Past directorships include Endotronix (acquired by Edwards Lifesciences, 2024), Biosensia (merged with Kypha Diagnostics, 2018), Labcyte (acquired by Beckman Coulter, 2019), and Atlantic Therapeutics (Observer).

Named one of Ireland’s ‘Top 30 Under 30’ in 2015, Jennifer founded the Level20 Ireland Chapter in 2019 to promote gender diversity in private equity, became International Chair of its 13 European Chapters in 2021, and joined the Level20 UK Board in 2022. She also served on the Advisory Board of the European Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association from 2019 to 2023.

Gail Power

Angel Investor

With over 25 years experience working in the tech world, initially at Accenture in their ‘Dot Com Incubation Centre of Excellence’ in London, followed by several years at Google growing their Online Ad Sales and Operations business for the Netherlands, UK and Ireland. Gail Power joined Facebook in 2009 to launch their Europe, Middle East and African Online Sales and Operations team, and later set up and led a Global Sales Services teams to support sales teams in their growth strategies. After a short career break, Gail joined the Irish startup & Open in 2021 to help establish their customer success team. Since then, Gail has been investing in various startups, primarily in the West of Ireland where she is now based, and with Awaken Angels to help support women investors investing in female led startups.

Raymond Valentine

Founder & CEO
Flexidrive

Raymond Valentine is the Founder & CEO of Flexidrive ,a platform focused on modernising the learner driver experience. He built the company from the ground up after recognising major inefficiencies in the industry for both learners and instructors. After bootstrapping Flexidrive to strong early traction, the company recently closed its first external investment round to support expansion across Ireland and an international pilot in Brazil.

Brendan Traynor

Co-founder & CEO
RALCO

Brendan Traynor is the Co-founder & CEO of RALCO, a construction tech company specialising in Timetracking, compliance & Payroll for US construction. Brendan’s background is in tech sales & sales management. RALCO was founded with lifelong friend Stephen to solve the growing complexity around safety, compliance, and labor coordination on large-scale construction projects.

Eli Hotoveli

GTM
Anthropic

Eli Hotoveli is part of the Start-up Go-To-Market team at Anthropic, where he helps founders adopt and build with frontier AI. Over the past 10+ years he has worked closely with start-ups at every stage. From earliest-days teams finding their footing to scaling companies pushing into new markets. He joined Anthropic after eight years at Google, bringing a deep understanding of how technology businesses grow and what it takes to take them to market.

Tom McCarten

CEO and Co-founder
Nazata Bio

CEO and co-founder of Nazata Bio, an Irish digital therapeutics company developing HeartShield, a fully automated behavioural digital therapeutic for hypertension, the world’s leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Grounded in self-determination theory, behavioural science, and gamification, HeartShield is currently being used in partnership with the Irish Heart Foundation, the British Heart Foundation, and Nephrology Centre Göttingen, and is on the path to national reimbursement across Germany.

A medical doctor and bioengineer by training, Tom holds a medical degree, an MSc in Bioengineering, and an MBA from Trinity College Dublin. He is a member of the European Society of Hypertension’s Lifestyle and Adherence Working Group, where he contributes to international guidance on digital tools for blood pressure management. Earlier in his career, he developed the national COVID-19 Critical Care Index, a clinical risk tool deployed by Ireland’s HSE in April 2020, and won MIT Hacking Medicine’s European event for a mobile platform supporting stroke neurorehabilitation.

Brian Crowley

Director
Broadlake

Director of Broadlake, Founder of TTM Healthcare Solutions, Founder Resilience Healthcare & Founder of Advanced Community Care. Broadlake’s international group of 7 businesses employs over 4,000 people in industries including Healthcare, Technology, FMCG, International Talent Solutions, Workplace Wellbeing, Office Services, and Engineering in ireland, The UK, South Africa, the Philippines and India. Brian has been Entrepreneur from the age of 25 and loving it ever since. He is a former member of the Governments Entrepreneurship Committee, a judge on the National finals of Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur and a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Brian joined forces with Broadlake in 2016, and would consider himself the entrepreneur in residence! Broadlake helps established businesses scale. Partnering with ambitious founders to realise their potential through organic growth, new acquisitions, and expansion into new markets. He gets most personal return when he makes an impact, and to that end Broadlake has a vision – 3X10X – 3 times the size and 10 times the positive impact. He is only interested in sustainable growth.

Dr. Alp Turkmen

Business & Technology Mentor & Consultant
LEO

Dr. Alp Turkmen is an international technology business strategist, guiding startups, SMEs, and global enterprises in innovating, scaling, and expanding into new markets. He specialises in strategic planning, investment readiness, and scalable growth models. He holds a PhD and MA in Human and Organisational Systems, a BA in Business Management, and an NCEA in Electronics Engineering.

Jennifer Duggan

Ireland Bureau Chief
Bloomberg

Jennifer Duggan is the Dublin Bureau Chief for Bloomberg where she oversees news coverage from Ireland. She previously worked as an editor at TIME magazine in New York and as a correspondent in China.

Aisling Ni Nhuiri

Co-founder & CPO
Sunstone

Aisling Ní Mhuirí is Co-Founder of Sunstone, the data intelligence company that
reclassified the Irish business landscape from the ground up, because the data every
business uses to find its customers is inaccurate and lacking detail.

With nearly two decades across media, publishing, events, and data strategy, Aisling
built her career on a single conviction: better intelligence drives better decisions. At
Sunstone, that means integrating company registrations, financial filings, and real-
world activity signals into something far sharper than the industry had settled for and
translating it into plain-English insight that leadership teams can make strategic
decisions with and their teams can act on.

Sunstone’s award-winning MAPS and SaleSight platforms are the data and
infrastructure layer used by ambitious organisations who see the importance of
making strategic decisions on verified, accurate data. Think Bloomberg, but for
commerce.

Sunstone is expanding into the UK and raising a funding round.

Áine Denn

Tech Entrepreneur

I am an entrepreneurial leader, mentor, and advisor with a corporate and technology background.

A people person, I have extensive C-Level experience launching new products, divisions, HQs, and joint ventures in public and private companies. I then discovered the world of SaaS startups and spent 14 years building the B2B SaaS business I co-founded, Altify. We created innovative sales technology to help revenue teams succeed consistently.

Following the company’s successful acquisition at the end of 2019 by Upland Software (UPLD), I exited the organisation. I work advising companies either as a non-executive board member or Chair. I also provide mentoring & consulting to help businesses scale their operations, revenue and customer base. The launch of Blazer is the next step in my mission to help businesses grow brilliantly and reliably.

A credentialed coach, I hold a Dip IoD, and I was named in Ireland’s top 30 women in tech for 2021. I am delighted to be a long-standing volunteer lead entrepreneur for the programmes Going for Growth and Back For Business, helping foster the success of female and returning Irish emigrant entrepreneurs.
I also serve on the boards of Technology Ireland and the Irish Writers Centre.

I am driven by my belief in relationship building, sales and operational excellence. Investing in people and being kind allows companies to flourish, creating great economic and relationship outcomes.

Rena Maycock

Founder
Chirp

I am an entrepreneurial leader, mentor, and advisor with a corporate and technology background.

A people person, I have extensive C-Level experience launching new products, divisions, HQs, and joint ventures in public and private companies. I then discovered the world of SaaS startups and spent 14 years building the B2B SaaS business I co-founded, Altify. We created innovative sales technology to help revenue teams succeed consistently.

Following the company’s successful acquisition at the end of 2019 by Upland Software (UPLD), I exited the organisation. I work advising companies either as a non-executive board member or Chair. I also provide mentoring & consulting to help businesses scale their operations, revenue and customer base. The launch of Blazer is the next step in my mission to help businesses grow brilliantly and reliably.

A credentialed coach, I hold a Dip IoD, and I was named in Ireland’s top 30 women in tech for 2021. I am delighted to be a long-standing volunteer lead entrepreneur for the programmes Going for Growth and Back For Business, helping foster the success of female and returning Irish emigrant entrepreneurs.
I also serve on the boards of Technology Ireland and the Irish Writers Centre.

I am driven by my belief in relationship building, sales and operational excellence. Investing in people and being kind allows companies to flourish, creating great economic and relationship outcomes.

Larry O’Donoghue

CEO
AxisBIC

I am an entrepreneurial leader, mentor, and advisor with a corporate and technology background.

A people person, I have extensive C-Level experience launching new products, divisions, HQs, and joint ventures in public and private companies. I then discovered the world of SaaS startups and spent 14 years building the B2B SaaS business I co-founded, Altify. We created innovative sales technology to help revenue teams succeed consistently.

Following the company’s successful acquisition at the end of 2019 by Upland Software (UPLD), I exited the organisation. I work advising companies either as a non-executive board member or Chair. I also provide mentoring & consulting to help businesses scale their operations, revenue and customer base. The launch of Blazer is the next step in my mission to help businesses grow brilliantly and reliably.

A credentialed coach, I hold a Dip IoD, and I was named in Ireland’s top 30 women in tech for 2021. I am delighted to be a long-standing volunteer lead entrepreneur for the programmes Going for Growth and Back For Business, helping foster the success of female and returning Irish emigrant entrepreneurs.
I also serve on the boards of Technology Ireland and the Irish Writers Centre.

I am driven by my belief in relationship building, sales and operational excellence. Investing in people and being kind allows companies to flourish, creating great economic and relationship outcomes.

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