#GetStarted2016 was the first of four hours conferences held on the 8th of November 2016 in the Helix’s Mahony Hall, DCU. They invited successful business men and women from various are presented and contributed their experiences of becoming extraordinary. The aim of the conference was to get an idea into the world of business. It was hosted by Andrew Keogh, who successfully introduce all of the speakers on that day. He also taught me that anyone has a capability to start up a business.
We had the opportunity to listen to different stories of how these business men and women become a successful.
Philippe Brodeur the CEO of OvercastHQ. They help teams to manage a video file as easy as a word document. Philippe’s advice is to “Differentiate yourself from
others”. Visit their website for further information https://www.overcasthq.com.
Brian 0’Rourke, CEO and Alan Farrelly, COO of Cityswifter Bus. A private bus company that was discovered during the bus strike in Dublin that made a huge impact to the students that was affected during the strikes. Visit their website for further information https://cityswifter.com.
Elva Carri the CEO of Girlcrew. Her website has a similarity to the application called Tinder. Her story behind this app was completely different because her main goal in making this application was to make new friends.Visit their website for further information http://www.girlcrew.com.
Adrian Mihai the CTO of Opening. They are a B2B technology solution that augments your existing candidate and openings databases, acting like a filter. Work with Recruitment Agencies, HR Departments but also directly with Applicant Tracking Systems and Job Platforms. Visit their website for further information http://opening.io.
Gavan Walsh, CEO of iCabbi an application that makes the commuter’s life easy by just grabbing a cab through a phone, similar to Hail application. A quote that stands out for me “You got to be ambiscious”. Visit their website for further information http://www.icabbi.com.
Iseult Ward the CEO of FoodCloud. A non-profitable organization that helps charities get eatable food from different supermarkets and give it to refugees and homeless. To help our homeless and refugee visit their page http://food.cloud.
OvercastHQ
As stated above, OvercastHQ is website that will help a team to create video file as easy as a word document, which I think is an advantage because we all know that creating a video could take ages to be accomplished. Philippe had been working in Broadcasting, telecoms, marketing, web development and ecommerce. Straight after college, he started working with BBC in London (which is my dream). In the late 1990’s he moved to Ireland and worked with TV3, currently one of the most well-known channel in Ireland.
He also worked with big businesses such as Irish Times, LG and RTE´. His idea started in 2015 when a broadcaster, media agency and online organization said “managing video is a pain in the ass”. A quote that inspired me and made me think I should start up my own business, I do not know that maybe someday I will become like him, successful, motivator and creative was;
“startup is no different, you have to differentiate yourself.”
Which I guess is right. No one knows a single, simple and useful idea will might someday help millions of people in the future, not just that even the future generation might find that concept a wonderful one. This just simple shows that you do not have to be some genius person (well, it could be an advantage) but all we, I, future entrepreneur need just to have an idea that is UNIQUE, USEFUL, REMARKABLE to start up a business. However, we must know that every idea can be a successful or a fail. But still, we do not let ONE IDEA change our perspective of ourselves, instead we use those experiences as a lesson.
Cityswifter
Cityswifter is an award-wining social transportation network that gives a commuter to source for a commute. Brian O’Rourke is the CEO, Alan Farrelly the COO and Sean Bryne the CTO of Cityswifter. Unfortunately, Sean was not able to attend the conference for a valid reason. The Co-Founder Brian O’Rourke was a student of DCU Graduate of Business Studies. Alan Farrelly came from a family that runs a business that hires coaches, and that’s when they started to become a successful team. They have a recommendable formula of success:
One vision + One goal together= SUCCESS
Before they reach the success of Cityswifter, they first had some failed businesses that gave them an experience and a lesson to take note of. The idea started during the month long strike of the Dublin bus. Currently hey have 3 operational routes all over Dublin. I once checked the Cityswifter when DCU sent an email regathering this bus routes for I am one of the hundreds of student that was affected of the strike. Unfortunately, I was not able to take their bus because I found more convenient bus route that would take me DCU. But other than that, the website was very consumer friendly, it was accessible to what bus to take.
Throughout the talk I gained 6 ways to success, or shall I say KEY TO SUCCESS:
- You have to do it wrong to be able to accomplish.
- Do things, do not scale
- Be prepared to do what others wants.
- Have patience and virtue.
- Stay positive, it is hard work, rewarding.
- Celebrate the UPS.
Opening
Opening is a back to back technology solution that augments your existing candidate and openings databases, acting like a filter. Adrian Mihai the CTO of opening was previously involved in the NG (National Geographic) WWF, Magnum Photos and the Rational Group of businesses. His interested in software and hardware development, data control and streamlining of use experience.
He also founded a multimedia festival international, Dracula PC for 5 continuous years. The company is working with Recruitment Agencies, HR Departments but also directly with Applicant Tracking Systems and Job Platforms.
We believe that our technology can aid your cause.
I am personally not interested in hardware and software development but because of Adrian it changed my perspective. It enhances my knowledge regarding the technology. Technology is not just about for fun it also develops a person in relation to work.
Girlcrew
Elva Carri is the founder of Girlcrew and conceptualize the idea of the business. Elva come from a local community. Her idea started when one day she wanted to go out of town but she had no one that can bring with. Tinder is where she got the idea of Girlcrew. It is amazing how their one group ended up grown to 50,000 members located ALL OVER THE WORLD. Besides the Girlcrew, she made friends that have the same vision and goal, to connect all women all over the world, without any boundaries. This 2 friends ended up being part of the founder of the Girlcrew, Pamela Newenham and Aine Mulloy, currently developing their platform in order to expanding the Girlcrew. But what is most amazing about her talk it is because before she came up with the idea of Girlcrew, she first had 2 business that unfortunately did not succeeded and also worked freelance in digital marketing and copywriting. For every mistakes she did from the past, she uses this experiences to know what to avoid in the future.
Learn from your mistake.
I personally admire her, not just because she never stops reaching for her dreams and she learns from her own personal mistake, which I think changes my belief from my mistake. I am that type of person that sometimes forget that I done the same mistake for many times and in never learnt from it. Going back to Elva, something that made me admire her, is her vision, the Girlcrew. Her idea of the Girlcrew shows a hint of her personality. She wants unity and equality. Unity, because she wants everyone in the world to connect to one another and no one is left alone. She is someone that I could recommend to admire. She’s just AMAZING and full of FUN.
iCabbi
Gavan Walsh the CEO and founder of iCabbi, world leader in dispatch, Earnest of the Year Finalist 2016. He grows up seeing his father handle a successful business which he got the characteristic of an entrepreneur. His story is worth the share; listeners will know how driven he is because of his life story. From selling a lot of Christmas Tree in December to a successful entrepreneur. iCabbi start when he went on a holiday and was not able to find a taxi having a pregnant wife. He thought that customers’ needs to be treated well and the taxi industry MUST step up. It was 2012 when iCabbi was born and makes our transportation more efficient and economical all over the world. iCabbi can be compared by Uber and Hailo. They recently launched a branch in United Kingdom, unfortunately they are finding it hard to cope with the environment but they are currently doing research regarding this topic.
“If not me, who? If not now, when?”
I enjoyed knowing his story and gained a lot of important information from him. I idolised him for having the courage to enter the taxi industry knowing that this industry is very competitive. Knowing the taxi industry, it takes a lot of research and watching over your competitors but Gavan NEVER GAVE UP. One thing that I learnt from him is that, if you know that there is a gap in a certain industry and you have an idea to fix the gap, start a business. It might need patience and understanding but you have to widen your vision.
Foodcloud
Foodcloud is managed by a graduate student from Trinity College Dublin of Business and Economics, Iseult Ward. Iseult create Foodcloud in the early 2013. She was awarded of being a social entrepreneur that manages a non-profitable business. It connects with big supermarkets such as Tesco and other helping communities that provides food to the homeless and women refugee. The main aim of the company is to offer a help to the communities around the globe who can benefit and reach the vision of the world where no one is left hungry and not a food goes to waste. Currently the are interested to work with charities and international business that shares the same vision. Base to the research it was discovered that over 30% OF FOOD MADE GOES TO WASTE and almost 25% OF PEOPLE ARE DEPRIVED FROM NUTRITION.
This is when she decided to launch Foodcloud. She was very surprise when they launched the business that the food they had was very less and no van delivery from charity shops was able to provide food. At first they were devastated of the outcome and she came to the idea “maybe we need to be the done to knock at the front door and ask for good quality foods but wasted”. It was then the company started to be successful.
“Ever tried, Ever failed, No matter, Try again, Fail again, Fail better”.
Personally, I was very amazed on her personal, her vision. It is a plus to an entrepreneur if they have a vision to help others by a non-profitable company. She was not after the profit they will receive but she was thinking about others that are starving and deprived from food. I made a conclusion about Iseult Ward, reminded me that becoming an entrepreneur does not need the profit but SELF-REALISATION and SELF-SATISFACTION by helping other in need. This I can say that she was the one that stand out for me among others.
The conference was ended by a speech by Andrew Keogh, which also gave a huge impact to the crowd even me, in regards to my mentality about starting up a business. I admit at the start of the talk; I was one of the people that was only attended the conference because it was compulsory but after hearing each companies story it completely change my goals in life. Now, I want to start up my own business in the future. Hearing everyone’s story, interests me to my own one. I do not know if my future concept for my business will have a successful one, but I am not afraid that one day I will become a successful one. One lesson I learnt from all of the speaker is;
Never be afraid to make mistakes, they are part of the journey of becoming a successful person.
I hope that this blog will inspire you and if you do, CONGRATULATIONS! We both are inspired.
Debbie 🙂
Diginnosite 
Nice read. Very well done
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