esi: Who are you, what do you do and what makes you an expert on your start-upcountry?
Darren: I’m the Head of Engagement at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. We provide support for early stage entrepreneurs who have new solutions for social problems. Over the last 9 years we have supported 169 social entrepreneurs and invested €5.4 million. I’m also a member of Sandbox, an international community of entrepreneurs and innovators under 30 and was recently named one of Ireland’s top 30 under 30 entrepreneurs.
esi: What is cool about your start-upcountry, what inspires you and keeps you thriving?
Darren: There is a great energy around the start-up scene in Ireland at the moment. And great ambition. Companies with a global vision see Ireland as a great place to start a business, and it’s inspiring to think that Ireland can be a base for these start-ups. There is a growing community and network of entrepreneurs in Ireland, and an emerging eco-system of support for them. From hubs to accelerators, more and more opportunities are arising for ambitious start-ups. On the social entrepreneurship side, we’ve seen a sharp increase in start-ups which are setting up to solve particular social problems – this is a very encouraging sign.
esi: What makes you shake your head about your start-upcountry, what needs to be improved?
Darren: While there are many funding opportunities available for start-ups, they are complicated to access and difficult to discover. A one-stop shop for all funding routes would be really useful for start-ups. As is probably the case in all countries, paperwork and bureaucracy is just a major hassle for an entrepreneur who just wants to go out and change the world.
esi: What’s some cool fact we are likely not to know about your start-upcountry?
Darren: Eight out of ten of the top global ICT companies have operations in Ireland. And you might not have heard, but the people are amazing. There is no better place to have a start-up.
esi: Thank you for the interview.
About the interviewpartner:
Darren Ryan is the Head of Engagement at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and commits himself to help others being successful as well.
