NovaUCD enterprise lectures

Pictured are Frank Roche, UCD’s Berber Professor of Entrepreneurship; Caroline Gill, NovaUCD; Raomal Perera, Founder and CEO of Network365; Georgina Sweetman, Venturepoint; and Dr Pat Frain, NovaUCD.

A series of lunchtime seminars were held over six weeks under a NovaUCD initiative introduced to promote entrepreneurship across the campus. 

The series was primarily aimed at undergraduate students and involved well known entrepreneurs who talked about their experiences of setting up and running their own business. 

Between 150-175 students and other guests attended each seminar and the speakers included Brody Sweeney, CEO of O’Briens Sandwich Bar; Dr Karl O’Connell, CEO of Nexala; Cathal McGloin, Founder and CEO of Performix Technologies; Prof Barry Smyth, CTO of ChangingWorlds, a spin-off from UCD’s Department of Computer Science; Raomal Perera, CEO Network365; and Ali Murdoch, MD of Buy4Now. 

Frank Roche, Berber Professor of Entrepreneurship at UCD, facilitated the discussions which followed each presentation. 

The series was sponsored by Venturepoint, the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board. 

Meanwhile, NovaUCD in partnership with BioConnect Ireland recently held the ‘START’ seminar in the University Industry Centre. 

Speakers addressed the topic of starting a business through their own differing perspectives and included Dr Ena Prosser, Director of Enterprise Ireland’s Biotechnology Directorate; Dr Thomas Cooney, TV and radio presenter on entrepreneurship; Maura Quinn, Founder and Director of City Analysts, a biotech company; and Bruce Jenett, a US corporate lawyer who specialises in life-sciences.