Enterprise Ireland is a government-run organization that invests in ideas to create start-ups throughout the country of Ireland. During the presentation, I kept thinking back to the TV show Shark Tank to get a better understanding of what they do; the only difference is that Enterprise Ireland does not keep capital brought in by the company whereas the Sharks on Shark Tank main goal is to make money from investing in these companies.
One interesting idea that I raised question about during the presentation was the fact that in the States, separation of business and government is a very controversial topic where many believe that government should not intervene with with business functions. The main task of Enterprise Ireland is to help build companies from the ground up which is a lot of involvement and I do not believe that it would go over very well in the States. However, Enterprise Ireland explained how they merely spend money to help these companies begin their growth and do not really interfere with anything beyond that. Another idea that I deemed interesting was the fact that you do not have to be an Irish citizen to be considered for Enterprise Ireland but rather you may be from anywhere and travel to have them invest in your product. Enterprise Ireland mentioned that they have been involved with 29 all-female startups which is reason to believe they support women in the technology industry — an idea that is considered progressive in today’s society. The company works with many young people around the country and offers opportunity to be involved in the growth of startups which ultimately leads to them wanting to lead startups of their own. Enterprise Ireland is responsible for billions of euros worth of product throughout the country of Ireland and even more throughout the world — all thanks to their offices in various countries around the globe.
As an HR major with hardly any technology knowledge, many things throughout the presentation went over my head. For instance, I did not understand hardly anything technology-related in any of the presentations. I did not understand when they do and do not take money from the organizations they invest in, and I did not get what happens when the companies they invest in fail.
Not being able to process entirely everything during a presentation that the presenter is clearly passionate stirs up the feeling of curiosity as I wonder why they would be so passionate about something if it were not making some sort of impact.