Today we had my team’s site visit at FoodCloud, a nonprofit organization who connects charities with excess food. I may be biased, but this was probably my favorite company to learn more about. I was very impressed by the work FoodCloud is doing and their genuine desire to help others. Unlike most businesses, FoodCloud has…

We began our morning today with a guest speaker, Rob Cullen, who discussed networking in Ireland. In America, we are instructed to attend networking events in an almost robotic sense: dress professionally, bring several copies of your resume and perfect your elevator pitch. We are told to come with pre-prepared questions for the recruiters about…

We took another day trip today to Wicklow Mountains and Kilkenny. Our first stop was a local farm in Wicklow mountains where we had the chance to see sheep dogs live in action. I loved watching the dogs round up the sheep! It was very fun to watch and I was astounded by the dog’s…

Today we took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and then to Galway City, a town off the west coast of Ireland. The views from the Cliffs were absolutely amazing. Seeing the natural beauty of rural Ireland really put the recent modernization of Dublin into perspective. Our trip thus far has focused on…

We visited the famous Guinness Storehouse today at St. James Gate. The most interesting part of the exhibit for me personally was the advertising. All of Guinness’s ads were a bit cheeky and out of the ordinary, just like the Irish sense of humor. Their marketing approach was highly focused on comedy, rather than being…

This morning we visited Guinness Enterprise Center, a starting point for entrepreneurs who need help launching their businesses. The GEC provides office space, relevant networks, and other resources to help start-ups gain funding and achieve their goals. While I learned a lot from our Q&A session, I was most intrigued by the answer to the…

Today Dr. Kelley gave us a tour of the financial district and “Silicon Docks,” Ireland’s own version of Silicon Valley. He described the Irish education system and how it has evolved over the years as well as the impacts of economic disasters like the house market crash. Once the education system had been refined, more…

Today we visited the Microsoft European Headquarters in Dublin. Originally, I expected a modern, tech heavy office space. While the building did appear as clean and contemporary as I had imagined, I was surprised to discover that not all Microsoft employees work in software development and other related fields. The speakers we had during our…

I arrived in Ireland yesterday morning and I am already in love with this city! After roughly 12 hours of travel, we dropped our bags off at StayCity and began exploring Dublin. I immediately noticed how normal it felt to be here, which was surprising as I had expected to feel more out of place….