My friend Kiva and I spent our first three weeks in Thailand working for a Phikkuni with several other volunteers from all over the place. I’ve decided to use this post to give the lo-down on the chores we had to do for her and, naturally, I will be using a Tangled When Will My Life Begin format! I will be writing a proper story based on Tangled soon, involving Rapunzel travelling without Eugene… I’ve been having Long Distance Relationship woes and what better way to deal with them than through my favourite Disney movie? For now, a light-hearted sing-song.
We gathered for the last time in yet another jam-packed Mahony Hall for the final much-anticipated mini conference. Multiple inquisitive, keen listeners united together to discover all the trade secrets and to avail of insider knowledge from industry experts on how to successfullyutilize technology for both personal and business orientated uses. Many of our speakers talked highly of the benefits of cloud computing while an other introduced the benefits of teaching young coders. Whether you were aspiring students, budding entrepreneurs or merely someone seeking advice, there was an array of tips, insight and advice to be gotten from our esteemed guest speakers. Let’s roll the dice one last time, and get started!
Mary Maloney, CEO of CoderDojo, was first up and kick-started the event with charisma and enthusiasm. From the moment she walked on stage there was no denying she had the audience in a trance as they listened to her every word.
CoderDojo is a global movement of free coding clubs for children and young people with over six thousand volunteers that make it all possible. Founded in 2011 by James Whelton and Bill Liao. James who was 18 at the time hacked the iPod Nano and thus generated publicity and interest from younger students who wanted to learn how to code. Fascinating, huh?
Their primary objective is to alter the way children are taught about technology and computing. Maloney highlighted the creative process children possess and their ability to see things differently. She gave many astonishing examples to prove her point, one that really caught my attention was the story she retold of a dyslexic boy who created an invention which helped with letter recognition, thus helping, not onlyhimself, but many others kids out there who have to overcome the struggle of dyslexia every day. CoderDojo is creating a generation of self-help, creative and innovative individuals.
She reinforced the notion that coding is an ageless concept. Although the classes are (at this current point in time) only available for children between 7 and 18 years old, adults are free to come along with their children and learn more about the computing process. Maloney is aware that there are many adults out there who are unable to use computers and that they too need assistance with the rapidly changing computer world. Unfortunately, there’s simply not enough resources available yet. She’s hopeful that in the future there will be more options available.
Maloney then made the necessary distinction between the coding clubs and school. Both establishments teach children, yet thankfully that’s were the similarities end! Children are encouraged to resolve their own problems, discussing between themselves, and evensearching Google before bringing it to the attention of their mentors. They’re taught early on that they have within them the capacity to achieve whatever they put their minds to! The kids are prompted to create their own schedules and timetables so that they get to learn what interests them! They’re not weighed down with homework, criticized for lack of involvement or forced to learn things that don’t intrigue them. I mean, how great is that?Honestly if this was around when I was younger I would have begged to have joined. I’m not going to lie but I’m a bit jealous of the opportunity that has been presented to these kids. But it makes me more hopeful for future children who will be given an edge in this increasingly technology orientated age.
‘Dojos are built on community spirit and encourage children to collaborate and learn from each other’
Next up was Richard Garsthagen, Director of Cloud Business Development of Oracle. He was just what was needed, he was lively, energetic and grabbed everyone’s attention through his bubbly personality.
He began his speech by informing us a bit more about Cloud Computing and that although we may have previously heard of it, many tend to have misconceptions about it. It’s true that The Cloud exists and it is an integral part of understanding the importance of cloud computing, but he emphasized that there is much more than just The Cloud. He expressly stated that cloud computing had many more benefits than we may have originally thought.
He imaginatively compared cloud computing to a restaurant menu, asking us to visualize a situation where a restaurant had none and customers simply went in and asked the chef to prepare them something. The tricky thing here is not all the ingredients would be available or even accessible in certain regions, countries or areas. Picture someone looking for squid in a chipers? It just wouldn’t work! It’s the same with cloud computing. I think the idea he was trying to express was that there’s endless options to choose from (like the many different cuisines around the world) so you need to limit the options in particular situations. He stressed that you wouldn’t constantly change the menu, that you need to be savvy when it comes to dealing with customers. That’s to say, you should give them what they want but restrict them a little (that’s the point of the menu!) so you know you can adequately provide them with what they want.
Garsthagen continued by informing us of disruptive new ways of doing business. Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard the concept in its technical term before but I guarantee you have heard of a few companies who utilize it! It’s basically the change that occurs when new digital technologies and business models affect the value proposition of existing goods and services. Take Netflix for example. They’ve embraced a service orientated cloud architecture that allows their consumers to view an array of tv series and movies once they log on to their Netflix account. Personally, I find that Netflix has revolutionized the way content is being accessed by consumers and it really makes you think of the extent to which companies must market so get their goods and services out there!
He admitted to the hundreds assembled in the Helix that cloud computing is changing the way that technology is available to people. In short, it is the future. I certainly got a lot of valuable advice from Garsthagen’s speech and I think he’s a true inspiration. I certainly look forward to learning more about cloud computing!
John Massey, Business Development Director of SAP Ireland, was the next person to bring his experiences to the stage. Like Garsthagen, Massey advocated the importance of cloud computing for businesses today.
Massey provided a bundle of useful information to the array of people gathered in Mahony Hall. He revealed that the economics of running a cloud business is entirely different. You’ve gotta be more tech savvy and more accustomed to using such technologies if you want to continue in this continually changing business environment.
He reminded us that it’s all about the competitive edge, you don’t want to be doing the same as everyone else in the industry, you need to be different, you need to be innovative and to get ahead. You need to get digital. Massey urged us all to embrace technology and encouraged us to believe that we are the innovators, the thinkers, the one’s capable of great change.
Upon leaving us, Massey imparted some wisdom onto those listening attentively:
‘You need the drive, the ambition, but remember you’re always learning, always developing’.
A truly motivational speaker who got the crowd to truly think about their own futures and the real benefits that cloud computing has to offer. He offered plenty of useful information for all the attendees at the event and I’d like to thank him for all he discussed.
The final speaker of the evening was Shay Garvey, head of Platform in Frontline Venture Capital. He was what was needed to awaken the fatigued audience and it wasn’t long before we were immersed and listening attentively to his every word.
Frontline Venture Capital is Europe’s first community focused fund, creating a platform for innovative technology entrepreneurs building capital-efficient businesses in high-growth markets. I think what really sold me about this company is that it believes in ideas and investing in passion. How many times have we heard about people’s dreams being tossed aside simply because they had no money to fund them? Nobody to support them? No one to believe in them? This is where it all changes! Personally I think their willingness and openness to nourish creativity is truly admirable and such a groundbreaking achievement. I find their readiness to take risks in the name of other people’s business ventures inspiring.
You gotta get out of that comfort zone
They believe the way start-up companies are being funded has changed rapidly, as they’re constantly being driven by cloud computing and the open source movement. Frontline is aware that this is only going to accelerate. Of course they’re going to want to make a living out of their venture but they are ready to support those new and innovative ideas that come their way.
Garvey seemed to be a genuine business-man who wants to help new ideas grow and evolve, something which can be highly lacking these days! He also mentioned that cognitive jobs are at risk, anything routine is being disrupted by changes in technology. Like all the other speakers, he motivated everyone to realize the importance of changing and adapting to new technological advancements. His supportive tone and helpful advice had many audience members nodding along to his insight. One of the many things he said that stuck with me was:
‘The only thing original is that people can create’
Can you get much more motivational than that? I’ve a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more about Frontline Venture Capital in the coming years. But I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly looking forward to that!
Each of our speakers enlightened me to such an extent that I feel much more tunes in and aware of what ‘getting digital’ really means. We must constantly change and develop according to new technological advancements that come our way. We have to believe that were are the innovators, the new-age thinkers, the ones capable of success! We can no longer hide from things that may frighten us but embrace them and all the benefits they can offer us!
Personally I believe that we all have a spark within us to be great. Many of our speakers highlighted the importance of being able to adapt to the change around us and getting a little outside your comfort zone. Remember:
‘Be bold, be daring. The shy ones rarely make history’.
Thanks for reading, I hope you found some insight on how to Get Digital. Thanks for being with me throughout the four of our conferences, and I hope you learned a little on to Get Going! I’m going to leave with one of my favorite quotes by T.S Eliot. It’s giving me some motivation through the years and I hope it will do the same for you! I wish you all the best with your future endeavours!
We gathered once again in the jam-packed Mahony Hall for the third much-anticipated mini conference. Multiple inquisitive, keen listeners united together to discover all the trade secrets and to avail of insider knowledge from industry experts on how to successfullyset up a business. Whether you were aspiring students, budding entrepreneurs or merely someone with an idea there was an array of tips, insight and advice to be gotten from our esteemed guest speakers. Without delay, lets get started!
Niamh Bushnell, the Dublin Commissioner for start-ups, kick-started the event with charisma and enthusiasm, enticing us much like hungry fish discovering a worm in the water and latching on. There’s no doubt, we were hooked.
After spending sixteen years in the States, pouring her heart, soul and tears into her own start-up business ( Orbiscom), Bushnell came back to Ireland with an aspiring conviction to put Dublin on the map in terms of start-up businesses. Promoting our capital city as a great place for operations became her drive and motivation for success. Hearing her talk with such passion and love for her job was truly inspiring, and I like to think it may have been the push some audience members needed to open themselves up to new ideas including their own! I fully believe that everybody has the capacity to be an entrepreneur, they’re not some special breed of people born with preconceived ideas. They are normal, ordinary people like you or me who see the world with problems that need solving. To some, the prospect of starting a business is terrifying but Bushnell advocated the importance of taking that leap. She didn’t deny that there’s work involved: ‘The emotion you put into your start-up is massive’. I’d have to fully agree with this, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing! Emotion means passion, and is there anything greater than having passion for what you do? Personally, I know that in the future I’ll want a job I don’t need a break from, I don’t want to hate what i do for five days a week anticipating the weekends as an escape. I want to be passionate like Bushnell!
Our speaker revealed that ‘despite all the experience [she] thought [she] had, [she] was making all the same mistakes as everyone else’. Bushnell was a very humbling speaker and her willingness to bare-all about start-ups (both the positive andnegative aspects) was truly refreshing and inspiring. She left us all with some truly motivational advice:
‘Seek diversity in your experiences’
For more on the first commissioner for start-ups, check out the video below:
Next up was David McKernan, founder and CEO of Java Republic. He was just what we needed. He was energetic, humorous and grabbed everyone’s attention through his no-nonsense manner. Hestarted off with an anecdote about two students he had just heard talking in the bathroom. One exclaimed that he hoped the speakers wouldn’t ‘bore the shite out of us’, and McKernan, being as good-natured as he was, solemnly swore he wouldn’t do that. His speech was short, sweet and to the point. I was enamored by him from that moment on, as were the others gathered in the audience.
His story of success is truly admirable and again like Bushnell, he didn’t gloss over the difficult issues he had faced, for example he put his house on the line for the sake of his business. He had borrowed money from his brother and he warned us against doing this if at all possible: DON’T TAKE FAMILY MONEY! Sometimes you can’t come back from that and you’re family might not forgive you, tensions will rise and grudges will stick. So for any of you budding entrepreneurs out there, if you can take one thing away from this, take that!
He admitted to the hundreds assembled in the Helix that starting up your own business is ‘a brutal, brutal story. But you forget’. There’s something so empowering and encouraging about this, as though the good always overcomes the bad, you just got to be hopeful! He’s always been a huge lover of coffee and this is what drove him on. In a way, like many other entrepreneurs he wanted to share a piece of himself with the rest of the world. He never stopped believing in either himself or Java Republic.
The place that had become the motivation to build Java Republic into what it is today, fell apart. Instead of wallowing in sadness or disgust, McKernan vowed to let that be his drive once again, that he’d never stop reinventing his company. Not long after that, he decided a change was needed and the once beloved yellow packaging was tossed aside and a complete re-vamp was in store. The new sleek sliver packaging transformed the brand into a modern, sophisticated, much more sought-after product. This, this right here is what being an innovator truly means: not being afraid of change, to be open to it!
McKernan doesn’t see himself as a success, not yet anyway. He still sees everything he has to do in order to improve his business. Java Republic doesn’t do a lot of publicity, they let the brand talk for themselves. They must be doing something right because it’s still on the map!
For those avid coffee-enthusiasts , I’d strongly recommend you to go to the Roastery, not far from D.C.U, in Ballycoolin. Where every process of the roasting process can be seen, how fascinating?
Check it out!
For details on how to get here, click here!
Some of our very own, wisest and brightest joined us for a riveting panel discussion in which the audience took part. Before that we had a brief encounter with the three panelists who discussed their roles within and without D.C.U.
First up was CEO and director of the DCU Invent Center, Richard Stokes. To be honest, I had no prior knowledge of the Invent Center except that it can be easily seen from the first floor of the library. But I must admit the work they do is quite exciting!
Its mission is to work with external companies as well as their own researchers to promote, yep, you guessed it: innovation, knowledge transfer and commercialisation… well, on second thoughts, maybe you didn’t guess it, but at least you now know! In simpler terms their primary objective is to combine inventors with no idea of enterprise with entrepreneurs with money. Clever, right? Our college is vastly becoming the home for innovation, providing opportunities for both post and under-graduates, both students in DCU and elsewhere.
Speaking of opportunities, Stokes mentioned the student competition ‘UStart‘, which is used to guide and assist students with their newborn ideas and help them nurture these notions into growing, successful enterprises. What’s not to love?
DCU is truly a leading source of innovation in Ireland, last year there were 35 spin-out companies from the Invent center , however there are now only 11 in existence! The startling fact remains, not all businesses survive! Is this the reason why fledgling business men and woman are reluctant to dip their feet in the water? Too scared of the biting cold feeling of failure?! But whatever the prospect of failure there’s always the chance of success, is it not worth the risk?
Following Stokes was the lively Eoghan Stack, Executive Director of the DCU Ryan Academy. He offered plenty of interesting information for the hundreds of attendees at the event. Opened since May 2014 the Ryan Academy caters for many different company needs, their aim being to share their information with other people ( they don’t want to keep it to themselves!). The Ryan Academy is a non-profit organisation who want to be the catalyst in helping developing an entrepreneurial mindset through-out Ireland. Stack’s vision for a nation in collaboration with each-other and others is a true eye-opener. Honestly, to me, he seemed to be the most hopeful for the emergence of new companies, saying that the Ryan Academy is there to help all prospective business-people. But he was not naive in thinking that all succeed.
Stacks briefly mentioned TechShop which entails DIY workshops and fabrication studios across the States, aiming to unify and facilitate entrepreneurs, innovators, university students, indigenous firms and many more. Many pleased, nodding heads could be seen around the crowd of people who would greatly consider utilizing the many benefits on offer on the DCU Invent campus.
Ronan Furlong, Executive Director of DCU innovation campus began where Stacks left off, presenting the services available here in DCU for the highly sought-after potential business men and woman. Furlong appealed to the audience once again imparting some needed advice on those budding-entrepreneurs in the seats.
Furlong enlightened us all with the Propeller programme, who contained both the first female and first student accelerator! The Female High Flyers Programmeis an accelerator programme for female led start-ups. It addresses the challenges facing female entrepreneurs. Exciting stuff, huh?
He can be quoted by saying that ‘entrepreneurship looks more like an archetypal Hero’s Journey.’ I think this is a very good definition of entrepreneurs. For the most part they start out struggling in the world of business (like those heroes fighting crime), they meet obstacles (such as their evil-counterpart who strives for world domination…) and although there’s a period of difficulty that doesn’t seem to be easily overcome, they strive and eventually succeed (save the world, win the girl..). I think this is when you become an entrepreneur (no, not when you win the girl!) when you overcome that bump in the road and keep moving forward.
Wise words, Rocky, wise words…
Our esteemed panelists gathered together to answer some eager questions from an array of people; students, lecturers and budding-business people who profited from these industry experts and their extensive knowledge.
1. How do you handle the different people who come to DCU, be it start-ups, MNC’s etc?
Stokes:‘Business ideas may be in early stages and it may be easier to tell them to get a job, but I disagree, this should be nurtured.
Furlong:‘The average age of an entrepreneur is forty, this gave me hope that i could still do it. You must approach everything with an open mind and enthusiasm. Support comes in different ways, the ability to support them is amazing.
2.What’s the mechanism for becoming more involved in the programmes? What’s the first step?
Stack:‘There are some fantastic opportunities. It’s never too soon to look at application forms!
Stokes:‘Come to ‘Invent’ and you’ll be steered to other areas. We’ll put you in the right direction.
Furlong: ‘the Innovation campus relatively new, so that’s why it may be a secret. We’re not singing it from the rooftops.’
The audience really got involved and everyone benefited from our intelligent panelists!
After a short intermission, we were joined by Sean Ahern, CEO of ThankFrank. He was what was needed to wake up the fatigued audience and it wasn’t long before we were immersed and listening carefully to what he had to say.
Personally, I found the concept of ThankFrank completely endearing and such a change to the normal petty, penny-pinching companies that we see today, too invested in market share, profits and bargains to appreciate the work that gets done for them. Let me shed some light on what i learned. ThankFrank is a platform of human research for savvy social shoppers and building an economy based on gratitude. Aherns gave a basic summary: ‘In a nutshell, ThankFrank.com provides a cool way to say thanks for frank and honest advice’. So, the idea is to put a like button on webpages, and if people like what they see all they have to do is click a button. Easy, right? There’s a double benefit to be earned here, those consumers who like pages can reap the awards, and believe me they’re pretty great! From vouchers to discounts and even the opportunity to give to charity, ThankFrank is certainly a pathway to a brighter future with more thoughtful and considerate generations. Pretty great, huh? What’s the catch, you say? That’s the beauty of it, there is none!
Ahern seemed to me to be a very down-to-earth, genuine kind of guy who emanates goodness (very rare in today’s world much like the concept of ThankFrank!). He stated that trust is very important to him, that in fact, he loves it! He strongly believes that money should go back to the people he trusts. How much humbler can he get?
He imparted some wisdom on what to expect when you begin our own business, he used an apt analogy of working in the trenches and the necessity of planning for three or more years of rainy days (I found this advice particularly helpful as it suggests a brighter, dryer future awaits, rain doesn’t last for ever!). Ahern insisted that it isn’t always easy, but the really good things in life rarely are!
Ahern’s skillfully used quotations throughout his presentation really captured the essence of what it means to be an entrepreneur. In my opinion Henry Ford’s quote was remarkably powerful and accurately depicted Aherns main thesis of the day:
Honestly, this quote grabbed me, and my attention was held throughout Aherns’ speech. The crucial point to take from Fords interpretation of success is that you must keep trying, learning, growing. There is no other way!
I certainly took a lot of valuable advice away from Aherns speech and I think he’s a true inspiration. I look forward to hearing more about ThankFrank in the future, and wish them success.
Kealan Lennan, CEO and founder of Clevercards, was the next person to bring his experiences to the stage. Although yawns were stifled and concentrations were waning Lennan sucked us back in with his inventive company so that you never miss a birthday again!
Clevercards is an Irish greeting card app company that utilizes media to connect people all around the world. Once you’ve set up an account or simply downloaded the app it makes remembering birthdays easy! It uses running algorithms to select the photos you actually want, for example if you’ve the intention of purchasing a card for your sister you don’t necessarily want random photos of friends cropping up. The algorithms prevent this and in a sense they do the selecting for you! Pretty neat? What’s even better is that any card can be sent anywhere in the world for €3.45! Want them sent directly to the house of said person? Clevercards does the hard work for you! Great news! Personalizing cards has never been so easy. Lennan saw a gap in the market for this kind of business and he jumped at it, as he said ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’. Like many of our other guest-speakers, Lennan provided us with even more insightful knowledge on how to go about starting our own businesses.
‘Share moments in minutes’
He’s clearly a strong believer of passion and urged us to be passionate about our ventures, that we will face failure many times but that comes with being an entrepreneur . Look where his passion got him… a successful company he can proudly say he built through dedication, consistency and -no doubt about it- hard work!
Lennan left us with a unique gesture. Everyone in the audience was given a promo code that would allow them to get a free card! Laughter enveloped Mahony Hall when he advised us to remember that Mother’s day was coming up and what better opportunity to us use Clevercards? How very enterprising of him!
For more on Clevercards check out the video below. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing much more of Lennan’s company in the future!
The final speaker of the evening was entrepreneur and investor, Paul Kerley.Kerley shared with us some of his successful ventures as an entrepreneur and like our other esteemed speakers I can honestly say I learned a lot from him.
Being CEO of Norkom(a financial and technological firm) since its birth in 1998, has fueled Kerleys ambitions and what motivated him to succeed in future endeavors. Kerley highlighted to those of us in attendance in the Helix, that the real lesson we must learn is that sometimes you have to make hard decisions so your business survives. He unabashedly admitted that he had fired friends before, something that thoroughly shocked me to the core. I guess that’s something they don’t tell you about business but Kerley made us stronger by not shielding us from its harsh reality. For that, I thank him.
Kerley has had a successful career to date and he’s not finished yet! He has worked in many other diverse areas in the business world and is constantly reinventing himself and aiding companies around the world. Working both on boards of various companies (ie Fenergo, SmartBin etc) and having a more hands-on approach, Kerley is quiet accomplished. In 2009 he was named Technology Person of the Year by ISA and Norkom has won critical acclaim from global analysts and industry publications throughout the years. This is one successful entrepreneur! What Kerley had to say was very insightful and I undoubtedly learned many beneficial entrepreneurial lessons.
Each of our speakers enlightened me to such an extent that I feel much more tuned in and aware of what being an entrepreneur truly means. It’s anything but easy and tough choices must be made constantly and consistently.But above all else you must have passion for what you do! Our guests are testaments of that. I don’t think any of them, would be here today were it not for their drive and devotion. I fully believe that entrepreneurship can be taught, I don’t agree with William B. Gartner’s ‘Trait Approach’ which states that an ‘entrepreneur is assumed to be a fixed state of existence, a describable species…’. Although this may be true for Bushnell, Kerley and others, there are those out there, such as McKernan, who had very normal lives before entrepreneurial instinct took over. So the question is, is this spark ingrained in certain people? Does it remain dormant until suddenly it erupts, bringing with it ideas, notions and a yearning to create? Personally, I believe that spark is inside us all! The only thing we need is the motivation and inspiration to succeed….. and a lot of hard work!
Thanks for reading, I hope you gained some insight in how to Get Started! I hope to see you next time! Oh and don’t forget to check out some photos from the conference! Until next time and remember…
Dr Theo Lynn kick-started the 2nd of the mini conferences with charisma and enthusiasm and set the tone for the remainder of the event. He began his talk with some interesting statistics that certainly grabbed my attention from the get-go! For example, did you know, 95% of irish 18-35 year olds own a smartphone? And that a futher 60% of smartphone users own an IPhone?
Lynns anecdotes generated laughter among the students, faculty and other esteemed guest speakers gathered in Mahony Hall. He spoke briefly of ‘Cortana‘- Windows new personal assistant and he gave an adept example of how useful ‘Cortana‘ can be; he can ask the electronic assistant to remind him when he’s in proximity of a flower shop to buy a present for his wife. ‘Cortana‘ will remember this and with the clever use of GPS technology she’ll follow the command through. This is just fascinating, I find, how quickly technology is moving us forward. What’s next for us? One can only imagine the possibilities! The next five speakers shared with us some insight into what they think is down the road for us in the not so distant future.
To hear the voice of the future. Click on the image to hear Cortana speak.
Second up was CEO of Digifeye, Dr. Mark Hughes. Hughes began where Lynn left off and continued with a thought-provoking speech that didn’t bore us with overwhelming statistics and figures. He talked to us all about his newly developed company ‘Digifeye‘. As a lover of fashion and constantly searching the web to find clothes I see on people, I’m happy to announce that this company’s website is every fashionistas dream come true! What would you say, if you thought it possible to simply find dresses, boots, bags and skirts all within a click of a button? You’d probably tell I’m crazy, that’s the kind of thing you see in movies! Well not anymore folks, welcome to future! It’s easy, take a photo of the item of clothing you want and Digifeye does the work searching the web for you! And even if it can’t find the exact copy they’ll find you simlier products that could possibly be cheaper. Nothing to lose!
As simplistic as the idea may seem, Hughes identified that there is work involved. What i found interesting was what Hughes had to say about the algorithms. Now, before I lose you attention, hang on just a minute, I promise it’s worth your while! When we see an image we tend to know imediately what it’s for, for example if we see a table, we know that it is, in fact a table. We learn from the first time we’re told of what an object it, yet (and this is where it gets interesting- I swear!) for a computer it’s completely different, it stores a number of algorithms and these remind it that what it’s seeing is something it’s seen before, like a table. But what we know is that there are an array of tables to chose from yet a computer doesn’t know this. It’s held back by the limited knowledge it knows. If i was to show you these images, how many of you would see a young woman? and how many of you would see an old lady?
It’s hard to distinguish whether the two people are present in the picture and this is what it’s like for a computer! Cool, right?!
for more information click on the logo to read an insightful article.
Next up was Dr. Cathal Gurrin, Director of the Human Media Archives research group and one of DCUs school of computing lecturers. Gurrin focused his attention on wearables, such as Google Glass, and the method of Lifelogging. For those of you who are as bewildered as I was about either of these concepts let me shed some light on what I learned. We all remember Marty McFly and the Doc taking a trip to 2015 in style, roaming the streets in the DeLorean and coming across new and wacky inventions they’d never imagined before, but for us many of those gadgets are reality! Okay, so there’s no flying cars and hover boards…..yet, but I find it truly remarkable the number of creations developed that we had once thought were mere fantasy. This movie not only got wearable computing right, they even managed to make the devices look somewhat like Google Glass! It just goes to show anything is possible when you put your mind to it!
Gurrin moved on to the exciting albeit a bit intrusive phenomenon of Lifelogging. This amazed me more than a little and I have to admit I was little awestruck and on edge when Gurrin explained this idea. He explained that Lifelogging enables the concept of a ‘surrogate memory’. You can wear these small devices (or there are now apps you can purchase for your smart phone) that capture photos which becomes a sort of digital biography, Saga is one of such apps that aims to do this. Then, there are others such as OptimizeMe that captures data and analyzes it for correlations between say activity levels and stress.
Could you imagine monitoring your life constantly? The prospect scares me a bit. Would we become too reliant on this technology to remind us of everyday mundane experiences? And what about the privacy aspect of Lifelogging? How would you feel if you’re constantly being photographed? Maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist or maybe Lifelogging just isn’t for me. But, don’t let me put you off! You could the future Lifelogger of your generation. For those of you out there who are intrigued and want to learn more click on the link.
Eoin Cruise, Market Lead for Microsoft Mobile Devices, made his way to the stage with an air of sophistication and business experience (you could tell by the suit). He had told us from the outset that this was a sales pitch, in which he tried to convince us that the Microsoft phones are the future, that we need look no further! Although there were a few blank expressions and some skeptical faces around the room what Cruise had to say was really insightful and I learned a valuable business lesson. He had been with Nokia for over 10 years and he admits that they let themselves be by-passed because they didn’t react to the changing times in the mobile industry. But 2014 was their year for growth and consolidation with Microsoft. Honestly, I found it truly inspiring that they said to themselves that things are going to change!
Cruise shared some more interesting goals Microsoft hopes to obtain in the not so distant future. They want to put on sale affordable smart phones, drawing in the consumer. He advocated new and improved technologies such as Cortana, Office, X-box and Skype which will be available on all Windows devices!
One thing that really struck me in his speech was his undying motivation and optimism for their future endeavors. They’re not out of the picture yet, far from it! I think what they’re doing is truly impressive and I wish them all the luck. ( I even think he was successful in converting a few smartphone users to the dark side….!)
Paul Davey was the next speaker to bring his experiences to the stage with IBM– a multi-national technology and consulting organisation. I had heard of IBM and remembered seeing its logo everywhere but wasn’t actually aware of what it did until that day. Upon further research I discovered some of their famous inventions we see in our lives! Such inventions include the ATM, the floppy disk, magnetic strip card and many more! Who would have known?
Davey spoke of the utmost importance of applications in our world today. He went further by saying it wasn’t merely enough to just have an app, it had to be a brilliant one. He strategically compared the Nationwide app (made by IBM) vs the Aer Lingus app, saying that the Nationwide app was far more successful with its consumers. Laughter enveloped Mahony Hall when he swore- hand on heart- that it was merely a pleasant coincidence.
Davey surprised us all by IBMs new business venture ‘Watson’– a super computer that processes information more like a human than a computer! It honestly blew me away what this machine can do and how it can make a real difference in medical situations. This is going to change the world as we know it, it’s going to save lives! (Watch the video below to see the ultimate power of Watson)
Finally, Alex Meisl chair of Wiforia came on stage. He was just what was needed. He was energetic, humorous and grabbed everyone’s attention through his bubbly manner. Like the others, he shared some interesting facts:
‘2 in 3 adults would rather give up alcohol than their smartphones’
‘There are more mobile phones than toothbrushes’
These crazy statistics are something I think we can all relate too and it’s definitely something I took away with me after the day. Meisl introduced different organisations and their inventive incentives that they use to expand their clientele. His examples blew us away and we were hooked. All of the videos were very good and cleverly put together but i guess my favourite would have to be the E-mart sunny sale advert, which creatively used the positioning of the sun and a 3-D sculpture to make a QR (quick response) code to encourage consumers to shop in their stores during lunch time! It reminds me of how effective interactive advertising can be, but also shows the effects of good advertising!
As the 2nd of our mini conferences was drawing to an end, yawns were stifled and concentrations were waning yet Meisl sucked us back in with more captivating and albeit some peculiars innovations such as ‘the wake up and smell the bacon’ app or the slightly more absurd ‘Tweetpee’ app. The overused phrase ‘there’s an app for that’ has never seem more apt!
Like I’ve said before Meisl is well capable of entertaining his audience, and time seemed to fly by with his amusing anecdotes and charismatic nature.I certainly learned a lot of valuable business knowledge and I think I’m more aware of the importance of mobile phones in our lives. I’ll leave you with some of the QR code fails that Meisl showed us. Enjoy!
Thought you could get away that easy? I’m almost done I promise, scouts honour! Don’t forget to check out some of the photos from this event and I hope to see you guys back here on February 17th 2015!
On Tuesday the 14th of October DCU students, faculty, business men and women all gathered in The Helix for the much anticipated annual ‘Get Social’ mini conference. Mahony Hall was jam-packed with inquisitive, keen listeners to avail of insightful and innovative information from a selection of experienced speakers including; Dr Theo Lynn, Deirdre Hogan, Jane McDaid, Lucy Campbell, Alan Coleman, Nicolas Cappiello and Eric Weaver. The four hours seemed to fly by as everyone, myself included, gained memorable advice and indispensable knowledge on all things social!
Dr Theo Lynn, Business Innovation Platform Director, DCU.
Dr Theo Lynn got the ball rolling by engaging us all with a catchy quote:
‘Social Media is not a destination, it’s a way of life’
This quote really struck me and it made me realize how important social media is in our lives, how it’s improved the world we live in today. Dr Lynn talked about the future and how with each generation we can improve it by being open to social media. He promoted the concept of cloud computing and showed us that it is certainly a useful resource that will be used in the future. For those of you interested further in the vast and ingenious mode of cloud computing I strongly suggest you visit :’The Irish Center for Cloud Computing and Commerce‘.
Deirdre Hogan, Senior Research Fellow at Dublin City University.
Next up was Deirdre Hogan who talked to us all enthusiastically about Gajo. I must admit i had no prior knowledge of this newly developed company but Hogan gave a great presentation on Gajo, a quick and simple way to unearth your target audience by using key words on individual’s social media. Admittedly, this takes precision and Hogan reminded us that it’s important not to overload people with information they may not want. This is when she introduced the concept of intent filter, which separates people into various groups such as occupation and gender. Personally, I feel this is the future and I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing much more of Gajo soon. Remember folks, you heard it here first!
Jane McDaid, Director and Founder of Thinkhouse.
Following after Deirdre Hogan was yet another high-spirited and cheerful entrepreneur, none other than the Director of Thinkhouse, Jane McDaid. I must admit that Jane captured my attention from the get-go and the hundreds of others gathered in Mahony Hall with her energetic personality and her dynamic video clips. She certainly maintained my attention through-out her speech and she evoked many emotions among her audience.
Thinkhouse, a youth communications agency,connects 18-35 year olds and works in collaboration with an array of companies such as Coca Cola, Vaseline and Barry’s Tea-but to name a few! Their main motivation is to connect people through social media in a fun and innovative way. For those of you who were unfortunate enough not to attend, I’d like to share with you one of the many entertaining and humorous videos we all enjoyed!
The point of showing us this video (believe me, there was a point, I swear!) was that when people go online they seek comedy, it’s one of the main ‘Seven Sins of Killer Content’. But it’s not all a barrel of laughs,YouTube is certainly an excellent means for wasting time -100 hours of content is uploaded every minute- however McDaid showed us that social media can be used to help others:
‘52% of Irish YouTubers take action after seeing a video’
These videos push us to act and help others who may be suffering or in need of dire assistance. By sharing content with each other you can …
‘Be the change you wish to see in the World’ – Gandhi.
Lucy Campbell, Marketing Director of RTÉ Digital.
Shortly after Jane McDaid, Lucy Campbell made her appearance. I thought her talk was interesting yet personally I felt over-burdened with statistics, facts and figures and conclude that not all data was entirely necessary.
Campbell spoke intently of the progression of RTÉ Player, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ news now since 2009. She is in charge of constantly improving and updating RTÉ Digital so to attract more people to their websites.
What I found immensely intriguing was GAA GO. First introduced in May 2014, GAA GO is a way for those Irish living abroad and those with a keen interest in Irish Sport to live stream matches from anywhere in the world! Having relations in England it brings a smile to my face knowing that even though they’re across the pond we can still connect through a common Irish interest, GAA! No more will people be forced to wait in agony for the match to end and receive a stressful phone call of the final score, they can now experience the emotional anxiety and pure exhilaration of those seventy-something minutes. It’s certainly a brilliant means of uniting us all.
Alan Coleman, CEO of Wolfgang Digital.
CEO of Wolfgang Digital, Alan Coleman became bewitched with Google AdWords in 2007 and then decided to set up Wolfgang Digital from his kitchen table. His determination and persistence proved productive when Wolfgang Digital’s work got noticed by Google itself (a dream come true for Coleman)!
From the outset Coleman was captivating and certainly gained our attention, especially when he informed us all of the sex shop him and his team decided to run. Now, how can that not grab your attention? As strange as this idea may sound, their intention was to improve their Marketing Agency and isn’t that what entrepreneurship is all about? Willing to take a risk your competitors are too afraid to make? Go where others fear to thread? Take a leap of faith? To ….. well you get the idea!
Coleman had said his reasons for setting this up was to :
‘• Walk a mile in our customer’s shoes.
• Create a resource that could be a vehicle for our wildest ideas (digital marketing ideas, of course).
• Have a website for new recruits to muck around with for training purposes.
• Break even or make a little bit of money.
• Learn, learn, learn.’
Coleman proceed to talk to us all about the power of newsfeed but you can’t let it do all the work for you. It’s necessary to think of paths to purchase and use social media to create brand advocacy. He reiterated that you have to engage with your target market and do more than just rely on social media. I must say, Coleman proves that with a lot of dedication and a little bit of stubbornness you truly can achieve your goals.
‘ A dream doesn’t become reality by magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work’- Colin Powell.
Nicolas Cappiello, EMEA Sales Director – Mid Market at LinkedIn.
Although Cappiello’s speech was short, it was precise, to the point and light-hearted. LinkedIn, a business orientated networking service, that collects and shows data in an intelligent way.
Cappiello, who has worked with Google in the past, expressed the importance of informing and inspiring your customers. He explained when working with social media that content is key to engaging with your audience.
Eric Weaver, Chief Social Officer at IPG Mediabrands
Attention spans were waning as the clock neared six, yet Weavers effervescent and animated charisma woke the crowd from its zombie-state!
Much like Nicolas Cappiello, Weaver emphasized the relevance of content and engagement with existing and prospective customers. He highlighted the vital importance of being different, that normal is only ordinary and to succeed you must …..
To reinforce this concept Weaver showed us the 2012 campaign ‘Oreo Daily Twist’ which incorporated a production team, who each day, for a hundred days, created an Oreo with a twist to celebrate their hundred birthday.
Weaver certainly practiced what he preached when he engaged with all of us gathered in The Helix that evening. He then continued to talk about T Mobile CEO John Legere, who, because of his bold and daring comments, has more followers on twitter then T Mobile itself! Personally, I think Weaver was demonstrating the importance of a little grit in business.
A truly inspiring evening listening to insightful business minds and i can honestly say that I now appreciate the ultimate power of social media. It’s not just a means of posting photos of food, fashion and chatting with friends and family, it’s so much more! Can anyone of us -honestly- say that we could live without this connective network in our lives? Those businesses that don’t put themselves out there or use social media to their advantage are going to suffer. This is the technology era.
Social media is an interaction among people where we share, create or exchange our thoughts and ideas in virtual communities, these communities have not only the power to inform us but also unite us all. As J.K Rowling once wrote:
‘We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided’
For any queries, do not hesitate to contact me!
Check out the gallery with some of the photos from this event: photos
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everyone’s attention through his no-nonsense manner. 
First up was CEO and director of the 
Following Stokes was the lively 
Our esteemed panelists gathered together to answer some eager questions from an array of people; students, lecturers and budding-business people who profited from these industry experts and their extensive knowledge.
After a short intermission, we were joined by 
The final speaker of the evening was entrepreneur and investor, 
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These crazy statistics are something I think we can all relate too and it’s definitely something I took away with me after the day. Meisl introduced different organisations and their inventive incentives that they use to expand their clientele. His examples blew us away and we were hooked. All of the videos were very good and cleverly put together but i guess my favourite would have to be the 
The Para-DICE! 