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Irish Technology Leadership Group and Dublin City University Ryan Academy to advance Entrepreneurship in Ireland and Silicon Valley

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Irish Technology Leadership Group and Dublin City University Ryan Academy to advance Entrepreneurship in Ireland and Silicon Valley

ITLG and DCU Ryan Academy to deliver Kauffman programms
Irish Minister for Enterprise Jobs & Innovation Richard Bruton, DCU President, Professor Brian MacCraith and John Hartnett President & Founder ITLG

The Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) and Dublin City University's Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship today announced a major partnership to deliver Kauffman entrepreneurship and innovation programs in Ireland and Silicon Valley with the aim of stimulating economic growth.

The Kauffman Foundation, a world authority on entrepreneurial innovation and economic growth, has shown through its research that over 40% of new job growth will come from new startup companies.

ITLG, the Irish Kauffman Global Network Partner, will advance its diaspora innovation strategy that will deliver world leading entrepreneurship programs and policies to entrepreneurs and technologists in Ireland & Silicon Valley. DCU Ryan Academy is a non-profit, joint venture between Dublin City University and the family of the late Tony Ryan (founder of Ryanair).

The Academy already delivers a broad range of initiatives (including the Propeller Accelerator Fund) for the development and encouragement of entrepreneurship and innovation in Ireland through training, supports and investment programmes. These focus not only on start-up businesses but also on social and community enterprises, cultural enterprises and larger organisations, in both the public and private sectors. The partnership with ITLG will enhance this portfolio of activities significantly through the introduction of international best practice in the field.

The Kauffman Foundation works through its Global Network Partners to advance an entrepreneurial society in which job creation, innovation, and the economy flourish. The Foundation has a long history of partnering with organizations around the world to share best practices in support of developing economically successful entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The Kauffman Global Network Partners share best practices across the network and work with the Kauffman Foundation to develop and implement programs to attract, develop, and support entrepreneurs and their ventures. These include:

  • Accelerators, incubators, and other programs that offer mentorship, education, and validation of ideas
  • Systems to provide access to markets and financial and human capital
  • Support structures for foreign and local entrepreneurs

The partnership between the ITLG and DCU Ryan Academy will lead to the delivery of successful offerings such as the Kauffman FastTrac TechVenture and GrowthVenture programs. FastTrac TechVenture is designed to give technology- or science-based entrepreneurs a proven framework to develop a good idea into a great innovation. FastTrac GrowthVenture, on the other hand, is designed for businesses that are already launched and is based on proven strategies to enable those companies to achieve sustainable growth.

"As Ireland's University of Enterprise, DCU has a strong focus on supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in Ireland. I am particularly excited about the partnership of the DCU Ryan Academy with ITLG to deliver world-class Kauffman programs as this will strengthen significantly our ability to stimulate and support entrepreneurial and innovation activity for the benefit of the Irish economy," said Prof Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City University.

With the establishment of new ITLG chapters last year in New York, Boston, Washington, and Los Angeles, the ITLG now has a presence in the major technology markets in the United States. Coupled with linkages in Ireland, the ITLG routinely host Global Innovation Summits and leads trade missions dedicated to bringing together the best and brightest in discovering, funding and mentoring the most promising technology startups.

"In Silicon Valley, 95% of job creation comes from locally based companies. We are uniquely positioned to link Irish based technology innovation sources to the well established technology regions of the United States," said John Hartnett, President & Founder, ITLG. About ITLG Established in 2007, the ITLG is a non-profit group of senior executives from around the world, including some of Silicon Valley's leading corporations, each of whom is committed to promoting the technology connection between Ireland, Europe and the United States major technology markets. The ITLG is a platform that connects entrepreneurs, technology companies, academics, students and government officials to the technology communities via trade missions, networking events, investor/executive introductions, strategic business planning meetings and mentorship programs.

About Dublin City University and DCU Ryan Academy

Known as Ireland's University of Enterprise, DCU is a research-intensive, dynamic university that focuses strongly on the translation of research into societal and economic benefit. DCU focuses on developing creative and analytical graduates who are highly sought after by employers. DCU is the Irish representative in the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), a prestigious network of 11 European universities all of which share a common commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. DCU Ryan Academy is a central pillar in the University's strategy for Entrepreneurship. The core aim the Academy is to be the leading supporter of entrepreneurship and innovation in Ireland About the Kauffman Foundation The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Foundation is among the thirty largest foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately $2 billion.