News and Events
UCC Blackstone Launchpads Experience at Forbes 30 Under 30
We were delighted to have had the opportunity to represent the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC at Forbes 30 Under 30 with UCC Commerce Student, Marie Martin of Martin's Safety Equipment, and UCC Commerce Graduate and former IGNITE Programme Participant, Joel Carey of CrowdSound.
It has been an interesting few days. Last Sunday we attended our first event in Boston's Hard Rock Café specifically for Blackstone LaunchPad Directors and Managers and the entrepreneurs that we support. Marie Martin was selected as UCC's Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneur at this event and did herself proud. It was our first time meeting our US counterparts and will hopefully be the first of many interactions as the latent potential that exists for collaboration between the various Blackstone LaunchPad teams is significant.
At Forbes 30 Under 30 we stopped by the Faces of Founders booth in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Startup Village. It was great to get face time with our Blackstone LaunchPad colleagues in the University of Buffalo and the University of Montana. Peter Finnegan, Director, Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC, and Marie Martin, Founder and Director of Martins Safety Equipment attended the Tech Stream in the afternoon in Boston's Emerson College, where we heard from Ashton and Guy Oseary of Sound Ventures, Brian Wong of Kiip, Je-nnifer Hyman of Rent The Runway, Andy KatzMayfield of Harry's and Neil Parikh of Casper. Joel Carey of CrowdSound attended the Create Stream in Harvard Business School.
Peter then headed for Mass Challenge for an excellent evening event with Blackstone LaunchPad staff from Ireland and the US.
It was energising to meet people with such a passion for making their respective Blackstone LaunchPad Programmes as impactful as possible. We look forward to further strengthening these ties over the weeks and months ahead as we all seek to leverage the overall strength of this international network.
A word from Peter Finnegan, Director Blackstone Launchpad UCC
Today is my (Peter Finnegan) final day in Boston as one of the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC's attendees at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. I was joined in Faneuil Hall this morning by Marie Martin of Martin's Safety Equipment and Joel Carey of CrowdSound. It was great to hear Jon Gray, Global Head of Real Estate, Blackstone, talk about Blackstone's intrepreneurial approach to the way it does its business.
I managed to get more time with other Blackstone LaunchPad Directors from the University of Southern California, Temple University, University of Philadelphia, Cornell University, University of Albany, Wayne State University and the University of Montana. Like any business engagement getting significant face time with counterparts in some of the other Blackstone LaunchPad Programmes is hugely valuable and is only the start of what I hope will be a very close working relationship going forward.
A big thank you to Marie Martin and Joel Carey for representing the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC, UCC and their respective companies with distinction on this business trip. I do hope that they realise rewards from their networking efforts and positive approach to doing business during their time.
A big thank you to Amy Stursberg, Tony Tolentino and Alisha Slye of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation for their efforts in coordinating all of the events that we have attended over the past few days. Your continued support for the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC is greatly appreciated.