Founders who built their businesses with the support of the Local Enterprise Office (LEO ) Galway will talk openly about the setbacks and the hard decisions behind their growth at a conference in Galway this month. What Happens Next? – Galway Founders Conference takes place at Dexcom Stadium on Monday, November 16, and most of the people who will share their stories on stage have received support from LEO Galway. The free event runs from 9am to 1.30pm and tickets are limited.
The conference will be facilitated by Dorothy Creaven, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Jentic, which enables enterprises to manage, scale, and govern AI initiatives on a single platform. Herself a former LEO Galway client, having received a Priming Grant in 2013, Dorothy also led the launch of Rent the Runway’s first international office and advises government on research and innovation policy. She will guide both panels and the two In Conversation sessions, with practical questions about AI running through the morning.
The conference comes as new figures show that, between 2019 and the end of 2025, businesses supported by LEO Galway in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors created 510 new jobs across the city and county. Over the same period, 46 LEO Galway clients progressed to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio, reflecting their growth and export potential. In addition, 165 businesses received grant support worth almost €4 million.
Rather than a line-up of polished success stories, the programme focuses on what it takes to keep going. Speakers on the day will discuss the setbacks, pivots, and hard decisions they faced as they grew their businesses.
A technology panel, From Idea to Growing Business, will look at early proof and lessons learned, while a life sciences panel will explore investment, hiring, and expansion. Two In Conversation sessions, both titled What Happened Next?, will hear directly from founders about what came after their first breakthrough.
Caroline McDonagh, Head of Enterprise at LEO Galway, said the conference will share the real stories behind the success.
“Often, the business stories we hear are the finished ones. We read about the funding round, the export deal, the awards. Less common are the stories about the setbacks, the near misses, and the hard calls along the way, but that’s often where the real lessons are. Whatever stage your business is at, the support is there for what happens next,” she added.
Mary Rodgers, CEO of Galway City Innovation District and PorterShed, will join the technology panel. Mary also mentors businesses for the LEOs in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon.
Also taking part is Paul Killoran, Founder and CEO of Ex Ordo, who received a €22,000 LEO Galway Priming Grant in 2011 and has since grown the company to serve 800,000 researchers in 60 countries. Ursula Kelly, CEO of Cormac Tagging, has drawn on LEO Galway support over more than a decade, as the Tuam family business has grown to identify millions of animals worldwide each year.
Brian Shields, Co-founder and CEO of Neurent Medical, received LEO investment funding in 2017 and has led the company from concept through regulatory approval to commercialisation in the US.
The line-up also includes David Barrett, Co-founder and CEO of Welliba; Brandon Blacoe, Co-founder and CEO of ByoWave; Orla Connaughton, Founder and CEO of Aztec Medical; and Dr Michelle Tierney, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of SymPhysis Medical.
The conference will be opened by Liam Hanrahan, Director of Services, Economic Development & Planning, Galway County Council.
Speaking ahead of the event, conference facilitator Dorothy Creaven said: “Companies built in Galway are treating patients, making technology more accessible and serving customers around the world. I’m looking forward to hearing directly from the founders about how they got there, from winning their first customers to making decisions that took the company further. For anyone building a company here, it’s a real chance to hear those stories properly and ask questions about their own next stage.”
What Happens Next? – Galway Founders Conference takes place at Dexcom Stadium on Monday, November 16, from 9am to 1.30pm and includes a networking lunch. Attendance is free, but places are limited. To book, visit localenterprise.ie/galway
