In the shadow of each other, the people live

I have blogged previously about Dublin based Munster dynamo Raymond Sexton’s innovative Tangible Flight Plan 2009 initiative. He had us take-off in Dublin in the first week out of the blocks in the New Year and we have touched down for a Shannon Stop-Over in Limerick. Now we are en route to the Big Apple next week.

What is the plan? Put simply, we are trying to unlock opportunity right now for US corporations – both large and small – to do business in Ireland and for Irish entrepreneurs, innovators and companies to break into the United States.

Raymond’s determination is that together we can rediscover the basic elements of success: Time,Treasure and Talent. 

The Tangible series has been bringing together people who have something to contribute and value to add. There have been some fascinating speakers and action yielding discussions. Genuinely everyone who has attended has benefited. There have been a few epiphanies, but more have discerned a growing spirit of positivity and sense of direction. Some exciting ideas and actions have been stimulated and new business is going to be done amongst the assembled passengers and crew!

The old Irish Proverb: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine (In the shadow of each other, the people live)
 
We need inspiration, followed by encouragement, supported by teamwork, access to empathetic financial resources and a genuine determination to succeed.

The line up helping to map the onward course in New York is as follows:-

• Con Clarke, Consultant/Lobbyist/Former Operations Director Aer Lingus – ‘There's still a few chancers around the place'
  
• Frank O'Rourke, Lawyer/President & CEO The Monnet-Madison Institute Inc. – a transatlantic educational partnership for the future of the European and American Unions.
  
• David Cahill, Senior Executive Salesforce.com – Computing in the Clouds
  
• Edward Gaffney, CEO Metroswag.com, Akron, Ohio – Live Global/Wear Local – Metroswag
  
• Mike Flannery, CEO Redwood Partners & Co-Chair Friends of Belfast Association of New York – Collaborating and Innovating in a Digital Era
  
• Mark Finlay, CEO Barnabas Ventures, the economic development company – Belfast once a City of 2 halves, now a city of 7 Quarters!  (Just like New York) 
  
• John Kelly, CEO Irish Chamber Orchestra – a 'key note' address: Words of  Wisdom interspersed with Powerful Music  
  
• Lori Heinel, Senior Advisor Citi Private  Bank – Overview of US Economic Outlook 
  
• Bill Harvey, Director Eastern Consolidated – Real Estate Overview
  
• Val Fenti, City Councillor/Business Owner – Canandaigua, Up State New York – Great place to live, work, and play
  

With this mix of contributors from Boston, New York, Ohio and Ireland along with a wide range of attendees we are going to have a Brain Storm on how we can collaborate to re-energise the economies of these two great countries: United States of America and the Island of Ireland.

Also, I hear clever people are working on flat out to permit a significant announcement to be made from the dais. Watch this space!! 

This event will be held on the morning of Thursday May 7 in the Olympic Suite, 10th Floor, New York Athletic Club, 180 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019, United States of America

If you are interested contact Raymond – or I guess just turn up ;-}

Immediately afterwards the New York based Trustees of the Presidents’ Club thought it would be a good idea to convene an informal buffet lunch gathering. I am delighted to say that our good friends at Invest Northern Ireland have agreed to support this initiative. Thus if you are in New York on Thursday, May 7 for business, or to attend the American Ireland Fund Dinner, why not come to along to 2 great back-to-back events!!