In this episode of Trading Up, recorded live at the Tech Tides Conference in Derry, Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with renowned technology entrepreneur, active angel investor, and Awaken Angels co-founder Mary McKenna. Mary shares the remarkable origin story of how retrieving a discarded government memorandum from a London co-working bin sparked Learning Pool - a multi-million-pound edtech enterprise that helped kickstart the Northwest tech ecosystem.

She reflects on her pivot from enterprise founder to angel investor, managing a 45-company portfolio with five successful exits, including two on a single day.

Mary details the vital work of Awaken Hub and Awaken Angels in tackling the early-stage funding deficit for female founders, while offering strategic advice on scaling internationally, tapping into vibrant Irish-American investor networks, and sharpening sales execution.

To conclude, she explains why ambitious tech entrepreneurs must pursue rapid revenue growth rather than waiting on local government support to deliver results.

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In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, host Jim Fitzpatrick and Professor Richard Ramsey analsye how economic realities are overriding culture wars to reshape global political agendas.

The discussion opens in the United States, examining how soaring petrol and diesel costs, Federal Reserve interest rates, and the energy-intensive AI infrastructure boom are impacting political strategy ahead of the US midterms.

Across Europe, economic strain manifests in Spain’s housing-driven election and French public sector protests.

Turning to the UK, the hosts evaluate the Chancellor’s tight £24 billion fiscal headroom, £100 billion annual debt interest burden, and difficult choices between taxation and public spending cuts.

Finally, they spotlight Northern Ireland, where political inertia around a £2 billion wastewater funding gap, record-low housing completions, and 22-year planning delays for the North-South inter-connector threaten long-term economic competitiveness.

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In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with tech entrepreneur Alastair Cameron to explore the raw realities of founder resilience, personal crisis, and starting over.

After a sudden diagnosis of stage 4 bowel and liver cancer, Alastair faced the reality of losing his creative drive and making the difficult decision to wind down his startup platform, Starticus.

Navigating grueling chemotherapy, four major surgeries, and an intense battle with OCD, he learned firsthand why founders must boldly prioritise personal health over business obligations.

Following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, an unexpected Eureka moment sparked his return, inspiring him to launch Tech Tides - a thriving regional technology conference bringing high-caliber innovation to Derry and Belfast.

Tune in for practical takeaways on managing founder mental health, the vital need for critical illness cover, contingency planning for business owners, and how to reignite your entrepreneurial spark to build sustainable ventures after adversity.

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