In this week's episode of Bay Business, Breda Fox talks with Mary Rodgers, CEO of the PorterShed and Galway City Innovation District, to explore how a single idea became a decade-long engine of innovation in the west.
Mary talks through the origins of the PorterShed, from a bold vision for a startup hub in a disused building to the buzzing community of founders, remote teams and scale-ups that now call it home. She explains what actually happens inside the space on an ordinary day, how companies are supported at every stage, and why the right environment can dramatically change a founder’s chances of success.
Breda and Mary discuss the highs and lows of building an innovation district, the importance of partnership across public and private sectors, and what the PorterShed’s first ten years have meant for jobs and investment in Galway and beyond. Mary also reflects on her own journey as a leader, the lessons she has learned working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, and her hopes for the next decade of tech and innovation in the region.
It’s an honest, energetic look at how you build an ecosystem – and keep it growing.
Galway 360 on Galway Bay FM
Discover Galway through a fresh daily lens with Galway 360, a series of themed 10-minute segments airing every weekday as part of FYI Galway at 5:45pm, with extended podcast versions available on our app and website. From business and tech to youth culture and Irish language stories, each feature brings you closer to the people, ideas, and events shaping Galway today.
