ThinkBusiness.ie

Community Foundation Ireland has quietly reshaped Irish giving since 2000, channelling €200 million into communities across the country while building a model built on data, trust and long-term partnership.

In this episode, CEO Denise Charlton joins the ThinkBusiness Podcast to explore how strategic philanthropy works in practice, from backing causes before they find public support to helping a new generation of wealthy families think through purpose, legacy and impact. She discusses Ireland's unique culture of anonymous giving, the rise of donor-advised funds, and what policy change could unlock the next chapter of Irish philanthropy.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Welcome to the podcast. Today I'm joined by Matthew Coffey, co-founder of SQUID Loyalty, the Irish tech company on a mission to make customer loyalty simpler and more effective for businesses and consumers alike. What started as an idea between two engineering students has grown into a platform used by thousands of businesses across multiple international markets. We'll discuss entrepreneurship, customer engagement, the future of loyalty programmes, scaling a startup from Ireland, and the lessons Matthew has learned building a fast-growing technology company.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Welcome to the latest ThinkBusiness Podcast, powered by Bank of Ireland. As AI rapidly moves from buzzword to business tool, many SMEs are still asking the same question: where do you start, and how do you turn AI into something that delivers real value?

As Google and Bank of Ireland join forces to provide 10,000 Google AI Professional scholarships to Irish SMEs at no cost, we speak with Kira Brakhage, AI specialist at Google, about how small businesses can use tools like Gemini Notebook to work smarter, save time, and unlock new insights from the information they already have.

From turning meeting transcripts into instant action plans and accelerating staff onboarding, to conducting low-cost market research and transforming documents into engaging audio content, Kira shares practical, real-world applications that SMEs can put into practice straight away. She also addresses one of the biggest concerns for business owners today: how secure sensitive company data is when using AI-powered tools.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today we’re tackling a problem that every consumer and every business leader can relate to: why is customer service still so frustrating in an age of AI, automation and digital transformation?

Despite years of investment in technology, new research from ServiceNow reveals that Irish consumers are losing an astonishing 284 million hours every year dealing with customer service issues. Even more striking, nearly half of consumers say they would switch brands after just one poor customer service experience.

So what’s going wrong? Why are businesses still struggling to deliver seamless customer experiences? And with AI dominating boardroom conversations, are companies focusing on the right solutions—or simply adding more complexity to already broken processes?

To help us unpack these questions, I’m joined by Paul Turley from ServiceNow, a company at the forefront of helping organisations modernise customer service and employee experiences through digital workflows and AI-powered solutions.

In our conversation, we’ll explore why customer service remains one of the biggest pain points for consumers, the common mistakes organisations are making in their AI and customer experience strategies, and the practical steps businesses can take to improve service without committing to massive technology budgets.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

By 2030, more than one in three people in Ireland will be over the age of 50, while the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to exceed one million. As Ireland's population ages, the need for stronger community connections, health supports and wellbeing services has never been greater.

In this episode, we speak with Martina Calvey, founder of Hello GoodLife Ireland, a Mayo-founded social enterprise that is building a nationwide network of health and wellbeing hubs designed to help people stay active, connected and independent as they age. Martina explains the inspiration behind the business, the challenges and opportunities presented by Ireland's demographic shift, and why she believes communities hold the key to healthier, happier ageing.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Artificial intelligence promises to transform how businesses operate, but with so much hype surrounding the technology, many organisations are still asking a simple question: where does AI genuinely deliver value?

In this episode, we speak with Neil Bowden, EMEA AI Lead at Dell Technologies, about how Irish businesses can take a pragmatic approach to AI adoption. From identifying real-world use cases and measuring ROI to avoiding costly mistakes and unnecessary spending, Neil shares practical advice for organisations looking to make smarter AI investments.

Whether you're an SME exploring your first AI project or a larger enterprise refining your strategy, this conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what really matters: achieving meaningful business outcomes with AI.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today, we’re joined by Richard Meehan, CEO of Velico, the Boston-founded medtech company that has established its international headquarters in Ireland and is developing a groundbreaking dry plasma manufacturing system that could transform emergency trauma care around the world.

From ambulances and military operations to mass casualty response, Velico’s technology enables blood centres to produce spray-dried plasma that can be rehydrated within minutes when every second counts.

With recent support from the French military—a global leader in dried plasma production—the company is gaining international recognition for its innovative approach.

In this episode, Richard shares his journey from leadership roles across FMCG, real estate and ICT into the fast-moving world of MedTech, discusses the challenges and opportunities of scaling a healthcare technology company internationally, and explains why Ireland is playing a central role in Velico’s global growth strategy.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Welcome to the latest ThinkBusiness Podcast. Today we’re diving into the story behind one of Ireland’s most dynamic hospitality brands –The Address Collective.

Founded during the pandemic and rapidly scaled across Ireland and into the UK, the group represents a new model of design-led, experience-driven hospitality.

Joining me today are Cian McGettigan, part of the family behind The Address Collective, and Gerardo Larios Rizo, Head of Hospitality Sector at Bank of Ireland.

We’re starting with a really interesting angle –what it means to build and scale an intergenerational family business –before moving into growth, rebranding, and the wider outlook for hospitality in Ireland.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept – it’s rapidly becoming the operating system of modern business. From global tech giants to family-run farms in North Dublin, the ability to harness AI is quickly defining who scales, who competes, and who gets left behind.

And yet, while the vast majority of Irish SMEs recognise AI’s transformative potential, many remain stuck at the starting line – curious, but uncertain about how to turn that curiosity into practical, day-to-day advantage.

So what’s really holding businesses back? How big is the opportunity for Ireland if we close that gap? And what does it actually look like when small teams begin to think – and build – like software creators?

In this episode, I’m joined by Karen Stolberg, Vice President of Google Customer Solutions for the UK and Ireland. We explore the real economic impact of AI, the psychological shift happening inside organisations, and a major new initiative from Google and Bank of Ireland that offers training for up to 10,000 Google AI certificates licences to Irish SMEs at no cost.

From “vibe coding” and workflow automation to reclaiming entire workdays through AI fluency, this conversation is about unlocking capacity, competitiveness, and confidence across Irish business.

If you’ve been wondering where to begin with AI, this is the conversation that cuts through the noise.

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Hello and welcome to the latest ThinkBusiness Podcast powered by Bank of Ireland. Today we’re exploring fintech innovation and international expansion. 

We’re joined by Lydia Foott, an Irish entrepreneur who co-founded Qashio in Dubai, and Kevin Gallagher, the company’s General Manager for Europe, as it prepares to launch in Ireland with a new Dublin office and 50 jobs across multiple functions.

Qashio helps businesses take control of spending through smart company cards that track and manage expenses in real time, eliminating manual reporting and giving finance teams full visibility.

Following strong growth in the UAE, where it has partnered with Visa and Emirates, Qashio is now targeting Ireland as a gateway to Europe – against a backdrop of strengthening €8 billion trade ties between Ireland and the UAE.

So what opportunities does Ireland offer, and how can smarter spend management benefit Irish businesses?

Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.