In an unexpected twist, this week's edition is brimming with stories from across the United States.

Despite the complexity of breaking into this market, Irish startups continue to regard the US as a key priority, drawn by its huge potential and openness to innovation.

The stats and success stories featured in this edition underscore this sentiment, with 2022 exports to North America surging by an impressive 13% (€5.5 billion) according to Enterprise Ireland.

Here's a glimpse of what we're covering on the Digital Irish Abroad this week:

1. McCabe's Comeback: Intercom's CEO Returns to Lead the Charge.

2. A New Startup Event Aims to Propel Irish Entrepreneurs to Greatness in the US.

3. Brian Dick, CEO of Golden State Foods: An Incredible Career Journey from Ireland to Egypt and the Pinnacle of Success.

4. John Collery's Vision: Building Farmer.CHAT to Enhance Crop Yields on a Global Scale.

5. Ireland's Prosperous Economy Confronts Infrastructure Challenges.

Enjoy the read!

McCabe's Comeback: Intercom CEO Returns to Lead the Charge

Eoghan McCabe has returned to lead Intercom after stepping down as CEO in 2020. During his previous tenure, Intercom transformed from a small startup into a prominent player in the CRM industry.

Notably, several team and board members enthusiastically shared the article in support, clearly excited about Eoghan's return as a leader and illustrating the newfound energy and excitement he has injected.

Who could blame the team’s enthusiasm when your CEO shows such public conviction:

He singles out Zendesk for one of those swings, claiming that they can eat into their market share by providing a better product.

Intercom, often hailed as one of Ireland's "Unicorns", boasts a customer base of over 35,000 in more than 150 countries and has secured over $280 million in funding since its establishment in 2011. Watch this space. 🚀 

H/T 🎩: The Currency

New Start-up Event Helping Irish Entrepreneurs Make it Big in the US

Organised by Digital Irish, Irish Start-up Week NYC was a three-day event dedicated to assisting Irish entrepreneurs in expanding their presence in the US.

The event provided a strategic platform for Irish startups, offering networking opportunities, pitching sessions, fireside chats, and practical advice on navigating the US market.

Speakers included Oisin Hanrahan, the founder of multiple startups since relocating to the States. He emphasized that Irish people don't network like the Irish, and we need to take full advantage of this strength. Something I wholeheartedly agree with.

Congratulations to the Digital Irish team on what appeared to be an incredible event. I look forward to seeing it grow in the coming years.

Brian Dick: An Incredible Career Journey from Ireland to Egypt to the Top

Congratulations to Belfast native Brian Dick on becoming CEO of one of America's best-known food service suppliers. His 25-year career journey to reach this point is truly astonishing. 🤯🤯

GSF is best known for its long-standing relationship with McDonald's, supplying the fast-food giant with over 130 products and generating over $2 billion in revenue in 2022.

Dick began his career in the food service industry in the UK and Ireland. In 1999, he first joined GSF as a Business Development Manager for GSF Egypt. He quickly rose through the ranks and, in 2023, was named CEO of GSF, becoming the first non-family member to lead the company and its 5,000 employees.

John Collery's FarmerCHAT Transforms Farming with Impressive Results:

Irish innovator John Collery is spearheading the Farmer.CHAT initiative, harnessing AI technology to significantly boost crop yields for farmers globally, with a particular emphasis on less affluent agricultural areas.

Created by Digital Green and HQ’d in NY, The AI chatbot delivers valuable advice to farmers tailored to their location and specific conditions. In Ethiopia, this groundbreaking innovation has resulted in an impressive 17% surge in crop yields, making a substantial impact on the lives of farmers.

H/T 🎩: Devex

Ireland's Booming Economy Faces Infrastructure Challenges

Closer to home and in a more sombre but important note:

This week, The Financial Times published an exceptionally detailed article, predicting that Ireland's economy will continue its robust GDP growth. Comically, Ireland’s growth is so remarkable that it has had an effect on the EU’s GDP, propelling the bloc’s statistics to new heights.

However, Ireland is currently grappling with substantial infrastructure challenges, including a housing crisis and strains on essential services such as transportation, healthcare, education, energy, and water supply. Issues which the government would not like the global readership of the FT viewing:

In an effort to address these challenges, the government is exploring the possibility of establishing both a sovereign wealth fund and a public investment fund.

H/T 🎩: The Financial Times

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