Events
RISE@UofG is hosting regular formal and informal hybrid events to provide information, learning, and networking opportunities for existing and aspiring founders.
Upcoming events:
RISE@UofG – Founders’ Club launch event (28th October 2024; ARC - 237A&B or online)
Join us for the exclusive launch event featuring two high-profile guest speakers to learn about the ups and downs of their own entrepreneurial journeys, participate in a panel Q&A, and enjoy drinks and a light buffet while networking with like-minded colleagues from across the University.
The hybrid RISE@UofG launch event will take place both in person at the University’s Advanced Research Centre (ARC) on Monday 28 October and on-line for the speakers and panel elements.
To book your free tickets, please visit the Eventbrite listing
About the Speakers
Joe O’Keeffe is a serial entrepreneur and founder of InfiniLED, a MicroLED display technology company acquired by Facebook in 2016, and SensL, a sensor technology firm acquired by ONSemi. He is the former VP of Display Research at Meta, where he led technology development for AR, VR, and Portal products. Joe has also launched many other start-ups, including Nannocoms, EnBIO, PixQuanta, and PlasMedica. He currently supports around ten early-stage deep-tech startups, focusing on AR/VR, optics/photonics, semiconductors, and AI. Additionally, Joe is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Tyndall Research Institute in Cork. He has a strong background in technology and business, with degrees from Dublin City University and University College Dublin.
Shireen Davies is a Glasgow-based entrepreneur originally from Singapore, holding an Honorary Professorship at the University of Glasgow and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Shireen is CEO and co-founder of SOLASTA Bio, which she has scaled from a University of Glasgow spin-out to a prominent scale-up with over 20 employees and a US subsidiary. Her leadership has been instrumental in securing substantial funding, including a recent $14m Series A round. SOLASTA Bio is at the forefront of developing innovative bioinsecticides through first-in-class, tiny proteins designed to target major insect pests. This approach offers cutting-edge solutions to the global challenge of sustainable food production.
Shireen has a distinguished track record in innovation, team building, and fundraising, including several prestigious fellowship awards. Most notably, she received the UKRI BBSRC Enterprise Fellowship.
Her accolades include the Scotland Knowledge Exchange and Glasgow Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2020, the 60s competition at the World Agritech Innovation Summit 2022, and the Radicle UPL Challenge in San Francisco in 2024.
Further events in planning for 2025:
Routes to commercialisation
Meet the investors
Entrepreneurial Stories
Pitch Practice Event