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Prosper Kerry, a networking series for Kerry business diaspora, and the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle have announced a special event of networking amongst Kerry based entrepreneurs and those attending the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle weekend. The event, which takes place in the Killarney Plaza Hotel on Friday, July 6 at 6.30pm, follows successful events ran by Prosper Kerry in Dublin.

Prosper Kerry is the brainchild of Derryquay native Eamonn Sayers, manager of the global award-winning Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC). In his role leading the world’s top business incubator, Eamonn has seen many early-stage companies grow nationally and internationally since he took over the helm of the GEC in 2011. Supported by a group of Kerry professionals based in Dublin, the mission for Prosper Kerry is to develop a network of support among Kerry's business diaspora to enhance prosperity in Kerry through co-operation, knowledge-sharing, creativity, inspiration and a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Speaking ahead of the event, Sayers said: “We’re calling on all those attending the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, and indeed anyone from Kerry with an interest in business to come to our event on July 6. We’ll hear from Kerry start-ups developing jobs in the county; we’ll hear from Kerry SciTech as well as the work of Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell.

“We’ll be joined by Ed Harty, CEO of Dairymaster, a company that was founded in Kerry and is now a world leader in dairy equipment manufacturing. Dairymaster has customers in over 40 countries worldwide and employs 350 people at its global headquarters in Causeway. We’ll also hear from Tony Daly, Chairman of Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle and managing director of Parknasilla, along with some leading personalities participating in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle.

“At our first two events, we have introduced Kerry start-ups (Crua Outdoors, The Freebird Club, StoryStock, GoYeti!, Southern Scientific and mibeau Interiors) to showcase their businesses to the Kerry diaspora eager to assist them in their growth. We have heard from Kerry entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly who shared the hard-earned lessons of growing global businesses from Kerry; and Killorglin exile Luke Moriarty who employs 650+ people in the retail & hospitality industry in Dublin.

“Our ask is simple, we want Kerry people that want to see their county prosper to come along and find out how they can help. We believe that we’re missing a trick by not having better business relationships between those of us living and working in the county, and those of us who are outside Kerry but will always call Kerry home. Our diaspora can provide a wealth of advice and mentoring on tackling key start-up challenges including access to markets, growing the business and connecting the entrepreneur with potential investors. We’re a passionate group of Kerry people who want to do as much as we can for our county.”

You can register for Prosper Kerry online at gec.ie/prosperseries.