I spoke with Mary Rodgers, CEO at the Galway City Innovation District. We discussed her work with startups, startup ecosystems and what it takes to become a successful founder. Mary promotes ecosystem building activities to support the creation of high-value sustainable jobs in the West and North West of Ireland. Mary nurtures a transformative culture at the PorterShed Galway, supporting globally focused tech startups and facilitating technology innovation and collaboration. Mary is an accomplished executive with domestic and international experience in startup supports including mentoring, business development, scaling and fundraising. Mary has worked with both startups and growth organisations throughout her career. Further reading: The rise of innovation districts Building a startup that will last