Boston Round-Up. Fierce Starts, Focused Futures.
Boston set the bar high for the 2026 St Brigid’s US Trade Mission – now we carry that momentum with us to New York
Our 22 strong delegation is moving steadily down the East Coast, ready to take another bite out of the Big Apple. If you are curious about starting your angel investing journey, keen to back Irish women-led companies, or already a seasoned investor, join us at one of our two New York gatherings: tonight, Wednesday 4 February, for a social mixer at Jameson’s Bar, and tomorrow, Thursday 5 February, at the Bank of Ireland NYC Hub.
As we board the train from Boston to New York, we are taking stock of what has been an intensive, high-value few days in Massachusetts, the kind of schedule that compresses months of relationship-building, insight, and opportunity into a single city stop. From private briefings at Babson to investor-focused roundtables and evenings spent deepening diaspora connections, Boston delivered both depth and momentum for the founders on this delegation.
Day1: Strategic start at Babson
The formal programme opened on Monday 2 February with a welcome roundtable breakfast hosted by Babson’s President Stephen Spinelli. This session set the tone for the mission: a explicit focus on scaling, impact, and the realities of entering and competing in the US market.
Landing Smart: IP Strategy for Entering the US Market
On Monday morning, our founders took a deep dive into the realities of protecting and commercialising innovation in the United States through “Landing Smart: IP Strategy for Entering the US Market,” an interactive fireside chat with Joshua I. Rudawitz, Intellectual Property & Technology lawyer at global firm Greenberg Traurig. Hosted at Babson Boston, Downtown at 100 High Street, the session gave AwakenHub founders a rare opportunity to ask an experienced IP practitioner anything about navigating the US system.
During the session, founders explored how to structure an IP strategy that is aligned with US expansion, from deciding what to file and when, to understanding the differences between US and European approaches to patents and trademarks. Joshua answered detailed questions on topics such as prior art, patentability thresholds, freedom-to-operate analysis, and how to think about IP when building products that span hardware, software, and data.
Throughout the rest of the day, AwakenHub and AwakenAngels held office hours at Babson Boston, giving founders structured time to refine their US-facing narratives, stress-test their investment stories, and identify the next concrete steps for capital raising and partnership building.
What We Learned on the Ground at UMass Lowell
The AwakenHub delegation visited UMass Lowell to see first-hand what support is available to international founders. During the visit, M2D2 leaders outlined their mission: to drive economic development by attracting and growing high-potential Medtech startups in Massachusetts, supporting them to scale and, ideally, stay in the region.
The team emphasised that you do not need an existing affiliation with UMass to access M2D2’s collaborative lab facilities or apply to the $200K Challenge, and that IP ownership remains with the founding team, even when technologies originate in different academic institutions. For Irish startups, this creates a low-friction way to test and grow in the US while tapping into UMass’s engineering, clinical, and business expertise, as well as students, who are frequently hired into real roles within incubated companies.
Deep dives with Claire Cronin
Monday also brought a rare opportunity for extended engagement with Claire Cronin, former US Ambassador to Ireland. Over a focused roundtable, Ambassador Cronin met AwakenHub founders to discuss US–Ireland relations, transatlantic trade opportunities, and the importance of trusted networks when entering a new market.
Later that afternoon, she continued the conversation in dedicated office hours, giving founders space to ask targeted questions about positioning, stakeholder engagement, and navigating the intersection of diplomacy, diaspora, and business. For many, these sessions underlined just how powerful it can be to combine mission-led entrepreneurship with strategic public and diplomatic allies.
Day 2: Investor readiness and founder development
Tuesday 3 February started with AwakenHub and AwakenAngels pitch preparation and feedback at Babson Boston. In a city known for its academic excellence and startup output, this working session allowed founders to sharpen their pitches ahead of high-profile events in both Boston and New York, refining everything from market sizing to traction storytelling and investor Q&A.
Over lunchtime, the focus shifted to scaling leadership with a Lunch & Learn Roundtable hosted by Donna Levin, an experienced executive and co-founder of Care.com. Donna shared hard-earned lessons from taking Care.com from concept through five funding rounds and an IPO, drawing out what it really means to build a world-class team, maintain clarity of mission, and scale a consumer-focused business across markets. With Care.com now recognised as one of the world’s largest online marketplaces for managing family care, with more than 19 million members across 16 countries, her perspective resonated strongly with founders who are building globally from day one.
Office hours following the roundtable created space for practical, founder-specific conversations – from hiring and organisational design to customer growth strategies and operational discipline.
Diplomatic stages and diaspora energy
On Tuesday evening, the British Consul General to New England, David Clay MBE, hosted an invite-only reception and pitch showcase at the Consul General’s Residence in Beacon Hill, in partnership with the Irish Consulate, Invest NI, and the NI Bureau. This event brought together diplomats, ecosystem leaders, and investors to hear directly from the AwakenHub and AwakenAngels delegation, highlighting the calibre of women-led companies emerging from across the island of Ireland.
The historic setting, coupled with a carefully curated guest list, created an environment where conversations moved quickly from introductions to tangible opportunities – follow-up meetings, potential partnerships, and investment interest. Six strong pitches showcased the incredible opportunity amongst the founders on mission.
Community, culture, and connection
Boston is not just a business stop; it is an anchor point for Irish history, diaspora, and identity. On Monday and Tuesday evening, The Dubliner became the backdrop for our AwakenHub and AwakenAngels social mixer, a warm, lively gathering of Irish founders, diaspora investors, creative leaders, and mission partners.
What Boston gave us
Across these two intensive days, several themes emerged:
Real-time, practical conversations on US market entry, legal protection, and investment readiness.
Direct access to high-value networks through small-format roundtables, curated receptions, and one-to-one meetings.
Every founder had the opportunity to showcase their business, pitch, iterate, and strengthen their narrative.
The tangible power of aligning government support, diaspora networks, and investor appetite behind women-led innovation.
We leave Boston energised, connected, and mission-aligned, exactly what St Brigid would demand from a cohort of brave, ambitious women changemakers.
Next stop: Manhattan.
If you would like to connect with the delegation in New York, join us this evening at Jameson’s Bar or tomorrow at the Bank of Ireland NYC Hub, and be part of the community backing Irish women building scalable, global-first companies. AwakenAngels · Events Calendar
Acknowledgements
AwakenHub and AwakenAngels extend our sincere thanks to all our valued partners for their collaboration and support in delivering our US Trade Mission. Together, we are opening doors, building connections, and creating opportunities that will help our founders thrive on a global stage
#BostonToNYC #StBrigidsMission #AwakenHubUSA #InvestInWomen #GlobalFounders
