Northward Tech’s Post

👨💻WiIl you be at the Dublin Tech Summit this week?👨💻 Barry Guiney, Partner, Head of Technology and COO of Odgers Berndtson Ireland will be at the Dublin Tech Summit tomorrow, moderating a fireside chat with Matteo Penzo, Co-Founder and CEO of zick learn on the subject of "How to Build and Scale a Product from an Active War Zone". If you are attending #dubtechsummit, make sure you don't miss this chat on the Accelerate stage. #scaleup #technology #executivesearch #leadershipdevelopment

Since founding INVNT® with Kristina McCoobery in 2008, we set out to build more than a company—we envisioned a movement reshaping the very fabric of #storytelling and human connection. In 2025, we’ve fortified our mission — unifying 16 years of creativity, innovation, and bold ideas into a single global force spanning 11 offices across 7 countries. From Live Experiences to Digital content, Innovation, and Higher Education, #INVNT is now fully integrated to transform how brands engage, connect, and build lasting legacies. Notably, our digital production and content division, HEVE, is now INVNT Digital and our Innovation division, INVNT.ATOM, is now INVNT Innovation. The names have changed, but the mission remains: to create momentum-shifting stories that resonate deeply, stand the test of time, and leave an indelible mark on culture and history. This is our moonshot. A declaration of purpose, an audacious promise: to help brands not just disrupt the future but define it. Put a #BrandOnTheMoon? Explore the next frontier with us: www.INVNT.com #ChallengeEverything #TheGlobalBrandStoryProject

More power to #TeamX3Mideas #x3mideas

🎉 New Year, New Goals! 🎯 As we step into 2025, we asked our team to share their New Year’s resolutions. From personal growth to professional milestones, their goals reflect the dedication and passion that drive Open V forward. What’s your New Year’s resolution? Let us know in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you! Here’s to a year of growth, innovation, and success together. 🥂 #NewYearsResolutions #TeamGoals #OpenV #NewYear2025 #GrowthAndInnovation

When I explain why we started Hiive, to customers, VCs, and private company executives, I usually give them the ‘business’ answer. I tell them something along the lines of, “We wanted to automate, centralize, and streamline the trading of shares in the largest venture-backed companies.” But we had another equally important and challenging mission. We wanted (needed) to hire the brightest and most highly motivated people in this special place called Vancouver, hundreds of miles from Silicon Valley, and defy all odds to build a world-class fintech/marketplace business. We wanted to build the kind of organization where you could expect excellence from everyone around you, where you could always count on others to take the lead, and where people weren’t afraid to question established norms. And though we are a long way from declaring victory as a business, we are truly blown away by what our philosophy has enabled us to accomplish as an organization. Maybe I’m biased as the CEO, but I look forward to going in every day to learn from and share ideas with this curious and passionate team. This is why Sarah Huggins, my co-founder who has built Hiive into the level of organization (from people to process to systems and beyond) you would only expect at a business five or ten times our size, felt compelled to introduce the Hiive Honours awards. These awards recognize two outstanding people for each of Hiive’s six values (see the winners in first comment below). These twelve people are all amazing achievers, and it made me proud to see them recognized. My only regret was that we could not give an award to every single Hiiver, because every single one of them deserves it. Onward to 2025 Hiive team!

Reflecting on an Incredible Weekend at VeeCon 2024: Key Takeaways for Your Brand 🚀 This weekend was one for the books. At VeeCon, we had the chance to connect with some of the brightest minds and creators, including incredible conversations with Gary Vaynerchuk and team. The energy was palpable, the ideas were flowing, and the opportunities were endless. Here are a few key takeaways that can help elevate your brand: 🌟 The Power of Community: Whether it’s through legends like Gary Vaynerchuk or partnerships with industry leaders, building and nurturing a community around your brand is invaluable. We saw firsthand how VeeFriends continues to thrive by prioritizing community engagement. Tip: Focus on authentic relationships with your audience and create spaces for them to connect. 🤝 Innovation through Collaboration: From discussions with Stanley Tang, cofounder of DoorDash, to innovation opportunities with Mandy Rassi, CMO of Michaels, and Emily Whittaker, EVP of Vistaprint, the importance of collaborative innovation was a recurring theme. Tip: Seek out partnerships that complement your brand’s strengths and drive mutual growth. ⚡ Staying Agile in a Fast-Paced Market: The passion and creativity in the room reminded us why staying agile and open to new ideas is key to success. Tip: Continuously adapt your strategies to market shifts and consumer demands to stay ahead of the curve. We’re incredibly excited for the countless opportunities that lie ahead, working with visionary people to push the boundaries of what’s possible. And as if the weekend couldn’t get any better, we closed VeeCon with an incredible performance from T-Pain. 🎤 Check out some of the highlights from this weekend below, including a short clip of our chat with Gary V about exciting future opportunities for VeeFriends and the community. A special thanks to Jonathan Troutman for making this all possible and a big shout-out to Andy Krainak, Phil Toronto, Tyler Schmitt, Tyler Dowdle and Nick on the VeeFriends team. It was great meeting many of you for the first time in person, and thank you for showing us a ton of love. We felt incredibly welcomed and are incredibly grateful for all of it. 🙏 #VeeCon2024 #Innovation #CommunityBuilding #Collaboration #AgilityInBusiness #VeeFriends

Although I was not a finalist, I was happy to participate in the 2024 Hackathon!! New York Life’s 2024 Hackathon was an inspiring showcase of innovation, where employees united to tackle real-world business challenges with creativity and cutting-edge solutions. From AI-driven sustainability solutions to enhancing workflows with custom GPTs, teams showcased out-of-the-box thinking. Watch the highlights and see how we’re shaping the future. #TeamNYL #ArtificialIntelligence

BLUE14 acquired a minority stake in PATTRNS today as we continue to expand globally. It's a brilliant vote of confidence in the vision to deliver #effective digital marketing for brands in an accountable and transparent manner. 👨🚀 👩🚀 The first 4 years have felt like we're strapped to a rocket ship, from winning our first local e-commerce client to securing global CPG brands. To completing full digital marketing transformation projects with our growing team across the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, South Africa and Poland. 🌎🌏 How did we end up with a global footprint? After a decade at network agencies, Joshua Hyatt and Jack McLaren wanted to work with the best people they'd encountered. Most of these had spread their wings following COVID... and couldn't be enticed back to our first office in Croydon! As we've grown our team, the space at Yolk House became more and more appealing as a global meeting point, and space to develop our culture. Huge thanks to the team that are making it possible to deliver the results and the service we've felt brands have been missing. The team at B14 have been a pleasure to bring onboard and Jim Lewcock, Sam Sutton and James Matthewman are going to fit right in! Kara Michael-Brown Reyhana Dollie Wayne Burden Bethany Baxter Georgi Todorov Georgiana Lucaci Anuschka Richards Zoe Benwell Charles Palnoch #DigitalMarketingTransformation #DigitalTransformation

3, 2, 1… Wheels up, Let’s Go! As I settle into my seat (still on a budget - complimentary upgrade, the universe works in mysterious ways 😜), I can’t help but reflect on the exhilarating two-week client and partner appreciation tour we just wrapped up. The whirlwind of experiences and insights swirls in my mind, each takeaway resonating deeply: • A Shared Mindspace: The candid exchange of ideas showcased a remarkable openness in a crowded tech landscape, highlighting the importance of receptiveness in fostering collaboration. • Energizing Encounters: From the vibrant late-twenties founder to the seasoned leader in their late fifties, and from an enthusiastic physician entrepreneur to a dynamic venture capitalist, the shared passion was palpable. Their energy ignited a drive within me to rise to new heights. • Innovation on Display: The relentless pursuit of innovation—whether in e-commerce, managed services, tech consulting, gov tech, pet care, or sports tech—was invigorating. It’s a contagious spirit that inspires creativity and bold thinking. • Recognition of Excellence: The heartfelt appreciation shown for our 400-strong team was overwhelming. Personal anecdotes and recognition for their hard work underscored how much their efforts are valued, even amidst high expectations. These reflections are powerful enough to propel us into an exciting, AI-driven journey ahead, filled with meaningful outcomes and fresh opportunities.

💃 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿? Marcel Duits 𝗼𝗿 Jan-Joost den Brinker? 🎉 Sound on 🔈 | When we first launched Dubrink, one of the founders (we won’t name names—Jan-Joost den Brinker or Marcel Duits, your guess!) did a little dance every time a company signed up. It was our way of celebrating every milestone. Fast forward to today, and we’ve hit the ground running! Over 50 new businesses joined us just today. ✨ And honestly, we’re not dancing quite as much anymore. Not because we’re not excited—but because this has become the norm. A huge reason for this growth is the incredible support of our business partners. They’re absolutely vital to the Dubrink ecosystem, helping us connect with businesses of all sizes and complexities. We’re deeply grateful for every new client popping up in our inbox. Together, we’re building something extraordinary. 🙏🌟 And it’s not just any businesses joining us—Dubrink is proving to be the go-to platform for even the largest, most complex organizations. That’s a huge compliment to what we’re building as a community. 🚀 So, what do you think? Who’s the one dancing—Marcel or Jan-Joost? Let us know! 🕺🎶 #Dubrink #Innovation #Growth #Ecosystem #ComplexSolutions