Athlone tech founder to address upcoming Founders Friday event
An Athlone-based technology founder will take centre stage at the next Founders Friday event, which will see business leaders from across the Midlands gather in Mullingar next week.
John Mee, co-founder of Sidero and SolanoTech, is one of the featured speakers at the event, hosted by Allpro Recruitment, in collaboration with Midlandjobs.ie and Local Enterprise Office Westmeath, on Friday, April 17.
The event will be hosted by Ronan Berry of Midlands 103 and will take place at Canton Casey's Bar, Mullingar, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
John Mee has built and scaled his businesses from Athlone, playing a key role in the growth of the region’s technology sector.
His journey spans multinational telecoms roles through to founding and growing Monksland-based Sidero, which was acquired in recent years by GlobalLogic, part of the Hitachi Group.
His decision to build in the Midlands was grounded in both practicality and belief in the region’s potential, as he previously noted when explaining that Athlone was chosen “simply because we live here”.
That regional focus is central to the purpose of Founders Friday, according to Allpro Recruitment founder David Gleeson, who said the event is about making those kinds of journeys visible to others building businesses locally.
"There is a perception that you need to be in a major city to build something meaningful, but that is not what we are seeing," Mr Gleeson said. "Founders Friday is about showing what is possible from here, and giving people access to the kind of real conversations that help you move forward."
Mee will be joined at the event by Denise Buckley, founder of Sugar Plum Sweetery and Wholesome Kitchen, who has built a nationally-recognised consumer brand from Mullingar.
The importance of creating spaces where founders can learn from each other is echoed by Tom Griffith, founder of Midlandjobs.ie, who said the real value of events like this lies in what happens beyond the stage.
"You can read about business anywhere, but hearing directly from someone who has built and scaled a company, and being able to have that conversation in the room afterwards, is where the real value is for people," he said.
The event is also supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath, with Catriona Duffy highlighting the importance of peer learning within the regional business community.
"What makes events like Founders Friday so valuable is the openness. When founders share their real experiences, it gives others both confidence and practical insight that they can apply in their own businesses," said Catriona.
Attendance at the Founders Friday event on April 17 is free, with light refreshments provided, but advance registration is required and can be booked on the Eventbrite website here.