Our recent Summer Pitch Night, which saw 8 rising startups pitch to a room (or rather, rooftop) of angel investors, funds and ecosystem supporters, was also an opportunity to give back to our local community here in Belfast.
The chosen venue of the Oh Yeah Music Centre has a long and rich history supporting the youth of Belfast since it was founded in 2005 by Raise co-founder Marty Neill, alongside Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, Stuart Bailie and Davy Matchett. The city centre rooftop proved to be a beautiful setting to watch emerging startups and scaleups showcase their opportunity as the sun shone down during our Summer Pitch Night.
Creating a lasting legacy with the Oh Yeah Music Centre
Oh Yeah CEO Charlotte Dryden shared some of the centre's rich heritage and called for support to ensure the continuity of important services provided by the Oh Yeah Music Centre. If you can support the legacy of Oh Yeah financially or in kind, please reach out to Charlotte on charlotte@ohyeahbelfast.com
Hear more from Charlotte on the Oh Yeah Music Centre.
Raising vital funds for Foodstock Belfast
The audience was then treated to a magical recreation of The Beatles' infamous last ever public performance on a London rooftop with local band The Vals. Paul Doherty, lead singer of The Vals, also heads up the Foodstock charity - a community led support tackling poverty in West Belfast.
Now more than ever their support is crucial for families in the West Belfast community. Please consider giving what you can to support.
Committing to Environmental, Social and Governance impact with Farming Carbon
Finally, at Raise we were delighted to gift pitching startups with a "Tree.S.G" package to kickstart their commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impact provided by Farming Carbon. As ESG & sustainability are becoming increasingly important to both customers and investors, we've partnered with Farming Carbon to sponsor 50 newly planted trees for each pitching company on local farmland (and most importantly, with the evidence to demonstrate it).
Stephanie has just launched her first book! You can get a copy of ESG Made Easy below.
"ESG Made Easy" is the perfect guide to help you navigate the complex and rapidly evolving world of ESG, whether you're a founder looking to integrate sustainability into your business strategy, an investor seeking to evaluate ESG risks and opportunities.
If you are interested in sorting out ESG, and finding ways to embed it from the beginning of your startup, contact Stephanie McEvoy on info@farmingcarbon.co.uk
Get a flavour of the Summer Pitch Night with our highlights reel below.
Member discussion