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Forbes pledged to host this event after a controversial article about Stripe’s founders referred to Limerick as ‘stab city’, causing a wave of outrage.
Forbes is hosting a major event in Limerick next month to highlight the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the city and the region’s investment potential.
The US business magazine will host an Under 30 Forum in the Irish city on 26 June, which will bring together local entrepreneurs and business school students from the region.
The event will also have honorees from Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists, including those from the recent European group. Multiple Irish names made the list in March, including the founders of Protex AI and Ochre Bio.
Forbes chief content officer Randall Lane said the event will bring Under 30 members together to spotlight Ireland’s success and growth potential.
“The opportunities for business and innovation in Ireland are abundant, and we’re excited to help amplify those on an international scale, gathering the world’s brightest young leaders in the heart of Limerick,” Lane said.
A Forbes apology
The event comes two years after Forbes published a controversial article, which referred to Limerick as “stab city”. The article was written to profile the Collison brothers, who grew up in Ireland and went on to found the fintech giant Stripe.
The article explained how the Stripe founders had “escaped” Limerick, which caused outrage among the people of Limerick and, unsurprisingly, from the Collison brothers themselves.
Patrick Collison tweeted that the article was mistaken about Limerick and that the idea of “overcoming” anything was incorrect as “we are who we are because we grew up where we did”.
His brother John weighed in with his own tweet, calling the article “daft”. The US business magazine took the article down.
Forbes admitted that the article failed to meet its own editorial standards, while Lane committed to visit Limerick and host the 30 under 30 gathering.
The controversial incident had a benefit, however, as it managed to shine a spotlight on Limerick as a major STEM hub.
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