A delegation of six members from the Scottish Business Network (www.sbn.scot) are in New York this week to celebrate NYC Tartan Week.
A highlight of the week is a round table meeting of 12 senior businesspeople chaired by SBN chairman Russell Dalgleish and attended by Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party and aims explore current and emerging opportunities for Scottish businesses in the US, promote global trade collaboration and look at strategic sectors where transatlantic partnerships can be forged such as fintech, life sciences and renewables.
Delegates will also be meeting with British Consulate and Department of State officials to foster and promote greater economic and cultural ties between Scotland and the US.
Gillian Fleming, MD and co-founder of Mint Ventures will be hosting a seminar at NY accountancy firm Clifford Larson Allen to discuss mutual investment opportunities for women led and diverse early stage companies. Gillian said: Opening doors for our portfolio companies who often have USA as their initial target market is critical to early-stage success and for future follow-on funding. Making investing accessible to women who would like to get involved is our mission.” The event is being run in partnership with Sarah Eddie, CEO of SE Taxprofessionals.
Net Zero Nation will be hosting a get together to discuss climate issues. CEO Steven Turner said: “At Net Zero Nation, we believe that reaching net zero isn’t a solo journey, it’s about working together, sharing what works, and building real relationships. That’s why being part of the wider SBN community is so powerful it connects us to like-minded people and opens unexpected doors. Travelling 6,000 miles to talk about decarbonisation might seem difficult to justify, but sometimes the best way to cut carbon is to start with a good conversation (if you want to make a big noise, bring a bagpipe or even better, bring 1500 pipers). New York Tartan Week gives us the chance to do exactly that connect, learn, and grow the global movement for sustainability.”
During the week SBN will also be launching Nexus (www.nexus.scot), a platform which will connect senior executives with SMEs. They can be experts in any field such as finance, marketing, sales and offer consultancy on a part-time/ad-hoc basis. Cath Strachan of Nexus said: “Due to financial constraints many SMEs cannot access top tier expertise which will help propel their businesses to the next level. We are looking to change that with Nexus. We have a large pool of highly experienced vetted executives across a number of fields, and we are providing an easy way to tap into their knowledge and experience.”
Russell. Dalgleish for SBN said, “Tartan week NYC showcases the best Scotland has to offer in business, culture and heritage and we are proud and excited to be taking part. US and Scottish commercial and cultural links are very strong and SBN’s mission is to promote Scottish business and entrepreneurship across the world. With 8,000 members across five continents, we are the largest community of Scottish business and community leaders globally. If you are in New York, we would be delighted if you could join us for the grand parade in 5th avenue on 5 April, led by this year’s grand marshal, actor Alan Cumming.”
