US-Ireland Alliance

Alliance holds visas round-table in San Francisco

Anthony McCusker joins Alliance board

22 June 2011:  In San Francisco, Betsy Markey, Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, met with a small group of US/Irish venture capitalists, social media and tech leaders brought together by the US-Ireland Alliance.

Markey, a former Congresswoman from Denver, also has the distinction of having created and sold a tech company with her husband in the 1980’s.  Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance, arranged the gathering after hearing the issue of H1-B visas continually raised in her conversations with entrepreneurs in San Francisco:  “It’s no secret that some companies are at pains to hire skilled workers in order to remain competitive.   We simply created an opportunity for a dialogue with a high-ranking Administration official.  The Alliance would like to see more entrepreneurs consider Ireland as a place to set up European operations.  Equally, if the Irish are among those who can fill US workforce needs, that’s a win/win for all involved and the kind relationship we encourage.”  

Start Up visas were also part of the conversation.  Senators John Kerry, Richard Lugar and Mark Udall have introduced legislation to allow immigrant entrepreneurs to receive a two-year visa if he or she can show that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to invest in the immigrant’s startup venture. The Obama Administration supports the idea of a Start Up visa. During a recent visit to Dublin, Vargo was made aware of several Irish who hope to avail of such an opportunity.

Anthony McCusker, a partner at Goodwin Procter, hosted the gathering in the Silicon Valley firm’s San Francisco office.  At the meeting, Vargo announced that McCusker had just joined the Advisory Board of the US-Ireland Alliance.  McGusker is a partner and co-chair of Goodwin Procter’s Technology Companies Group where he focuses on the formation and financing of emerging growth companies.  He said that he was attracted by the Alliance’s “modern approach to the relationship” and Vargo’s get-things-done approach.  Vargo added:  “Anthony and I share the same philosophy of cutting to the core, taking decisions and acting.  He brings a wealth of experiences and relationships to our organization, I look forward to working with him and I’m sure he will help us take the Alliance to the next level.” 

Among those present at the meeting included a range of individuals from a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins to young entrepreneurs like Mike Galligan of SimpleGeo and Robert Martin of Signal Demand.  The Mitchell Scholars network is also evident in the Bay Area. Ryan Hanley, who studied Engineering at Trinity, attended the gathering as a new entrepreneur.  Ryan recently obtained is MBA from Berkeley-Haas and has just founded SmartSense Energy, focused on the emerging smart grid industry.  Also present was Aaron Kurman who had studied at the University of Ulster, has just graduated from Stanford Law School and is exploring a few start-up ideas himself.