Meet the founder… Mark Blakemore, Big Pond

Describe your company in three words or phrases

• Authentically Irish
• Boutique and bespoke
• Showcasing the power of place, people and perspectives 

What inspired you to start the company? Was there a particular moment that sparked the idea?

If you can call Covid a moment, then yes! 

Karl Dowling, the other Big Pond co-founder, and I had worked in Irish study abroad for some time already. We saw a lot of programs were put together, cookie-cutter style. Same visits within Ireland, same logistics. Yes, a real focus on logistics!

But here we were, with this fantastic resource of a country – Ireland – that we just knew had so much more to offer. Ireland really is a land of people and places that are bound together by rich layers of stories and an abundance to explore – and this all in a country as big as Maine. The thing is, so much of the potential of an Irish study abroad experience didn’t get a look-in with the standard study abroad experience. We wanted to unlock more of what Ireland has to offer. 

Study abroad was best when students had that light bulb moment of thinking, “this is different to what I’m used to, and this perspective speaks to me”. So, when Covid came along, it gave us a lot of bandwidth to consider how a boutique Irish provider could build programs that gave students that light bulb experience. We wanted to facilitate that through our knowledge of Ireland’s unique geography and society.

How would you describe your company’s mission in one sentence?

We let Ireland teach, so students will learn to see differently. 

How would your team describe you as a leader?

Curious, humble (I hope!) and someone who gets overly excited about program ideas at 10pm.

What’s one misconception about your part of the sector you’d love to correct?

There are a few! I’ll choose one: that all study abroad providers are the same. We really aren’t! We describe ourselves as a “boutique provider” because we are a committed team of people that our partner universities will get to know personally. We listen, we’re human and you’ll get a tailor made experience that really works.  

What keeps you energised outside of work?

 I’m happiest when I’m in the water, in the kitchen, on the court, or in the soil.

What advice would you give another founder entering the international education space?

Principles and integrity are your North Stars in international education. Start with empathy, keep your promises, and remember that humans make relationships. Big Pond got off the ground thanks to one colleague who believed in our sincerity. 

If you could accomplish one big thing in the next year, what would it be?

I’d love to see more universities choose Ireland as a study abroad location. Ireland is a wonderful partner – you really can build something meaningful here.

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