Part of this year’s LaunchBox cohort at Trinity College Dublin, co-founder of Hebe Adventures Robert Davitt shares his thoughts at the start of his entrepreneurial journey.
Every summer LaunchBox, Trinity’s student accelerator, offers student entrepreneurs €10,000 in equity-free funding and a place on the three-month programme. Follow how these start-ups get on here.
LaunchBox, in partnership with Bank of Ireland, and managed by experts in Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, provides mentorship, funding, access to alumni and investors, and the ideal collaborative environment to launch new start-up ventures.
“I am disagreeable, outspoken and contrarian. I like to learn new and interesting things”
Stay tuned for the upcoming Diary of a Student Entrepreneur series which charts some of the teams’ reflections as they prepare for the upcoming Demo Day.
Hebe Adventures
My name is Robert Davitt, I am 21 years old and from Clane, Co Kildare.
I am disagreeable, outspoken and contrarian. I like to learn new and interesting things.
At a young age, my dad duped me into supporting his native Mayo GAA. As a result, I have built up an immutable tolerance for heartbreak and failure. I have also learnt that the journey is infinitely more important than the destination.
I am building Hebe Adventures, an Airbnb style business for people under the age of 18. We connect young people who are eager to explore the world with warm and welcoming host families.
Host it and they will come
My co-founders and I are incredibly passionate about removing the barriers to movement for young people, allowing them to explore the world freely and safely.
“I hope to create long-lasting connections with some of Ireland’s most promising disruptors”
We currently have 1,300 host families in Ireland, and in the past year, we facilitated enriching experiences for young people across five different countries. Over the course of this decade, we will connect 1m individuals under the age of 18 with trusted and welcoming host families worldwide.
I am working on this problem as a result of my experiences growing up. My family hosted students throughout my childhood and teenage years. To this day, we fondly reminisce on the students we hosted and the relationships we built.
However, throughout the years we also learnt of the inefficiencies and problems born out of an antiquated industry. For example; there are no standard vetting procedures for host families, agencies distort customer financial incentives, and the overall customer experience is neglected.
After witnessing these issues, among many more, we realised we could utilise technology to create an infinitely better experience. An experience that will redefine the industry
My primary goal with LaunchBox is to connect with the other LaunchBox founders. My first two years at TCD have been intense. I have sacrificed connecting with my peers to exclusively focus on building Hebe Adventures while fulfilling my Academic commitments.
Throughout this programme, I hope to create long-lasting connections with some of Ireland’s most promising disruptors.
