Proudly marching in the Tartan Day Parade, New York

In this post, Russell reflects on the significance of this gathering both personally and professionally…

‍

"A Journey in Tartan

I sit this morning in a café in Brooklyn just after 7am looking back on the 2022 experience of marching in the Tartan Day parade.

It was only a few years ago that Bruce Walker and I "discovered" the parade and joined in the march with Edinburgh Napier University. A "once in a lifetime" experience?

In 2019 I returned, (this time) as co-founder of Scottish Business Network and had the great privilege to carry a flag in the parade alongside our Clare Campbell and her Prickly Thistle Scotland Ltd rebels. A proud moment and one that crystallised for me the true power of Tartan Week in New York - we met Billy Connolly!

In 2020, with the incredible support of Fraser Grier, SBN Ambassador to New York, our plans were well advanced to host a number of business gatherings during the week culminating in the parade. However, Covid sunk our plans and took out 2021 as well.

So to 2022, this time to march under an SBN banner, supporting our US team led by Ian Houston, Fraser, fellow SBN US Board member Lorraine Bell, (84th Chief of the New York Caledonian Club) and in the company of SBN Ambassadors, Board Advisors, members, friends and my own family.

My overall emotion from the day was one of pride, not only in my country (and those of Scots descent) but also for what has been achieved by those incredible members of our global Scottish Community who have placed SBN as a key player in promoting and supporting Scottish businesses and organisations looking to build international connections.

My thanks go to so many but in particular, I must thank the National Tartan Day New York Committee whose efforts to deliver the Parade and a range of events throughout the week deserve all of our praise.

But what does this week have to do with business? Well, I'll share my personal experience.

🗽 17 new connections with organisations looking to work with SBN or my advisory business Exolta Capital Partners

🗽 3 qualified projects covering areas as diverse as Govtech, FDI and Neurodiversity, and a raft of prospects I will qualify over the coming days.

🗽 Support for 11 SBN and potential SBN members through the provision of introductions and trade advice(in addition to the great work here by our US team in supporting a trade mission by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Forth valley).

🗽 Met with partners in the US who I have been deprived of meeting in person for almost 24 months.

🗽 Promotion for SBN, our members and of course our country of Scotland

So if you are a Scottish Business looking at the US market I can think of no better "soft landing" opportunity in this amazing city than Tartan Week 2023 - I'll be here."

- Russell Dalgleish

Be sure to follow Russell on LinkedIn for daily content.