May 6, 2026
What do a small village in Donegal and a train car in the middle of Siberia have in common? According to Ciara, Executive Producer at Web Summit — everything.
In this episode, Ciara shares her One Away moment: the realization that her love for global community was just a bigger version of what she learned growing up in rural Ireland. From summers crossing Europe in a campervan with her mom, to studying Russian in Moscow, to programming stages for 70,000 people in Lisbon — her life has been one long exercise in finding the common thread between people who seem worlds apart.
We get into:
Growing up as an "outsider" in a tight-knit Irish village and what it taught her about belonging
How learning Russian and Spanish unlocked a philosophy, not just a skill
The art of programming conversations that challenge people without alienating them
What Web Summit does to create meaningful connection at massive scale
Why she's most excited about BRICS economies and what the world is getting wrong about China
The Vancouver event and what makes it unlike anything Web Summit has done before
If you believe we have more in common than we have differences — this one's for you.
🎙️ Guest: Ciara, Executive Producer at Web Summit 📍 Web Summit Vancouver: websummit.com
The One Away Show explores the one moment, person, or decision that changed everything.