One of Ireland’s youngest entrepreneurs – 13-year-old Jordan Casey – made the keynote speech at the Apple Store in Soho, New York recently as he launched two new apps.

The event, the Irish International Business Network was organised by the IIBN Future Leaders board was sponsored by Enterprise Ireland’s New York Office. The annual event aims to promote young entrepreneurship, and build contacts between US and Irish tech professionals.

Coined as “Europes Gameboy”, the now 13-year-old started programming at just nine-years-old, and today has four apps under his belt—all for sale in the App Store and iTunes. He founded his own gaming company, Casey Games, in 2012.

Speaking about how he felt when he was told his two latest apps had been accepted to the iTunes store, Jordan said that he felt “relieved”, adding:
It takes a long time to complete apps and a lot of the time these apps aren’t accepted. Having them in the iTunes store now pays off for all the hard work & now I can take a bit of a break.

The Casey Games CEO has spoken at a multitude of other events and conferences, from the Digital Agenda Assembly in Dublin Castle and TED Talks to the Cannes Lions Festival for Creativity in Communications. He has also spoken to leaders and entrepreneurs in Germany and India.

For other entrepreneurs both old and young, Casey says the key to success is persistence.
“I'd say never give up- you will run into a lot of problems and barriers but if you keep going and you keep fighting you will get it,” he says.