Colman Lydon is vice president of life sciences at Everwise, a Silicon Valley technology company in the professional development space that helps professionals fulfill their career potential through a variety of learning experiences centered around mentorship.

Colman was born in Dublin, the hometown of his mother’s family (his father’s family came from County Galway). His maternal grandfather, after a career with the Irish police force, joined the Commissioners of Irish Lights and was the last lightkeeper of the Howth Lighthouse in Dublin before its automation. Colman holds a B.A. International from University College Dublin.

“As beneficiaries of the foundation laid by prior generations of Irish people globally, I feel we are duty-bound to develop the connective tissue between Irish people at home and around the world,” says Colman. “This is the drive behind my involvement with the Irish International Business Network and the Irish Executive Mentoring Program [both of which organizations he co-founded].” Colman lives in New York with his wife, Bell (née Courtney), and their children, Antonia and Mariella.