Karolina Stawinska

As Chief Strategy Officer at Naviparking, I led the transformation and scaling of the company's Polish operation, cutting the monthly operating cost base by 66% and growing revenue to its highest to date, while leading investor relations and reporting to keep ownership aligned through a period of structural change.

As Head of People & Culture at Uplink, I owned the people and culture function for a fully remote, Web3 technology company building decentralized connectivity infrastructure (DePIN). Over nearly four years I built and scaled a global team across three continents, defining the culture, engagement, and recognition practices that let a distributed, multi-timezone organization work as one team in pursuit of an ambitious mission. * Built and scaled a global remote team across three continents, designing hiring and onboarding to sustain culture and belonging in a fully distributed organization * Defined and led the company's culture and engagement strategy, embedding shared values and trust across a decentralized, multi-site workforce * Designed recognition and communication practices that strengthened connection to mission and reinforced a one-team culture across geographies and time zones * Championed inclusion and psychological safety as the foundation of a high-performing remote team, role-modeling inclusive leadership across cultures * Partnered with leadership to align people strategy with company priorities through a period of rapid growth and change Uplink is founded on the belief that connectivity is a human right, an enabler of growth, and an equalizer of opportunities. We envision a world where the Internet is more accessible, inclusive, and affordable. Uplink is building a decentralized telco, tokenizing connectivity. We empower people to act as service providers and incentivize them to spread The Collective Network farther, faster, and cheaper. In return, Uplinkers are rewarded with ULX tokens and support the rapidly growing IoT market, unlocking new business opportunities.

At HypeLabs we connect any application or device through mesh networks, allowing them to communicate even without internet access. Founded in 2015, the company is located in San Francisco and Porto (Portugal). Forbes 30u30 Technology, AngelPad #10 (Spring '16) alumni, hub:raum (Deutsche Telekom) WARP '15 alumni. HypeLabs has developed a unique software, with its corresponding patent, capable of allowing direct connectivity between any type of device: Smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop, IoT devices, etc., without the need for an Internet connection.True p2P connectivity. A Proven Technology. Hypelabs also just launched OKDetect (www.okdetect.com), an easy to use selective quarantine white label solution that has been proven to prevent the continuous spread of the novel coronavirus. The system is ready for immediate deployment and has been used by corporates and multinationals. Interested in a partnership? Please reach out to ks@hypelabs.io

At the heart of #UnwrapYourDream lies a simple belief: every child's dream holds the magic to illuminate the world. We're igniting this magic by inviting children everywhere to paint their dreams with bold strokes of imagination. This initiative is more than just an invitation to dream big; it's celebrating the hopes and dreams that make us all beautifully human. As we unite to build a universe of dreams, we warmly invite you to join our journey.

* Headhunted 60 extraordinary women for BCG V60 Award In response to BCG’s challenge of engaging with top female talent in sustainability within the Middle East, I conceptualized and led the V60 Initiative—a flagship project designed to headhunt the top 1% of visionary female leaders across industries. This program not only identified extraordinary talent but also elevated these women as pioneers in their fields, addressing challenges tied to sustainability’s novelty and regional gender dynamics in leadership. Leveraging my expertise in elite talent acquisition and strategic brand-building, I curated a roster of 60 exceptional leaders, amplifying their impact through a high-profile gala and exhibition. The program's success sparked global interest, with prestigious universities and expos requesting additional showcases. Featured in Forbes, the initiative demonstrated how thoughtful talent programs can enhance both employer branding and corporate reputation.

Developing the first 100% sustainable (carbon negative) sensor for precision agriculture energetically powered by the land itself, saving costs by eliminating chemical batteries and their replacements, and avoiding the use of expensive solar panel installations or their maintenance.

TM Forum is the global industry association that drives digital transformation of the communications industry through collaboration. TM Forum represents over 850 member companies generating US$2 trillion in revenue and serving five billion customers across 180 countries. At its flagship conference "Digital Transformation World" held in Copenhagen in 2020, TMForum will spotlight 20 market ready communication startups whose disruptive technology has the potential to shape the future of the telecommunication industry. Selected Startups will get the unique opportunity to pitch in front of C-level executives of global telcos, investors and potential partners. Interested in pitching? Send me a PM for more details.

China start is a prestigious highly selective 1-week program for global start-ups and scale-ups, with the mission to connect disruptive founders to teach China-specific knowledge, network with potential local partners and pitch for Chinese investment. China Start is organised by the leading business school in China - CKGSB. CKGSB has 1000+active angels (more than 50% of CKGSB's 13,000 alumni have invested as an angel). Among them are Jack Ma, founder & Chairman of the Alibaba Group & Chen Yidian, Co-founder of Tencent, Guo Guangchang, CEO and Chairman of Fosun Group. Participants get the unique opportunity to pitch in key cities: Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. The latest program (the 5th cohort) successfully connected participants with more than 600+ top-tier investors. The program has truly opened doors for the world’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs to access the Chinese market, including developing connections with manufacturers, distributors, commercial partners as well as secure substantial funding from Chinese top-tier investors. Is your startup looking to expand to China? Please PM me for more details about the upcoming program in Spring 2020.

Founders Factory is a new model for creating and scaling startups. We have raised +$50m from six blue chip corporate investors - L'Oreal/Beauty, Guardian/Media, Aviva/FinTech, CSC/AI & Data, easyJet/Travel, Macmillan/Education - to build and scale early stage startups that have specific strategic relevance. Each year we scale 30 startups in an accelerator model and build 12 new startups from scratch, using an operating team of 60 digital specialists. To date we have backed over 30 companies that have collectively raised over £40m in funds.

Headhunting founders of AI seed-stage startups to apply to pitch their venture at Founders Forum in London - an exclusive invite-only event attended by Europe's Unicorn Founders. Previous guests include Eric Schmidt (Google), Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Biz Stone (Twitter), Niklas Zennstrom (Skype), Beth Comstock (GE), Evan Spiegel (Snap Inc.) and many more.

At Glowfly we recognize Europe's brightest young entrepreneurs, whose mission driven technology startups are transforming the way we live, and will play a vital role in shaping our future. Our network includes recipients who have been recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Under 35 innovators, and accepted into prestigious accelerator programs such as Y-Combinator, Techstars & AngelPad. Glowfly gives you access to Europe’s best young founders. We have recruited Europe's Top 50 millennial tech startups to demo at the European Parliament on the 28th of November. Take a look at the 50 ventures here: https://medium.com/@kstawinska/did-you-know-that-these-50-european-seed-stage-founders-could-impact-your-future-82fe45ebe149

Talkin'Things is a global manufacturer of high-quality RFID and NFC tags and provider of end-to-end smart packaging solutions.

I have been recruiting Europe’s most promising millennial seed-stage founders who are leveraging technology to build scalable solutions, addressing Europe’s most pressing challenges. On the 28th of November, Glowfly, in partnership with Knowledge4Innovation has revealed Europe’s Top 50 entrepreneurs at the European Parliament, during the European Innovation Summit in Brussels. One year later, I have recruited 18 Young Innovation Leaders to mentor the 2018 EUtop50 seed- stage startups as part of the 6 month mentorship programme.

Our #TweetADream social media campaign is the first of many initiatives to give a voice to the dreams of children around the world. On June 1st, 2015, 26.000 children across 35 countries shared their dreams for the future. What if every child was inspired to seek greatness? Our Future World is an organisation aiming at inspiring, amplifying and connecting dreams of children across the world. Imagine if all young people would be able to follow and act upon their passions. Then we could truly imagine that we can find solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges. https://vimeo.com/162892929

The Kairos 50 (K50) annually recognizes 50 seed-stage companies that are actively addressing complex global challenges with a market-ready prototype or product. This year we will reveal these companies at the Kairos Global Summit, where they will unveil their disruptive technologies to the world on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. At last year's Kairos Global Summit, over 100 investors attended the Kairos 50 showcase, and Inc Magazine profiled each company. Over $350k was invested live at the event, including an investment led by Twitter co-founder Ev Williams and James Joaquin of Obvious Ventures. The top 25 Kairos companies of the past 4 years have collectively raised over $500mm in investment capital, with a market cap of over $2bn.

I co-designed and directed the first Hack4Humanity hackathon taking place at the World Humanitarian Summit at the request of the United Nations. My work was recognised with a letter of recommendation from the UN Under Secretary General. Hack4Humanity was an official event of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, which took place on the 22-23rd of May 2016. During the 24 hour hackathon 30 multidisciplinary teams were working on problem sets - co-created with UN Agencies. Hack4Humanity brought together 130 global change-makers with the objective to co-create inspiring and unique solutions leveraging innovation, technology and multidisciplinary problem-solving to address the European refugee crisis. In this capacity I was personally responsible for: - Curation of high profile attendee list - Recruitment of 75 hackers hailing from 35 countries - Focal point for 3 UN Agencies (WFP, UNDP, UNHCR) for the framing of problem sets - Focal point for 4 multinationals (Google, IBM, Microsoft, Ericsson) - Program design, in close collaboration with Boston Consulting Group - Partnership management and the establishment of travel scholarships for 30 international students - Overall event management

Responsible for securing strategic partnerships for Big Data University including with the United Nations, World Food Program, United Nations Foundation, Andela, Eko Devices & Bionik Labs

In May 2015 &2016, a select group of technologists from around the world gathered at the TM Forum Smart City Hackathon in Nice, France to create meaningful solutions that impact people’s lives. I was personally responsible for the recruitment of high profile international hackers, which I recruited across 12 countries, communication and partnership relations. The winning team was composed of hackers which I have personally recruited from the UK, Spain & Germany.

I co-organized and directed the UN 70 Millennial Meetup during which the UN 70th anniversary host committee joined millennial entrepreneurs and innovators at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco to discuss their role in executing upon the UN Global Goals. Thought leaders and millennials engaged in a lively discussion with key influencers to discuss how they could collaborate together to execute upon the UN global goals. I was responsible for the recruitment of all millennial participants, entrepreneurs & innovators who attended and presented at the event.

The Kairos Society is a network of young pioneers who will push the world forward through entrepreneurship and innovation with the support of top universities, mentors, and corporations across the globe. I am responsible for the program development, recruitment of 1200+ global fellows as well as guiding and supporting the regional leadership teams across 50+ countries. Each year, Kairos publishes a list of the worlds 50 most disruptive student ventures with founders under the age of 25. I was responsible for the outreach and global recruitment strategy for this years K50 ventures and the on boarding of the K50 Class of 2014. Planned, coordinated, and organized the Kairos Society Global Summit 2013 at the NYSE and in 2014 at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, a three-day gathering of 350 college students, 150 elite business leaders, and 100 industry specialists who came together from 50+ countries to explore business opportunities in healthcare, energy, 3D printing and education. Developed the strategic direction for the organization while cultivating partnerships with Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Cisco. At the Kairos Society, we view today’s global problems as opportunities for entrepreneurs to focus on the meaningful businesses and innovations that will radically change the world for the better. Not only for our generation, but for the generations to come. If you are interested check www.kairossociety.org

Responsible for the recruitment of Kairos Fellows and leadership in Poland. Planned, organized and executed upon a 2 day European Kairos Leadership Retreat in the Netherlands. The event served to stimulate collaboration among the 20 European regions and strengthen the European strategy. Specific focus was on European Partnerships, Recruitment, Programming and Marketing.

The Kairos Society aims to catalyze an economy of innovation by fostering a global community of top student entrepreneurs and change makers, driven to individual and collective action towards a better future. I was responsible for recruitment, communications, partnerships, social media, marketing and branding. http://www.kairossociety.nl

Engaged fellow students in experiences on semester at sea that addressed human and community needs with structured opportunities for reflection that were intentionally designed to promote student learning and expose them to opportunities where they could contribute their talents.

Served on leadership team to develop and follow organizational strategy, organize events, recruit sponsors and obtain funds. SIFE stands for Students In Free Enterprise, which is an international, non-profit student organization, connecting students, universities, and business leaders. Our mission is to empower communities, and inspire sustainable change through creating economic opportunities. We are a team of passionate students implementing self-sustaining social entrepreneurial projects in the mind of people, planet and profit. (http://www.sife.org/)

• Created platform connecting students, entrepreneurs, companies and governmental organizations to work towards implementation of innovative green business models • Organized “From Power to Empowerment” with keynote speakers: Former Dutch ambassador of Kenya, Senior Communication Manager of Philips Lighting Africa, Director of Rural energy, Chairman of NovUM • Developed project in Kenya with focus on empowering women in partnership with local NGO.

Communicated professionally with corporate partners and sponsors.

Executed Social Entrepreneurship Day including selection and invitation of speakers, marketing material, venue logistics www.maastrichtweek.org

I have represented the following companies at various (international) events: * Fuji Film * Chevrolet * EMC * OXXIO * Nederlandse Energie Maatschappij * DSM * De Lage Landen * Lotto * Philips * Microsoft

Organized educational short-term business courses for UCU students and high quality events: * Management Consulting Training with McKinsey & Co * Management Consulting Training with Boston Consultancy * IT lecture with the Chief Technology Officer of SUN Microsystems * Leadership Training with energizers.eu * Mini MBA series. I was also responsible for expanding the EBS concept to two college campuses in The Netherlands.

I taught English to Chinese students (aged 6-17) through lessons on environment and sustainability. The highlight of their summer school was a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai.