Startup
Wars
Conference

Karol Sadaj expanded the business of Uber in Poland. Before that, he worked for Google, Pepsico, and Philip Morris and provided consulting services to start-ups at Google Campus Warsaw. He joined Revolut in February of 2018 and was appointed country manager for Poland. In scope of his new responsibilities, he is in charge of developing the company’s business and structures in Poland. Karol Sadaj is an experienced marketer with a unique profile – he combines the knowledge obtained from working for global consumer goods corporations (PepsiCo, Philip Morris) with skilful placement of innovations made by tech moguls such as Uber or Google on the market.

Head of Operations, Dott. First Uber employee and director in Poland. Graduate of the School of Economics and the prestigious HEC Business School in Paris. He built Uber in Poland from the ground up and launched its operations in the seven leading Polish agglomerations. In this time, Uber began to dominate the Polish urban transit market with support for over 1 million users and tens of thousands of drivers. He then served as a Regional Director for DACH and CEE at ofo, a Chinese bicycle sharing company. Currently, he is a Head of Operations at the Dutch Dott, where he is in charge of the company’s development in all European markets. Dott is the leading European provider of shared electrical scooters and bikes.

Mateusz Litewski is responsible for external relations of JUUL Labs in Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining JUUL Labs, he was Director of Government Relations at UBER in the CEER region, and previously, as a consultant, he worked with Polish and international companies from the financial, energy, transport and e-commerce sectors on corporate and public affairs projects. He graduated from Manchester Business School, University of Bath and Keele University.

President of the Board of the Lower Silesian Institute for Energy Studies. He has many years of experience in building and implementing business strategies, managing large enterprises and investment projects in the energy and heat industry, as well as excellent knowledge of the specifics of the energy sector and the rules of operation of energy and heat markets. Proven in practice leadership skills and ability to lead teams in an international environment.

Paulina Ackermann, director at Lime for Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary. A manager with over 10 years of experience, mainly in new technologies and innovative economy. As the Lime director for Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary, she is in charge of the operations and communications of the electric scooter provider on local markets.

Previously employed by Uber as a Head of Customer Strategy and Operations, CEE, where she was in charge of the Central and Eastern Europe teams. She also obtained business experience as the co-founder of the Lookcheck fashion app and employee of InPost and Procter&Gamble.

CEO, Czysta3.VC

The CEO of Czysta3.VC and 1450 – a cyber social engineering specialist. VC investor and a tech geek. Founder of numerous companies, including one of the biggest gold dealers in Central Europe or the world: OORT Inc. Educated in Poland, Great Britain at the University of Cambridge, and Germany, received his MBA degree from European University Viadrina Frankfurt. One of the first Polish beneficiaries of the Haniel scholarship.

Founder of Brand24 – an online reputation protection tool with thousands of customers from over 100 countries. Startup Founder of the Year in The Next Web Startup Awards. Author of the bestselling book “Social Media Revolution”. Programmer, graphic designer and photographer.

Co-founder and vice president of Talent Alpha, a technology entrepreneur known for successfully developing many innovative startups. Co-founder of Codewise, which is now a world leader in software technology. His next big project was the pioneering IoT using beacons, which initially aimed to make museums more friendly for the visually impaired, and ultimately initiated a revolution in the world of outdoor and point-of-sale marketing. He is co-founder of Kontakt.io, a start-up IoT that has become a global brand working with Fortune 500 companies over three years. He applies eclecticism to all areas of life, loves to build teams and support people in their development. Privately a father of two children, an aviation lover and a glider pilot.

Managing Director, Concordia Design Wrocław

Philologist by trade (University of Wrocław). Completed postgraduate studies and numerous legal, financial and public relations courses, as well as a course for members of supervisory boards of state-owned enterprises. Holder of Executive MBA degree.

For many years, she was associated with the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency (ARAW) – a partnership of the city of Wrocław and regional communes – responsible for acquiring foreign investors and business cooperation. Her career involved projects supporting both developed enterprises and start-ups.

General Manager, CEE, TIDAL global music and entertainment platform.

In charge of strategy implementation in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe in scope of the company’s business development and creation of sales, PR, and 360 marketing activity. One of her biggest successes in recent years is the fact that she was able to bring the service to a wide range of users thanks to regular collaboration with the leading service providers in the mobile telephones, FMCG, and financial industries.

Her 10 years of experience in sales, PR, marketing, and the music industry comes from development of strategies within the structures of the biggest media corporations in Poland, including as Head of PR at 4FUN MEDIA S.A and Chillizet Brand Manager at the Eurozet group.

Partner and Managing Director, Drawbridge Olczak i Wspólnicy law firm

Economist, active player, commentator, and analyst of the Polish capital market from the decline of the communist era through the transformations up to the present. In the 1990s, he served as the advisor to the Minister at the Ministry of National Treasury, co-founded the Power Exchange, and later served as counsellor to its management board. Also served on the working group in charge of media under the office of deputy prime minister and minister of finances Leszek Balcerowicz. Completed investment fund management, investment consulting, and securities brokerage courses.

His extensive knowledge is supplemented by his tremendous experience in the media. He is the former editor-in-chief of magazines such as “Forbes” (2007-14), “Prawo i gospodarka” (2002), “Pieniądz” (2000) and “Parkiet” (1994-98).

Publicist, author of numerous business reports, press articles, and analyses.

Entrepreneur, public speaker and author of games and comic books. Digital narrator, curator and creator. For over two decades he has been observing and explaining the impact of technology on our lives. Author of one of the most widely read Polish blogs kurasinski.com. Speaker and participant of the most important technology conferences in Poland. Privately a father of two daughters, a lover of indoor football, comics and S-F movies and role-playing games.

Ania Jakubowski – General Director AVON Cosmetics Poland

Ania Jakubowski has over 25 years of professional experience in global companies, which she gained on stable and emerging markets in Europe, North America and Africa. During this time she has successfully developed her business in various positions in strategy, trading, operations and development, working for such companies as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, The Coca-Cola Company and Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits.

He is a member of the Polish Supervisory Board of Bank Millennium SA and Vice President of the Polish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Her passion? Mentoring. For many years she has been actively supporting such initiatives as Mentors 4 Starters or Exempt from Theory.

Out of work? She loves to invite her friends to her home and spend time with them for dinner together.

Her obsession? Everything connected with the concept of “growing younger”.

Her motto? What you achieve is important, but how you achieve it makes a difference!

She has Polish roots, although she was born and raised in Canada. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada.