Iwo Szapar

Hybrid Work Expert

🚀 Remote-First Activist | Top 50 Remote Influencer | Since 2017, shaping the future of remote-first world

Aloha, I'm Iwo Szapar! Over the years, I've helped transform how over 3,000 companies approach work, leading to more efficient and enjoyable professional lives. 🌍

Key Achievements:

▪️Co-created the AI Maturity Index with Harvard researchers, democratizing access to enterprise-grade AI readiness insights
▪️Advised Ministry of Communications and Technology of Saudi Arabia on AI up-skilling for startups
▪️Launched world's first certification program for remote workers: Remote-how Academy, back in 2018.
▪️Established strategic partnerships with 150 companies, including Asana, Deel, Remote, and Safetywing.
▪️Created an expert community of 250+ consultants from companies such as GitLab, Netflix, and Hubspot.
▪️Co-organized 3 editions of Remote Future Summit, reaching over 11,000 attendees and featuring 140 speakers.

Born in Gdansk, Poland, I've embraced the 'slowmad' lifestyle, living in various countries while working remotely. This journey has enriched my perspective and fueled my passion for innovation. When I'm not working, you can find me reading history books, following international affairs, or indulging in my hobbies as a dog lover, amateur surfer, and DJ.

Connect with me to explore how you/your company can work smarter! 🚀

🚀Remote Work Advocate & Co-founder

Remote-how helps companies make remote & hybrid work, work. Since 2017. 

🤓 Remote-how Marketplace - the world’s leading remote & hybrid work experts marketplace. Work on your consulting and advisory projects with 200+ pre-vetted practitioners from top distributed companies. 

🚀 Remote-how Campus - a community where leaders of hybrid teams come to connect, learn and grow together with access to live leadership development programs, mentoring services, and more.

🚀 Our AI Maturity Index got acquired by ISG (Information Services Group).

Didn’t think a random virtual coffee with a stranger would turn out this way...

18 months ago, Eryn and I started talking about AI adoption chaos.

Everyone had opinions.
Nobody had data.

We launched this as a research project.

It evolved into a diagnostic tool.
Using AI to assess… AI maturity in under 15 minutes.

Our system interviewed 6,000+ professionals across 75 countries.

The data was clear:
• 92% of companies are increasing AI investment
• Only 1% consider themselves AI-mature

Companies weren’t struggling with AI tools.

They were struggling with knowing where to start.

ISG noticed.
They partnered with us.
Then became our biggest client.

Today, they acquired us.

That’s not how acquisitions usually work.
But maybe it’s how they should.
They knew the product deeply.
We knew their vision.
The fit was obvious.

ISG brings research capabilities we couldn’t build alone.
Global reach to take this from thousands to millions.
Resources to turn our platform into enterprise infrastructure.

I’m genuinely excited about what we’ll build together.

Now, zooming out for a second.

It’s been 8 years of building.

First Remote-how.
Then Remote-First Institute.
Now AI Maturity Index.

Many mistakes.
Many lessons.

And now — first exit.

I’m relieved before I’m excited 😅

Eryn — you made this possible.

That “virtual coffee stranger” became an incredible co-founder who pushed me, challenged me, and helped me grow fast.

Thank you. Truly. ❤️ 

Fun fact: we met only twice in real life. 
Once in Lisbon (where we decided to launch the company together - see picture), and second time in Saudi Arabia.

This entire journey was 100% remote.

To the 6,000+ people who took the assessment and trusted us with their data:
You made this possible. Every benchmark came from you.

To Steven, Hannah, and the entire ISG team: You believed in the platform long before the acquisition. That partnership gave us confidence this would work. Thanks a bunch!!!

And to everyone who thought:
“Just another AI survey” — fair skepticism.
We had to earn trust with data quality.

Now we close the 92% / 1% gap.

At scale.

With resources that matter.
Companies investing in AI need to know where they stand.
We’re building the infrastructure to show them.

PS. Yes — I am VERY excited. Like… a lot.

PS2. Full press release → link in comments 👇

Co-Creator of AI Maturity Index (Acquired by ISG) 🤙 Vibe Worker

AstroLabs

Director of Open Innovation

Open Innovation - Programs

Capital University College

Honorary Professor

BESTLOOK

Advisor

When I started this journey in consultancy I had two main goals: Help businesses and organizations evolve into success thanks to strategic branding and creativity-driven innovation, and being able to collaborate with talented individuals of all different backgrounds and profiles.

Thanks to this approach, In a little less than two years I have been able to be part of projects that range from fashion-tech and e-commerce to digital marketing and boutique health providers.

In 2019, I have also started a mentoring and coaching program, where we apply the same principles used to give directions to companies, in guiding up-and-coming entrepreneurs towards building up a brand that can be not only impactful, but also financially and culturally sustainable in the long run.

Founder / Fashion & Retail director

Startupbootcamp FashionTech

Startup Mentor

Africa's Business Heroes

Startup Judge

Seedstars

Startup Mentor - WE4A

Stylar.com

Stylar is a technology startup in stealth model focused on artificial intelligence for the fashion industry.  Our goal is to disrupt the fashion supply chain by using cutting-edge technology to improve discovery and purchase of latest trends and items targeting both consumers and fashion buyers.

We are building a global product by teaming up the best data scientists and AI technology available, with experienced professionals of the retail and fashion industry.

Fashion Director

Landmark Group

MaxFashions is the n.1 value retailer in the Middle East and Africa, with over 300 outlets in 9 countries. 

As buyer for Denim, Activewear and Young Man my duties include the 360º analysis and projection of the collections, the coordination with design for the creation of the same and the follow up of the whole product development process, from the selection and direction of the supplier database to the merchandising direction on the store. 

Achievements : 

- Full rebranding and re-engineering of the Activewear line supporting a 3x growth in 2 years, and maintaining the best-selling product category at a group level for 3 consecutive quarters. 
- Revised continuity of NOOS and seasonal basics for young and Denim leading to higher margins with a decreased holding stock.
- Introduction of a early-signals analytics frameworks to identify top performers early, allowing for on-time replenishment.
- Redefinition of the way design, QC, and merchandising work together leading to an increased quality in products and higher team morale and satisfaction.

Senior Buyer : Menswear (Young, Denim, Active)

Décimas

Buyer for the Menswear Department for the Sport and Activewear brand.
Décimas is the leading sportswear retailer from Spain, with over 250 stores in the country and France. As buyer for the menswear collection, my duties are:
- Constant sales and market analysis in both qualitatively and quantitatively.
- Strategical planning of the collection : structure, quantities, prices, etc.
- Supervision of the design: choice of fabrics, colors, trends, etc.
- Negotiation with suppliers in terms of quality, price, deliveries etc. 
- Follow-up of the production process, sample commenting and quality control.
- Overview of the deliveries and the entrances of product on the stores, coordination with visual merchandising and marketing for the image campaigns.

Mens Sportswear Buyer

As the coordinator of the design department my main fuctions are those of researching and developing the collections, creating the collection structure and coordinate the design process, creating myself some of the garment. I am also in contact with providers in China as well as coordinated with the production, purchases, marketing and visual merchandising departments.

Design Coordinator

Como parte del equipo de diseño de la compañía desempeñé tareas relacionadas con el proceso creativo de la prenda, desde la búsqueda de la tendencia hasta el diseño de prenda, estampados, fornituras y etiquetado. En un principio el equipo de diseño no estaba separado, por lo que tuve la oportunidad de diseñar tanto hombre, mujer, niño y niña como prendas deportivas, streetwear y baño.
También hacía las funciones de asistente al responsable de producción de Bangladesh/algodón , llevando el seguimiento de calidad de la producción y tratando directamente con los proveedores.

Diseñador Junior y asistente de producción.

Brand & Business strategist | Open Innovation consultant | Start-up Advisor | Speaker & Author

I help you build the brand you need for the business you want.

From a very young age I had issues accepting things "as they are" - and I made my best to imagine how they should and can be. Through mentorship and consultancy services, my focus is that of helping both companies and entrepreneurs visualise how their ventures can be and find the best way to make it happen.

taplio

The Battle

Iwo Szapar

Adela Alonso Alonso

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreIwo Szapar's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Iwo Szapar

Adela Alonso Alonso

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Iwo Szapar's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreIwo Szapar's LinkedIn Performance