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

Remote Skills Academy by Livit

An impact-focused education platform for Indonesians (and now expanding worldwide) who want to learn to work online, build successful remote careers and live life on their own terms.
Upskilled and reskilled 10,000+ alumni over the last 4 years.

Founder

Livit

CEO Livit International & Founder Livit Hub Bali

General Manager Project Getaway, Livit Spaces

Remote-first.Institute

A not-for-profit organization on a mission to create a space with expertise and knowledge about the remote-first work approach provided by the world’s leading future of work experts.

Founding Member

Bali Investment Club - BIC

Angel Investor

Plumia

Plumia champions global mobility rights for people everywhere and aims to build a country on the internet. Our work spans research, policy, technology, storytelling, and design, and we aim to bring about a human-centric future where a person’s birthplace does not restrict their access to work or life opportunities.

Member

Uncommon

Uncommon is a platform where the world's top female talent come to connect and level up. Our fast-growing community and action-oriented programmes are designed for the many facets of the modern successful woman.

Project Getaway

Curated, inspiring workations, retreats & getaway experiences in tropical Bali for entrepreneurs and startup teams.

Managing Partner

The P World

•	Launched and managed operations for the Azerbaijani market, including business development, legal & finance, logistics, recruitment & staff coordination, customer relations, marketing & PR, partnership initiation and delivery.
•	Worked with a portfolio of international event brands like the "Marketing Kingdom", "HR Experience", "PR Experience" which feature speakers representing some of the most recognized entities on the globe: the Royal British House, Facebook, Google, Rolls-Royce, the Olympics Games, Lego, etc.
•	Organized the first business excellence awards in Azerbaijan ("Excellence in HR", "Golden Crown Marketing Awards"); 
•	Collaborations involving the launch in Azerbaijan of "The Economist" publications; consultancy services for government agencies; public relations campaigns for projects like the first Hollywood star endorsement for a local brand.

Managing Director

Handled the local side of the PR campaign, business development and logistics for the first P World project in Azerbaijan.

PR & Business Development Manager

AIESEC Iasi

Coach

Managed a team of 6 people who was in charge of organizing a recruitment campaign, various conferences and events related to it, an induction program.

Project Manager

Outgoing Exchange Team Lead

AIESEC in Azerbaijan

•	Established media relationships in order to promote the AIESEC projects.
•	Developed strategies for strengthening the AIESEC presence in university campuses. 
•	Trained AIESEC members on communication, PR, marketing, project and event management, intercultural exchange, finance-related issues. 
•	Coached and mentored project managers, team leaders and exchange participants
•	Supervised and found ways to enhance the budgets raised for the country management office, local offices and their projects. 
•	Together with the other VPs, elaborated and implemented HR (especially recruitment and talent development) processes, tracking and performance appraisal systems.

National Vice President - Communication and Local Development

Founder of Livit Hub Bali & Remote Skills Academy | Future of Work Advocate | Speaker APAC & EU | WoP7. BASB14. Uncommon '21.

Over the last decade, at Livit, we've helped develop 100+ business ideas and dozens of remote-capable teams. 10+ million people across 60+ countries have been reached through projects started in our ecosystem. Headquartered at Livit Hub Bali, we have been ranked as one of Asia's Best Workplaces and received several other awards for our organizational culture.

The Remote Skills Academy, which I founded in 2020, is an impact-focused education platform that has equippd 10,000+ Indonesians and other youth around the world with digital and remote work skills. We are currently expanding via partnerships in Africa and Europe.

I am also a Founding Member of Remote-First Institute, an angel investor, and an advisor/board member to a handful of other exciting companies and projects.

I am passionate about the future of work. I believe that when we design more purposeful, sustainable businesses and lifestyles, we shape a better reality. I have spent the last 10+ years studying and understanding the mindset, practices, and tools required to make that happen, and I am excited to share my expertise.  I have received multiple distinctions for my work in culture shaping, leadership, and business development, including being a Top 50 Remote Innovator in 2023 and 2024, and my work was featured in publications like Washington Post, CNET & more.

My professional and personal experiences span 4 continents, 45+ countries, and several different industries. I am based in Bali for most of the year and a digital nomad/location-independent entrepreneur for the rest.

My fields of expertise are new ways of working, modern leadership, organizational design & culture, work-life synergy, sustainable entrepreneurship, human capital development.

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Iwo Szapar

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taplio

The Battle

Iwo Szapar

Lavinia Iosub (Yo-soob)

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

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