Leah Hodgson
Moderator
Sessions (2)
Sessions featuring Leah Hodgson at HumanX Amsterdam 2026
What's Holding Europe Back?
The panel argued Europe should not copy the US or China, but lean into industrial AI, robotics, complex workflows, proprietary data, and its deep research talent. They identified the harder research-to-startup path—fewer seasoned mentors, risk-taking design partners, and local growth capital—as a barrier, while urging founders to build global companies early, especially with a US strategy.
Bought, Not Sold: Demystifying the Path to Being Acquired
Jeff Wang and Vivek Sedara unpacked how acquisitions unfolded for Windsurf/Cognition and Superhuman/Grammarly, emphasizing that team quality, product fit, brand, user base, and infrastructure create buyer pull. They argued founders should maximize leverage by extending runway, building relationships early, and avoiding distressed sale dynamics.