Katka Letzing

Katka Letzing, Co-Founder & CEO, Kickstart Innovation

After studying in Europe and working in finance and education, Katka worked in Silicon Valley for more than a decade - on innovation, finance, entrepreneurship, and related topics for the Institute of International Education, and in the U.S. Department of State programs/White House initiatives involving startups and other organizations from more than 170 countries. 

Since 2013, she has led startup innovation activities in Asia including engagements with Startup Malaysia, and co-founded a bioactive demo-cosmetics startup in Prague and helped to scale. 

She also co-founded and leads Kickstart Innovation working on innovation with startups and private and public sector organizations with more than 300 organizations in the last 8 years and with over 450 startups from over 80 countries with funding of over CHF 2.5 billion. She coaches student entrepreneurs in her free time helping them build businesses as well as being a board member of Capacity, an organization supporting the labor force of refugees and immigrants through innovation and entrepreneurship. 

In addition, she was awarded for her efforts in diplomacy and innovation by the Department of State/White House and was recognized as a Digital Shaper of Bilanz of Switzerland in 2019 and 2023.