# Jenny von Podewils

> Jenny von Podewils is the co-founder and co-CEO of Leapsome, established with Kajetan von Armansperg in Berlin in 2016. Her background spans international relations, environmental studies, clean-tech sales, and transformation work at ZEIT. After growing Leapsome from customer revenue for five years, the founders raised a $60 million Series A in 2022. Based in New York, she works on an international HR platform and received the German Startup Awards’ Female Founder of the Year honor in 2023.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Leapsome
- **Organizations:** Leapsome, Younicos, DIE ZEIT / Zeitverlag, Singularity University
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts; economics and international relations, University of St. Gallen, Master of Science, Environmental Change and Management, University of Oxford, Economics studies; exchange semester, Lund University School of Economics and Management, Fellowship / entrepreneurship program, Singularity University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and co-leads Leapsome, whose current company information reports more than 2,000 customer organizations worldwide., Helped build Leapsome from customer revenue for five years before its $60 million Series A., Female Founder of the Year 2023, German Startup Awards.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2016** — Worked in business development and sales at Younicos, including Sales Director Europe, and subsequently as an advisor / chief of staff to the CEO at ZEIT.
- **2016** — Participated in an entrepreneurship program at Singularity University in Silicon Valley.
- **2016** — Co-founded Leapsome with Kajetan von Armansperg in Berlin.
- **2022** — Leapsome announced a $60 million Series A led by Insight Partners, with Creandum and Visionaries Club, after five years of customer-funded growth.
- **2022** — Leapsome launched a New York office; she moved to New York to support US expansion.
- **2023** — Received Female Founder of the Year at the German Startup Awards.
- **2024** — Leapsome announced its expansion into HRIS with an early-access offering.
- **2026** — Continued as co-CEO, discussing AI adoption, connected HR data, and founder involvement in hiring.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and co-leads Leapsome, whose current company information reports more than 2,000 customer organizations worldwide.
- Helped build Leapsome from customer revenue for five years before its $60 million Series A.
- Female Founder of the Year 2023, German Startup Awards.
- Named among Germany’s top 50 female entrepreneurs by Handelsblatt, as recorded in Leapsome’s founder biography.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Her public LinkedIn profile announced participation as a judge for People Leaders to Watch 2026, recognizing HR leaders across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; nominations closed September 21.
- **2026-07** — Explained founder involvement in every new-hire interview at a team size of 150, and announced connected AI capabilities and Leapsome Recruiting in early access.
- **2026-06** — Discussed global product design, talent-first HR systems, and AI workflows in an OutSail interview published June 22.
- **2026-05** — In a May 8 interview, confirmed she is based in New York and discussed Leapsome’s internal AI adoption.

## Links

- Website: https://www.leapsome.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennypodewils/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jenny-von-podewils
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11