Powerful perspectives from the LEAP community

Since we first launched LEAP, we’ve learnt that innovation is a way of seeing the world. This year, innovators have made us look at life, tech, and business in new ways – so we’re sharing four perspectives that we think everyone should hear. 

More than trends or predictions, these perspectives are grounded in how people build and make decisions. And for you, no matter your role in tech, they offer clarity to help you step boldly into 2026. 

1. Learning must become lifelong, AI-augmented, and adaptive

EdTech visionary Aman Merchant (Serial Entrepreneur; Chief Provocateur at Radicle; General Partner at ReimaginED Collective) reminded us that instead of just being a sector on its own, education is also an infrastructure for every other sector.

And it’s changing fast.

“EdTech isn’t just about digital tools – it’s about advancing human potential in an AI-driven world. My journey started at the intersection of technology, impact, and entrepreneurship, but I quickly realised that the real challenge isn’t just access to education – it’s ensuring that learning is relevant, adaptive, and future-proof. Today, we are redefining EdTech itself, moving beyond classrooms and content toward lifelong, AI-augmented learning ecosystems that prepare individuals to thrive in an unpredictable world.”

For tech innovators, investors, and policymakers focused on the future of education, this is such an important shift to acknowledge. EdTech is becoming the connective tissue between talent, employment, and economic resilience.

2. Technology should collaborate with creativity – not overshadow it

Stephanie Singer (Creative Director at BitterSuite) works in a field where tech can easily overwhelm the art it’s meant to elevate. So she takes an opposite approach, and treats tech as a creative partner.

“There’s a common idea that tech is here to replace what already exists – like composers, musicians, or live gigs. But I see tech differently. For me, it’s a collaborator, not a replacement.”

“My focus is on finding those sweet spots where tech can do something that’s impossible without it,” she added, “whether that’s adding to the multi-sensory experiences I create or transforming how we engage with sound. It’s not about replacing the magic of live performance, but expanding it in ways that make it even more powerful.”

This mindset is a useful compass for anyone building products in creative industries: don’t disrupt for disruption’s sake. Deepen and enhance instead. 

3. Racing is a proving ground for tomorrow’s clean-mobility innovations

Sports tech often looks like entertainment. But listening to Rodi Basso (CEO at E1 Series), you realise it’s also a testbed for the technologies that will shape the future of transport.

His perspective is grounded in both engineering and environmental urgency:

“In general, I passionately believe in the combination of sport and technology as an opportunity to connect what is needed with what is achievable in a sustainable way. Racing offers the platform to test low TRL technologies to empower the commercial solutions of the future.”

And in the RaceBird (the all-electric hydrofoil designed for the UIM E1 World Championship) he sees a blueprint. 

The important lesson here is that early adoption doesn’t always happen in the market. Sometimes it happens at speed, under pressure, in the domain of sport – and then it ripples out to wider mobility ecosystems.

4. Everyone (not just leaders) now shapes a company’s reputation

Maha Abouelenein (Founder and CEO at Digital and Savvy) offered a perspective that many organisations only realise after a crisis has arrived: personal branding isn’t optional, and it isn’t a solo act.

“The landscape of personal branding has changed so much over the past decade. People don’t just follow companies anymore – they follow people. Personal branding is directly tied to reputation, and it’s no longer just the CEO's job or the responsibility of the PR team. Today, everyone in the organisation plays a role in building and protecting the company's reputation – they are all ambassadors for your brand and your company.”

This is a strategic reminder for all of you: communication is part of industry culture today, and it has the power to change your trajectory for the better.

Which of these perspectives will you carry into 2026? 

We’re weaving all of these into our planning for the coming 12 months: we’ll learn, collaborate, test, and communicate. 

Consider which of these ideas is most valuable to you – then bring it with you into the next stage of your technology journey.