About H2K Labs Founder
Heather Holst-Knudsen's connection to the B2B world runs deep. As the great-granddaughter of Harvey Mark Thomas, founder of Thomas Publishing Company, which was established in 1898, she has a rich heritage in the manufacturing industry. Thomasnet, the flagship brand of Thomas Publishing, gained widespread recognition even before its acquisition by Xometry in late 2021.
Holst-Knudsen's journey in the B2B landscape began after completing her SBLL at Georgetown University and earning a Masters in Publishing from New York University. She gained valuable experience in sales and event management positions at Reed Elsevier SA, Miller Freeman (now Informa), and IDG (now Foundry).
However, it was in 2000, when she joined Thomas Publishing, the family business, that her passion for the industry truly ignited.
Over 15 years at Thomas Publishing, Holst-Knudsen assumed leadership roles in three divisions: Managing Automation, Techmatch, and Manufacturing Executive Communications. She built integrated media portfolios encompassing digital and print, marketplaces, marketing services, custom publishing, research, and live events.
After selling Manufacturing Enterprise Communications to Frost & Sullivan in 2012, Holst-Knudsen embarked on new ventures. She co-founded KidBacker, a startup focused on collaborative learning and networking for student entrepreneurs. Additionally, she provided consultancy services to event technology companies such as Feathr, Gleanin, and Brella, gaining valuable experience in SaaS business models.
In 2018, leveraging her expertise in data-complex business environments, revenue growth, and value creation, Holst-Knudsen established H2K Labs. The company specializes in optimizing and activating data to drive top and bottom-line growth and architects and recommends strategies, execution roadmaps, and tools to navigate the complexities of data and forecast business outcomes.