A breath of fresh air. As a team, we are the driving force behind our community, bringing together expertise and experience in the fields of social impact, entrepreneurship, and social and environmental innovation. We see ourselves as process facilitators, hosts and stewards of the future.
What we believe in We need a new economic model Wirtschaftssysteme formen und beeinflussen unser Leben fundamental. Während unsere Ökonomien momentan noch vielfach durch starkes Profitstreben gelenkt werden, sind wir der Überzeugung, dass sich dies in den nächsten Jahren grundlegend ändern wird. Eine Wirtschaft, die Menschen und Umwelt über bloßes finanzielle Gewinne stellt, ist die Zukunft, auf die wir hinarbeiten und in der wir leben wollen. We can shape a bright future Weltweit sind wir mit systemübergreifenden Herausforderungen und Krisen konfrontiert. Wir glauben, dass eine Veränderung zum Positiven durch unerschrockenes, proaktives Handeln möglich ist. Denn die Zukunft ist gestaltbar: Dort, wo Menschen voller Vertrauen und Mut zusammen daran arbeiten, die Welt zum Besseren zu gestalten, kann echte Wirkung mit ungeahnter Schlagkraft entstehen. Entrepreneurial action creates new impact Sozialunternehmerisches Denken und Handeln befähigt Menschen aktiv zu werden und vom Kritisieren ins Handeln zu treten. Daraus entstehen konkrete Innovationen, die Lebenssituationen und Branchen verändern. Aus der Vielfalt unternehmerischer Ansätze wachsen neue Realitäten und Lebensgrundlagen . Sie bedeuten Unabhängigkeit und Befähigung für Menschen mit verschiedensten Visionen. The economy must be shaped by everyone for everyone Unsere Wirtschaftssysteme sind zu lange von einigen Wenigen gelenkt und beeinflusst worden. Wir machen uns dafür stark, dass jede:r Wandel mitgestalten kann und soll. Unabhängig von Herkunft, Geschlecht, Sexualität, Klasse, Behinderung, Religion und weiterem. Nur mit einem Wirtschaftssystem, das die volle Diversität der Gesellschaft repräsentiert und Hürden aktiv abbaut, können wir von einer wahrhaft gerechten und inklusiven Ökonomie reden. Community as the heart and soul Die großen Probleme unserer Zeit lassen sich nicht im Alleingang lösen. Dort wo Menschen zusammenkommen und Beziehungen aufbauen vervielfacht sich Wirkung und entstehen Kooperationen. Hier finden engagierte Menschen Gemeinschaft, die einem den Rücken stärkt. Sustainable innovation is the driving force behind change Innovation kann viele Gesichter haben. Die Innovationen, die wir unterstützen möchten vereint eines, nämlich ihr ehrlicher Anspruch, die Welt positiv beeinflussen zu wollen. Um unser Ziel einer impact-orientierten Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft zu erreichen, fördern wir Innovator:innen, die zukunftsfähige Innovationen und Geschäftsmodelle vorantreiben. Lena Obermair Co-Managing Director | Community Management & Systemic Partnerships Mobil Mail LinkedIn Lena has long been committed to promoting greater equality, justice and sustainability in various settings and roles. Her conviction that a just society and a good life for all are inextricably linked to a regenerative economy is what brings her to the Impact Hub. During her studies in management, tourism and marketing, she specialised in particular in a queer-feminist understanding of economics and intersectional power analyses. She considers critical reflection on privilege, as well as on one’s own thoughts and actions, to be essential on the path towards an impact-oriented economy. Whether the focus is on community strategy, business models or organisational culture: “To build a new system, we must unlearn much of what we take for granted and, at the same time, cultivate an open mind towards new ideas and what was previously unthinkable”. At Impact Hub Tirol, Lena is responsible for community management, systemic partnerships, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Alex Auer Co-Managing Director & Co-Founder | Programmes & Impact Investing Mobil Mail LinkedIn Alex is one of the co-founders of Impact Hub Tirol and is responsible for several key programmes, including pioneer:impact and Impact Commons. As a venture builder, he is also a driving force behind the development and support of innovative start-up projects. In addition, as managing director of our subsidiary, he oversees the management of our investments. Having grown up in the idyllic village of Abtenau in the Salzburg region and after completing his mechanical engineering training at HTL Salzburg, his path led him to Innsbruck in 2014. Here, whilst studying environmental, process and energy engineering, he acquired a solid grounding in a wide range of technical solutions to climate change. At the same time, whilst studying business administration, he delved into business ethics, which ultimately led him to impact entrepreneurship. This focus also brought him to Jana and SETup. At the end of his compulsory work placement as part of his degree, he co-founded the limited liability company with Jana, which now operates as the Impact Hub. During the pandemic, Alex expanded his academic qualifications with a Master’s degree in European Energy Economics. Alex is passionate about innovations that drive social progress – whether through innovative business models or groundbreaking technologies. “The main thing is that things get done” is his motto. In addition to his role at the Impact Hub, he is active as a guest lecturer at MCI, as a speaker at various universities, and politically on the Innsbruck City Council. Maileen Krähe Space Management & Content Lead Mobil Mail LinkedIn Maileen is originally from Germany and has quickly made Innsbruck her home thanks to its vibrant community. With her background in innovation management, she developed a passion for social innovation, start-ups and forward-looking projects whilst still a student. At Impact Hub Tirol, Maileen creates spaces for people to meet and network. She’s always ready to listen to our co-workers, brings people together and can usually be found somewhere in the Hub. As well as managing the space, she handles communications – from the website and posters to social media – and ensures that everyone is always up to date. Her aim is to create a place where people can come together, exchange ideas and make a difference together. Impact Hub Tirol – a community of experts Together with our members, we offer a wide range of expertise and experience, organise joint workshops and provide support throughout various processes. Find out more about the people behind the Impact Hub Tirol network. Discover all members Governance Model Impact Hub Tirol is a limited liability company (GmbH) and operates as a business. However, this does not mean that we are profit-driven. The company is not owned by private shareholders, but is 100 per cent owned by the non-profit association SETup. In this way, we have ensured that the Impact Hub’s mission is always ‘impact-first’ rather than ‘profit-first’. Consequently, we are not a public body and are organised independently of political bodies. From a helpdesk for social entrepreneurship to a centre for social and environmental innovation Impact Hub Tirol was founded in June 2021 by Jana Ganzmann, Alexander Auer and Johannes Völlenklee and is being developed in collaboration with a diverse, multidisciplinary team of experienced entrepreneurs. The history of Impact Hub Tirol is closely linked to SETup, the hub for social entrepreneurship in Tyrol. How it all began... Impact Hub Tirol grew out of the organisation SETup. SETup stands for Social Entrepreneurship Tirol and was founded in January 2019 with the aim of promoting social entrepreneurship in Tyrol. The founding team quickly found support: based at the Kulturbackstube bakery and in collaboration with the internationally renowned impact investor Charly Kleissner, SETup built up Tyrol’s social entrepreneurship community over the following years. Strategic development Originally organised as a voluntary association, SETup GmbH was additionally founded in February 2020 under the management of Jana Ganzmann and Alexander Auer, with the aim of achieving economic sustainability. When, just a few weeks after its foundation, the global pandemic seemed set to thwart all plans, the management swiftly switched the organisation’s focus to online services. Public interviews in the ‘Digitaler Mittagstisch’ format generated a wide reach and attracted new partners. Fuelled by this fresh wave of positive energy, SETup continued to develop strongly from a strategic perspective, expanded to include sustainability consultancy, and the team grew. In autumn 2020, SETup, together with SOS Children’s Villages Austria, founded the first social start-up incubator in Tyrol: the Social Innovation Lab. It was through this collaboration that the future co-founders of Impact Hub Tirol got to know one another; Johannes Völlenklee, another expert in social innovation, came on board. The founding of Impact Hub Tirol To further increase their impact, support more people and bring expertise in socio-ecological transition to Tyrol, the team decided in autumn 2020 to join the global Impact Hub network – so that they could provide even better support to everyone in Tyrol who wants to make a difference. Of course, this step could not have been taken without the necessary support. That is why two experienced individuals – Martina Burtscher, a branding expert and social entrepreneur, and Martin Hörtnagl, a sustainability consultant and coach – were brought into the founding team. In 2021, following a successful application, the team finally became part of the world’s largest network for impact entrepreneurship and can now draw on the know-how and expertise of over 111 Impact Hubs and more than 17,000 members. After the community was launched in 2021, the Hub also opened its own premises in 2022, including co-working spaces, offices and meeting rooms. Since then, Impact Hub Tirol, in collaboration with Werkstätte Wattens, has founded Tyrol’s first impact accelerator for impact-driven start-ups in the growth phase, hosted the AM PULS Tirol Forum for social innovation, organised the first Alpine Impact Day, and supported existing companies and organisations with a focus on social innovation and sustainability. With over 120 members, 450 square metres of space and numerous partner organisations, the Impact Hub has become the central hub for impact-driven enterprise in the region. The current situation Since then, Impact Hub Tirol has continued to evolve. The Alpine Impact Days have been held twice as a conference focusing on impact and systemic change. In 2025, the Alpine Impact Days were further developed and CO:ACT – a systems lab for impact-driven entrepreneurship and systemic change – was launched. During this time, pioneer:impact has also become an integral part of the hub. Two cohorts comprising a total of 18 alumni teams have already been supported, and the programme will enter its third round in 2026. In 2025, the Impact Commons Foundation was also established in collaboration with Impact Hub Vienna and the first Impact Commons Foundation – with the aim of building a community centred on impact investing, investing jointly in impact start-ups and learning from one another and through concrete case studies. A particular milestone was the move in January 2025. With the new premises on the 2nd and 3rd floors, social entrepreneurship in Tyrol has gained a visible and open space. Today, around 500 square metres of bright and modern co-working spaces, offices, meeting rooms and community areas are available. The community now has over 150 members and continues to grow steadily. Today, Impact Hub Tirol is led by Lena Obermair (Community Management & Systemic Partners) and Alex Auer (Programmes & Impact Investing). Maileen Krähe is currently responsible for space and content management. Vacancies Would you like to become part of a multidisciplinary, open-minded, critical and close-knit team and work together to shape Tyrol’s socio-ecological transformation? We look forward to hearing from you. Apply now Diese Websiteverwendet Cookies Wir nutzen Cookies auf unserer Website. Einige von ihnen sind technisch notwendig, während andere uns helfen, diese Website und deine Erfahrungen darauf zu verbessern. Datenschutz Akzeptieren Ablehnen
Lena Obermair Co-Managing Director | Community Management & Systemic Partnerships Mobil Mail LinkedIn Lena has long been committed to promoting greater equality, justice and sustainability in various settings and roles. Her conviction that a just society and a good life for all are inextricably linked to a regenerative economy is what brings her to the Impact Hub. During her studies in management, tourism and marketing, she specialised in particular in a queer-feminist understanding of economics and intersectional power analyses. She considers critical reflection on privilege, as well as on one’s own thoughts and actions, to be essential on the path towards an impact-oriented economy. Whether the focus is on community strategy, business models or organisational culture: “To build a new system, we must unlearn much of what we take for granted and, at the same time, cultivate an open mind towards new ideas and what was previously unthinkable”. At Impact Hub Tirol, Lena is responsible for community management, systemic partnerships, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Alex Auer Co-Managing Director & Co-Founder | Programmes & Impact Investing Mobil Mail LinkedIn Alex is one of the co-founders of Impact Hub Tirol and is responsible for several key programmes, including pioneer:impact and Impact Commons. As a venture builder, he is also a driving force behind the development and support of innovative start-up projects. In addition, as managing director of our subsidiary, he oversees the management of our investments. Having grown up in the idyllic village of Abtenau in the Salzburg region and after completing his mechanical engineering training at HTL Salzburg, his path led him to Innsbruck in 2014. Here, whilst studying environmental, process and energy engineering, he acquired a solid grounding in a wide range of technical solutions to climate change. At the same time, whilst studying business administration, he delved into business ethics, which ultimately led him to impact entrepreneurship. This focus also brought him to Jana and SETup. At the end of his compulsory work placement as part of his degree, he co-founded the limited liability company with Jana, which now operates as the Impact Hub. During the pandemic, Alex expanded his academic qualifications with a Master’s degree in European Energy Economics. Alex is passionate about innovations that drive social progress – whether through innovative business models or groundbreaking technologies. “The main thing is that things get done” is his motto. In addition to his role at the Impact Hub, he is active as a guest lecturer at MCI, as a speaker at various universities, and politically on the Innsbruck City Council.
Maileen Krähe Space Management & Content Lead Mobil Mail LinkedIn Maileen is originally from Germany and has quickly made Innsbruck her home thanks to its vibrant community. With her background in innovation management, she developed a passion for social innovation, start-ups and forward-looking projects whilst still a student. At Impact Hub Tirol, Maileen creates spaces for people to meet and network. She’s always ready to listen to our co-workers, brings people together and can usually be found somewhere in the Hub. As well as managing the space, she handles communications – from the website and posters to social media – and ensures that everyone is always up to date. Her aim is to create a place where people can come together, exchange ideas and make a difference together.
Impact Hub Tirol – a community of experts Together with our members, we offer a wide range of expertise and experience, organise joint workshops and provide support throughout various processes. Find out more about the people behind the Impact Hub Tirol network. Discover all members
Governance Model Impact Hub Tirol is a limited liability company (GmbH) and operates as a business. However, this does not mean that we are profit-driven. The company is not owned by private shareholders, but is 100 per cent owned by the non-profit association SETup. In this way, we have ensured that the Impact Hub’s mission is always ‘impact-first’ rather than ‘profit-first’. Consequently, we are not a public body and are organised independently of political bodies.
From a helpdesk for social entrepreneurship to a centre for social and environmental innovation Impact Hub Tirol was founded in June 2021 by Jana Ganzmann, Alexander Auer and Johannes Völlenklee and is being developed in collaboration with a diverse, multidisciplinary team of experienced entrepreneurs. The history of Impact Hub Tirol is closely linked to SETup, the hub for social entrepreneurship in Tyrol. How it all began... Impact Hub Tirol grew out of the organisation SETup. SETup stands for Social Entrepreneurship Tirol and was founded in January 2019 with the aim of promoting social entrepreneurship in Tyrol. The founding team quickly found support: based at the Kulturbackstube bakery and in collaboration with the internationally renowned impact investor Charly Kleissner, SETup built up Tyrol’s social entrepreneurship community over the following years. Strategic development Originally organised as a voluntary association, SETup GmbH was additionally founded in February 2020 under the management of Jana Ganzmann and Alexander Auer, with the aim of achieving economic sustainability. When, just a few weeks after its foundation, the global pandemic seemed set to thwart all plans, the management swiftly switched the organisation’s focus to online services. Public interviews in the ‘Digitaler Mittagstisch’ format generated a wide reach and attracted new partners. Fuelled by this fresh wave of positive energy, SETup continued to develop strongly from a strategic perspective, expanded to include sustainability consultancy, and the team grew. In autumn 2020, SETup, together with SOS Children’s Villages Austria, founded the first social start-up incubator in Tyrol: the Social Innovation Lab. It was through this collaboration that the future co-founders of Impact Hub Tirol got to know one another; Johannes Völlenklee, another expert in social innovation, came on board. The founding of Impact Hub Tirol To further increase their impact, support more people and bring expertise in socio-ecological transition to Tyrol, the team decided in autumn 2020 to join the global Impact Hub network – so that they could provide even better support to everyone in Tyrol who wants to make a difference. Of course, this step could not have been taken without the necessary support. That is why two experienced individuals – Martina Burtscher, a branding expert and social entrepreneur, and Martin Hörtnagl, a sustainability consultant and coach – were brought into the founding team. In 2021, following a successful application, the team finally became part of the world’s largest network for impact entrepreneurship and can now draw on the know-how and expertise of over 111 Impact Hubs and more than 17,000 members. After the community was launched in 2021, the Hub also opened its own premises in 2022, including co-working spaces, offices and meeting rooms. Since then, Impact Hub Tirol, in collaboration with Werkstätte Wattens, has founded Tyrol’s first impact accelerator for impact-driven start-ups in the growth phase, hosted the AM PULS Tirol Forum for social innovation, organised the first Alpine Impact Day, and supported existing companies and organisations with a focus on social innovation and sustainability. With over 120 members, 450 square metres of space and numerous partner organisations, the Impact Hub has become the central hub for impact-driven enterprise in the region. The current situation Since then, Impact Hub Tirol has continued to evolve. The Alpine Impact Days have been held twice as a conference focusing on impact and systemic change. In 2025, the Alpine Impact Days were further developed and CO:ACT – a systems lab for impact-driven entrepreneurship and systemic change – was launched. During this time, pioneer:impact has also become an integral part of the hub. Two cohorts comprising a total of 18 alumni teams have already been supported, and the programme will enter its third round in 2026. In 2025, the Impact Commons Foundation was also established in collaboration with Impact Hub Vienna and the first Impact Commons Foundation – with the aim of building a community centred on impact investing, investing jointly in impact start-ups and learning from one another and through concrete case studies. A particular milestone was the move in January 2025. With the new premises on the 2nd and 3rd floors, social entrepreneurship in Tyrol has gained a visible and open space. Today, around 500 square metres of bright and modern co-working spaces, offices, meeting rooms and community areas are available. The community now has over 150 members and continues to grow steadily. Today, Impact Hub Tirol is led by Lena Obermair (Community Management & Systemic Partners) and Alex Auer (Programmes & Impact Investing). Maileen Krähe is currently responsible for space and content management. Vacancies Would you like to become part of a multidisciplinary, open-minded, critical and close-knit team and work together to shape Tyrol’s socio-ecological transformation? We look forward to hearing from you. Apply now Diese Websiteverwendet Cookies Wir nutzen Cookies auf unserer Website. Einige von ihnen sind technisch notwendig, während andere uns helfen, diese Website und deine Erfahrungen darauf zu verbessern. Datenschutz Akzeptieren Ablehnen
Vacancies Would you like to become part of a multidisciplinary, open-minded, critical and close-knit team and work together to shape Tyrol’s socio-ecological transformation? We look forward to hearing from you. Apply now
