A new network. What began as a local initiative in London has grown into a global ecosystem for impact entrepreneurship. Today, over 135 hubs and more than 500,000 members across 67 countries are connecting people, ideas and resources, turning local initiatives into global impact.
Impact Hub Network – The Story Behind Its Creation Where do the values of trust, courage and collaboration – which form the foundation of the Impact Hub network – come from? How did it all begin, and who is behind this global network of changemakers today? You can find out all this and more in the inspiring founding story of the Impact Hub Global Network. More about the network Zeitleiste Impact Hub 2000 - The Seeds of Change In 2000, a group of passionate and idealistic graduates of the United World College (UWC) Atlantic in Wales organised a groundbreaking Millennium event at London’s Royal Festival Hall. They brought together influential figures, including Nobel laureates and even the Dalai Lama via video link, to discuss pressing global issues. 2002 - In defiance of the convention The impact of their event caught the attention of the United Nations World Summit and earned them a unique invitation to organise a parallel summit alongside the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2003. However, the visionary young Impact Makers decided against the traditional workshop format and venue, and instead organised a people’s summit in Soweto, where they collaborated with local activists who had transformed a neglected wasteland into the inspiring Soweto Mountain of Hope (SoMoHo) to demonstrate the power of community-led change. 2005 - The first Impact Hub is opening its doors In 2005, whilst the experiences of the Millennium Event and SoMoHo were still fresh in their minds and hearts, the group recognised the growing need for a physical space where like-minded people could come together to network and collaborate. Inspired by their vision, they founded the first Impact Hub in a run-down London loft. Initially known as ‘The Hub’, the space became a breeding ground for community-building, sustainable practices and the perfect blend of activist passion and entrepreneurial ingenuity. The first hub for social innovators was born. 2005-2011 - Fostering collaborative growth As ‘The Hub’ became established in London, like-minded people in other cities recognised that the model had the potential to meet the needs of their local communities. They began to work together to build a network of Impact Hubs that fostered shared growth across cultural boundaries and adapted the model to local contexts through the bottom-up involvement of local ‘Impact Makers’ as founding communities. As this network grew, each new Hub reflected the unique needs and challenges of its local community, whilst sharing a common vision for systemic change in the world. 2011-2018 - Making a global impact In 2011, a significant milestone was reached: 15 Impact Hubs from around the world co-founded the Impact Hub Association. This enabled our network to expand its global presence and establish more than 100 Impact Hubs in over 60 countries. As the ‘hub’ concept gained wider recognition, we changed our name from ‘The Hub’ to ‘Impact Hub’, thereby underlining our unwavering commitment to promoting positive social and environmental change through entrepreneurial action. Ongoing - Vision 2030 As our network moves into the future, our journey of transformation and impact remains boundless. Guided by our values – trust, courage and collaboration – we strive to forge more meaningful connections and drive forward innovative solutions that pave the way for a radically better world. By 2030, we aim to be beacons for the economy of the future by harnessing diverse forces for good and jointly leading the Impact Economy to shape our present and future.
Global passport Welcome to the Impact Hub Global Passport – your key to a world of collaboration across Impact Hub spaces and those of our community partners. Whether you’re a member of an Impact Hub or belong to one of our community partner organisations, the Global Passport gives you access to the spaces of other Impact Hubs and community partners worldwide – free of charge, for up to three days per location per year. About the Global Passport
