In the face of unacceptable levels of inequity at both a local and a global level, we must transform how we think about social, economic and political equity.
A society that does not create belonging for all its citizens is no kind of society. Throughout history, marginalised groups have been and still are oppressed, underrepresented, and – whether consciously or unconsciously – discriminated against.
Whether by creating new products or innovative services that ensure nobody is left behind, impact entrepreneurs can help build a more inclusive future. The only way a just, sustainable society can be realised is by including everyone in its design.
Building and hosting a community around the topic, we connect people and organisations working on inclusion, belonging and anti-discrimination. Together, we want to learn from and with each other, identify biases and challenge ourselves to become more inclusive as organisations, as a community and as a society.
Fields of Opportunity
There are many challenges to be addressed when talking about inclusion, diversity, equity and access. They are all equally urgent and important. At Impact Hub Berlin, we have identified four areas of opportunity in which a lot of our members are active and where we can contribute support through our network, programmes and access to finance. We do understand that all areas are intersectional. We realise that we need to constantly learn and grow as individuals and with that as an organisation. Therefore, we are continuously exchanging ideas and welcoming challenges from experts and partners. The four areas we are focusing on for now are:
Reducing inequality based on gender and empowering individuals who identify as FINTA*
Creating accessibility and equity with and for people with visible and invisible disabilities
Creating opportunities with and for people with migration & refugee stories
Strengthening an accessible, inclusive and equitable democracy where everyone belongs
Empower Now in partnership with TikTok
Impact Hub Berlin, in partnership with TikTok, offers FINTA* individuals and their allies a variety of programmes and opportunities to learn and develop. This year our focus is on digital solutions for empowerment and participation. Apart from an ideathon and a bootcamp, where you can develop your ideas and learn more about entrepreneurship, we're also excited to organise the second edition of our acceleration programme Empower Now, where you can turn your ideas into reality. We're also organising events for networking and exchange. You'll be supported by us, our network of FINTA* mentors, and our partner TikTok.
Empower Now is Impact Hub Berlin's new 6-month incubation programme for FINTA* (female, inter, non-binary, trans, agender) founders who work towards a more inclusive, equitable and participatory society.
The incubator will give FINTA* founders the opportunity to strengthen their business, build partnerships, and join safe(r) spaces to learn and exchange on topics such as well-being, resilience and experiences with discrimination in their founding journey.Â
Founders can apply as a solo founder or part of a founding team with their social business in the field of empowerment and participation. Learn more about our eligibility criteria and programme details and how to apply.
We are very excited to announce our brand new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion advisory board — an intersectional group of FINTA* founders who will help us work towards access, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our entrepreneurship support programmes and networks.
Our six-person advisory board brings their personal, academic, and professional experiences as PoC women, (trans) non-binary persons, mothers, people with physical and mental disabilities as well as neurodivergent people. All of our board members are founders themselves and part of our Impact Hub Berlin and tbd* networks.
Click below to learn more about our board members.
Together with Unity Media and Sozialhelden, we launched a search for new solutions to the topic of digital inclusion. DIC is a support programme for teams that invites innovators to dismantle digital barriers and create technologies that make the power of digital technologies more accessible to everyone.
F_LANE
F-Lane is a five-week accelerator for impact-driven entrepreneurs who want to ensure that women and girls play a leading role in shaping the future. There is an urgent need to create gender-inclusive technology and to promote womxn’s participation in education, workforce, entrepreneurship, leadership, and, ultimately, digitalisation. The accelerator was designed and implemented by us, and we are now serving as board members.
Startup Migrants Workshop
Together with Startup Migrants, we hosted a workshop for people with migration and / or refugee stories interested in founding a business in Germany. Participants got valuable insights from the Berlin senate department and our members in Jobs4refugees, received an overview of the (social) startup sector and built their first pitch decks together.
GIZ Market Access Programme
Recognising entrepreneurship as a key lever to sustainable economic growth and employment creation, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), has been implementing the project Her&Now in India. In order to provide further growth avenues for a selected number of programme participants, GIZ partnered with Impact Hub Berlin (IHB) to develop the Market Access Programme, which prepares 10 women entrepreneurs for market entry to Germany.
Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland connects entrepreneurs in the social sector to facilitate more impact.
Other Partners
Collaborators
A selection of our reports
GIZ Market Access Programme Report
Recognizing entrepreneurship as a key lever to sustainable economic growth and employment creation, the Government of India launched several initiatives to support female entrepreneurship. As a result, Deutsche Gesellschaft fĂĽrInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ), has been implementing the project “Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women” (Project Her&Now).
In order to provide further growth avenues for a selected number of programme participants of the Her&Now Programme, GIZ partnered with Impact Hub Berlin (IHB) to develop the Market
Access Programme, which prepares 10 women entrepreneurs for market entry to Germany. After a successful first round in 2021, the Market Access Programme 2022 (MAP’22) equipped the
second cohort with relevant knowledge and networks to expand their businesses to the German market.
IHB was responsible for the overall operational execution of the programme including the concept development, the selection of participants, speakers and experts as well as general project
management throughout the programme. To make the programme more impactful, IHB also helped in drawing up a customized action plan (roadmap) for each participating entrepreneur to help them be better equipped for their journey to access German markets.
We’ve always been driven by the idea that the world’s greatest challenges will never be solved by one person or organisation alone – collaboration is key. And the past few years – especially the last year – taught us three more important lessons about the impact business we’re in. We’re taking these learnings seriously, and are building on them to gear up for our Next Big Steps. Read on to learn about our impact in 2020 and our plans for the future we want to build.
Today’s coworking space accommodates a variety of needs, with models and memberships constantly evolving to adapt to changes in demand. There’s something for everyone – whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to collaborate with other changemakers or you’re a small team wanting the vibrancy of a coworking space without losing your close-knit team environment. Â
The holiday season is a great time to reflect on how our purchasing decisions impact the environment and our society as a whole. Being a conscious consumer means reflecting on what you need and then choosing the people or businesses whose products and services reflect your own core values.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of changemakers from within our community who offer innovative, sustainable, and inclusive products and services that have a positive social impact on our world. There’s plenty of fantastic sustainable gifts and ideas - take a look!
Now that impact entrepreneurship is no longer a niche topic, but instead recognised as a central economic force for innovation and sustainability by Germany’s highest politicians, it’s time to take it to the next level and begin a period of new seriousness. With this impulse, our founder Leon Reiner opened the first Impact Entrepreneurship Forum – a day guided by goal-oriented attitudes and a solutions mindset.
This week the German Sustainable Business Association (BNW), Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany (SEND) and Impact Hub Berlin GmbH proudly launched the Place for Sustainable Business in Berlin (Ort für Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften) — a project funded by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Business that helps businesses in Berlin transition towards more sustainable practices, increases the visibility of sustainable business and promotes cooperation to shape tomorrow's economy.
Questions, ideas, remarks about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ecosystem? Our Head of DEI, Vera, would love to chat! Contact her at vera.kaempfer@impacthub.net
