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Home | Startup support | Essential Skills for Building Future-Ready Solutions

Build the essential skills to launch innovative solutions for real-world social and sustainability challenges in the vibrant city of Berlin.

  • Format: 1-week immersive programme, in-person in Berlin
  • Timeline: Monday 7th – Friday 11th September
  • Location: Impact Hub Berlin, Neukölln & visit to Glasbox prototyping facility
  • Perks: Includes a 1-week Impact Hub Berlin coworking membership
  • Partners: Brought to you by Impact Hub Berlin and our pool of experts
  • Programme fee: €600 for professionals, discounted price of €200 for students

*€400 early bird offer for professionals before 31st July 2026

Apply to the summer school

Want to know how to turn your ideas into tangible impact and develop essential skills for the future of work? Then this summer school is for you.

The opportunity

With our summer school, you’ll work intensively in interdisciplinary teams, to develop your skills in innovation, business and impact modelling,  rapid prototyping, pitching and storytelling – and tackle urgent local challenges with impactful solutions.

Throughout the week, we take a human-centred, AI enabled approach.

Who’s the summer school for?

The 1-week programme is designed for professionals and students who want to drive innovation, start their own business or prepare themselves for a new role.

Melding expert inputs with hands-on building, this summer school equips you with the necessary entrepreneurial skills to make a difference.

Ambitious Employees & Leaders – Advance your innovation and impact skills to bring ideas to life within your current organisation.

Aspiring Founders – Explore how to apply your knowledge and experience to real-world business opportunities.

Students & Graduates – Complement your academic studies with real-world project and venture experience.

Job Seekers & Career Changers – Develop the essential future skills needed to transition into the innovation or impact sector.

Apply to the summer school

The week at a glance

Monday – Welcome, Tour of our Circular House, Challenge Framing & Team Formation

Tuesday – Expert Guest Lectures on Social Impact Business Models, Team Business Model Development & Ecosystem Networking Event

Wednesday – AI Digital Prototyping Workshop, Community Event & Physical Prototyping Session at the Glasbox Maker Space

Thursday – Impact Logic Modeling, Vision Frameworks & Storytelling Pitch Training

Friday – Final Jury Pitch Competition, Structured Feedback & Cohort Celebratory Dinner

Your experts for the week

Vanessa Naumann
Head Coach for Regenerative Leadership
With over a decade of experience across startups and cultural industries, Vanessa has been working at the intersection of technology and human intelligence since 2015. As a somatic therapist and strategist, she supports founders in creating clarity through breathwork, psychological tools, and agile consulting.
Benjamin Nguyen
AI Transformation and Workflow Automation Lead
Spearheading responsible AI adoption and workflow automation and specializing in AI prototyping and agents (n8n), Benjamin bridges technical innovation with organizational change. Benjamin has designed high-impact programs for Samsung, Lufthansa, and the global Impact Hub network. A certified Design Thinking Master, he facilitates workshops that empower teams to navigate digital transformation.
Izzy Ahrbeck
Award-winning Storyteller & Community Lead
A community builder, award-winning storyteller, and Head of Community at Impact Hub Berlin. With a background in film, journalism, and a Master’s in Sustainable Business & Innovation, she has worked with global clients like Lufthansa Group and Samsung Germany. Izzy specializes in helping entrepreneurs translate complex ideas into impactful narratives that drive change and future-ready solutions.
Ellie Leopold
Programme Lead and Impact Measurement Specialist
Dedicated to the principle that "everything is about people" and holding an MSci in Psychology and Innovation from the University of Bristol, Ellie specializes in applying human-centered design and futures thinking to business challenges. She has spent over 6 years helping entrepreneurs across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East move from ideation to partnership- and investment-readiness.

What you get out of the summer school

Impact Business Idea

A fully structured concept engineered to solve a defined challenge currently facing Berlin.

Tangible Prototype

A physical or digital representation of your idea built using vibe coding and rapid prototyping methodologies.

Ecosystem Immersion

Feel what it’s like to be part of Berlin’s biggest impact community and connect directly with successful entrepreneurs.

Essential Future Skills

Advanced innovation, leadership and AI capabilities for creating impactful solutions and innovative strategies.

Confidence to Act

The mindset and network connections needed to drive internal innovation or launch your own venture.

Certificate of Participation

An official certificate of participation, recognising your skill development and commitment to impact. 

 

Apply to the summer school

Our three-pillar approach

Our approach follows Impact Hub Berlin’s core pillars of impact to deliver a cohesive, transformative week:

Connect – Ecosystem Immersion

Dive into the Berlin startup scene. Tour our circular ecosystem headquarters, connect during dedicated team working sessions, become part of Berlin’s largest impact community, and attend networking events with founders-in-residence and ecosystem guests.

Enable – Business Modeling & AI Prototyping

Participate in tailored workshops led by experienced facilitators. You will master the Impact Business Model Canvas, explore impact logic frameworks, and learn ethical, AI-assisted "vibe coding" as well as physical rapid prototyping techniques to fast-track your solutions into tangible outputs.

Inspire – Hands-on Making & Pitching

Get out of the classroom. Spend a half-day at the specialist Glasbox maker space creating physical or digital prototypes. Refine your solution narrative in our storytelling workshops and present your finished concept to a live expert jury panel.

Timeline

Applications open
22/05/2026
01/08/2026
Applications close
01/08/2026
Payment deadline
25/08/2026
07/09/2026
Kick-off of the summer school
07/09/2026
Pitch event and celebratory dinner
11/09/2026
Apply to the summer school

What other people say about our programmes

Christoph Koessler
Co-Founder Scale Energy
The incubator program supported us in our early development and gave us the opportunity to better pursue the path we envisioned. Within one year of founding the company, we closed a €2 million seed round.
Mohan raj Ramadoss
Co-founder of Repair Circle
Impact Hub Berlin played a huge role in our journey. From turning our early idea into an MVP to connecting us with incredible people who continue to support us today. The fact that we are still part of the hub says everything about how much we love this inspiring community!
Monica Kisic Aguirre
Founder of Roots Radicals
Since joining the Impact Hub community in 2020 through the Feeding the City Incubator, Roots Radicals has grown with Impact Hub’s continuous support. In 2024 alone, we catered 18 events for 500 members, saving 350 kg of CO₂ equal to what 15 trees absorb in a year. Grateful for this lasting partnership!
Genefer Baxter
Co-Founder and CGO at Naviri
Empower Now was the first program that truly gave me a chance. As a woman of color and foreigner in German tech, that meant a lot. The incubator gave us clarity, structure, and community, while the Demo Day opened new doors. A highlight was the impact assessment workshop, which equipped us with tools we’ll carry forward and share with our own community.
Tavseef Mairaj Shah
Founder of Cinsoil
The program connected us with incredible mentors, potential partners, and the wonderful community. Every workshop, every feedback session, every check-in helped us move the needle, culminating, ultimately in a successful pre-seed round.

Frequently Asked Questions

The regular fee is €600 for working professionals. If you apply and pay before 31st July 2026, we can offer an early bird price of only €400!

For current students, we have a reduced fee of €200.

Not at all! This summer school is designed specifically for an interdisciplinary cohort professionals and students. We believe in the power of collaboration and that bringing together diverse perspectives, we can create even more impactful solutions.

Yes, definitely! We’ve designed the course to be within the permitted number of learning days or “Bildungsurlaub” for most companies in Germany. It also focuses on giving you the skills you need to bring impactful ideas to life in any sector or area of work, to help you progress in your company and career.

No, this course is open to everyone interested in building their skills in innovation, business modeling, AI and storytelling. You can be based anywhere – however, the course is in-person, in Berlin, so you will need to be in the city for the week of the course. If you need support finding accomodation, please reach out to us and we’d be happy to help.

Of course, we’re happy to help. We don’t have our own accomodation we can offer, but many of our community members often sublet their apartments and we’re happy to connect you. Alternatively, we can recommend some hotels just a short walk or bike ride away from Impact Hub Berlin!

Want to find out more about the summer school before applying? 

Reach out to the Project Lead, Ellie Leopold:

ellie.leopold@hotmail.co.uk