Happy Hubiversary! Celebrating 1 year of Impact Hub Berlin’s Circular Co-working Space
In February 2023 Impact Hub Berlin celebrated one full year since we threw open the doors to our state-of-the-art circular co-working space!
It was our dream to build a workplace which reflected our values, and we are proud to say we have achieved this with our new home: the CRCLR House — a sustainable co-working hub built to support our changemakers, impact startups and partners.
About Impact Hub Berlin’s CRCLR House
The chosen area for our development was the site of an old Kindl brewery in Berlin’s bustling Neukölln district. Construction began in 2019 with the goal of erecting the entire multistorey, 3,500m2 space using recycled and upcycled material waste that would have normally been discarded.
We wanted to show Berlin (and Germany) that sustainable, circular construction was not just an idea, but completely possible — even though there were many challenges and questions that stood in the way. Various skilled workers, planners and traders with different approaches had to come together, and all materials needed to be tested to make sure they were safe to use.
The construction industry worldwide produces 40% of CO2 emissions and 60% of global waste. Circular construction is the sustainable, conscious and holistic approach to combating this issue. Materials for CRCLR House were sourced from all over Berlin — including lockers that were once used in Berghain, leftover wood from art installations and sofas that were salvaged from former office buildings.
The rest of the construction was scouted from demolition sites using as much natural and climate-active building materials as possible (e.g. wood, clay, lime, hempcrete, etc). In the end 80% of the materials used to create Impact Hub Berlin were sustainable, recycled or upcycled!
We were also visited by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle who showcased the space, our members, and what makes the building so important to the future of sustainable building in Berlin.
Despite the challenges and ambitious nature of the project, our sustainably built space opened in February 2022 — with the final floor completing construction in early 2023. This floor is now home to several brand new, ready-to-move-in offices for impact startups and innovators.
Interested in renting an office space with us? Our beautiful brand new offices are now available to rent!
What we offer:
Our large, sustainably built space is more than just offices and co-working. We offer:
Celebrating one year of Impact Hub Berlin’s co-working space
We sat down with Space Host Serge as part of our CollaborACTION video series who tells us what he thinks is so unique about the space and what makes it so special and what our members love about working here.
Our Ecosystems
This month also marks the one year anniversary of our ecosystem approach! Our four ecosystems enable collaboration across organisations, cultures and generations to solve current challenges.
Building on years of experience, we developed activities proven to engage different actors who share a common theme. Together they partner as a community to increase environmental and social impact.
Sustainable Food
Our Sustainable Food ecosystem is supporting the transition towards a circular food and agricultural value chain, acknowledging the systemic nature of the entire food system.
Highlights
One of the main activities in this ecosystem is Feeding the City — a six-month incubation programme powered by Impact Hub Berlin and Bank of America. It’s designed to support people and startups who are passionate about creating sustainable food businesses in Germany that benefit urban communities and the environment.
Green Tech
Our Green Tech ecosystem is dedicated to leveraging technology to solve environmental challenges such as climate change and ways to protect our natural environment.
Highlights
Impact Hub Berlin, in partnership with enpact and funded by the European Fund for Regional Development, hosts the Berlin Landing Pad — a programme aimed to support and develop collaborations and partnerships across entrepreneurial ecosystems all over the world.
Circular Economy
Circular Economy is our ecosystem dedicated to circularity — the idea that we can reuse, repurpose and recycle all resources to create less waste and
Highlights
Circular Together is an incubation programme that supports early-stage Impact Entrepreneurs with stipends and tailored business coaching, giving them the space, tools and network needed to leverage their impact.
Circular Together is different to other incubators. By putting mutually beneficial partnerships and individual support at the centre of the programme, we give you the necessary knowledge and skills needed to grow your business fast. By supporting you to establish pilot projects, we enhance your company’s value – without requesting an equity stake. Because innovation requires collaboration.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Our DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion ecosystem) are creating products and services that ensure nobody is left behind. Through innovation, workshops and collaboration, our DEI ecosystem is building towards a more inclusive future for everyone.
Highlights
In January 2023 we hosted StartupMigrants Start-Up Preschool which was a 2-day workshop dedicated to teaching migrants, refugees and newcomers to Germany all about (social) entrepreneurship.
Also in January we hosted a sold out Empathy Workshop facilitated where participants discussed the importance of empathy and how we can use it to solve conflict and create better working environments.
Lastly you don’t have to be a member of Impact Hub Berlin to attend all our workshops and events!
Our hub hosts various workshops throughout the year designed to educate and inspire. This includes our monthly Meet the Changemakers event which is open to anyone who wants to have more of an insight into how our impact startups and entrepreneurs are changing the world! It’s also a great opportunity to network with our members.
Highlights from One year of CRCLR House
Over the past year our members have celebrated many milestones with us. From sold-out events to weekly Kaffee and Kuchen, tours, incubation programmes, award ceremonies, and more… here are a few highlights from one year of our Berlin hub!
The ‘More Space for Impact’ Opening Party
We celebrated the opening of our sustainably built hub with a suitably big party! Last year innovators, entrepreneurs, and curious individuals united at Impact Hub Berlin’s opening party under common themes – with the desire to change the world for the better, connect with like-minded changemakers, and have some fun.
The party included presentations by our four ecosystems, speeches, panel discussions and a visit from the state secretary of the Federal Ministry for the Environment.
The Berlin Sozial Unternehmen Award 2022
In September 2022 the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises celebrated nine outstanding social enterprises with a proven track record of positive impact in and around Berlin.
In partnership with Impact Hub Berlin and Social Economy Berlin, the Berlins Soziale Unternehmen award is the first of its kind, but hopes to encourage more of Berlin’s start-ups, ventures and enterprises to make social impact an important part of their growth. The event was held at our sustainable, circular co-working space and brought together members of our Berlin community to celebrate social impact and a greener future.
Interested in hosting an event in our space? Click here!
We are bigger than our space!
We are always connecting with our community inside and outside the hub, hosting events with other local businesses in Berlin. For example we hosted a Meet the Changemakers event in partnership with our neighbours Berlin Global Village and held our Christmas party (Hubfest!) at the kiosk in front of the building. We also hold weekly and monthly events exclusively for our many members:
- Every Monday we host Kaffee und Kuchen — an opportunity for our members to get together, network and discuss projects over a warm cup of coffee and a piece of cake.
- Regular Community Lunches.
Interested in partnering with Impact Hub Berlin? Click here.
In the first year of our space we have been able to bring together some of Berlin’s most exciting impact ventures, entrepreneurs and startups, hosted several inspiring events and partnered with businesses to accelerate their impact goals — we cannot wait to see what the future holds!